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Overview
In this episode I talk with Bruce Dale about predator management in Alaska based on his 35 years of experience. Bruce has a rich set of experiences having worked on a variety of projects for several agencies. Most recently he was the Director of Wildlife Conservation for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Show Notes
0:30 – Introductions including Bruce’s thoughts on why he hunts and the value of hunting to him.
8:30 – Bruce shares stories about favorite hunts.
10:30 – We discuss how Bruce uses science in hunting.
13:30 — We initiate a discussion of the science of predator management.
16:40 — Bruce considers how we manage people as predators in the system and how wildlife management is a value based process.
23:00 — We discuss the trade offs between scientific information and values. When do we have enough science to make a science based decision?
31:15 — We talk about several case studies of predator management in Alaska.
41:30 — Bruce talks us through a situation where predator management wasn’t justified nor effective.
43:45 — We discuss differences between managing wolves and bears.
46:00 — Bruce describes Intensive Management Law in Alaska.
51:00 — We transition into a conversation about what is a population for management purposes.
58:30 — Why is predator management so political?
1:03:00 — We talk about the changes that have occurred in the attitudes about hunting.
1:04:30 — What is the future for predator management?
1:06:30 — Bruce offers his advice about what he thinks young professionals should consider as they enter the workforce.
1:11:00 — Outro.
Additional Resources
