Alaska Judge Lets Aerial Bear-Killing Program Resume To Aid Caribou Herd
Judge Adolf Zeman on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, rejected conservation groups' bid to block Alaska's Mulchatna predator-control plan, clearing the way for aerial killing of black and brown bears during the caribou calving season.
The ruling lets Alaska Department of Fish and Game agents resume aerial shootings this calving season to protect the herd.[1], plus 11 more in 2025. The records also say agents killed 99 bears and 20 cubs from the air in less than a month during spring 2023.
The episode traces back to a decades-long collapse of the Mulchatna caribou herd, which fell from around 190,000 at its peak to about 13,000 by 2019 and an estimated 16,280 by 2025. After calf survival fell and hunting closed in 2021, the Alaska Board of Game in January 2022 authorized an intensive program letting agents kill predators from aircraft. The program began in spring 2023, prompting lawsuits in August 2023 and a court ruling that overturned the plan in March 2025. After the Board reauthorized a similar plan in July 2025, conservation groups including the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a new challenge in November 2025.
State wildlife officials say bear removals are helping the herd recover, while conservation groups counter that the state lacks key data on bear populations and sustainability. The herd increased about 30.1% from 2023 to 2025 to an estimated 16,276 animals, a trend state officials cite as evidence the removals are working.
The mainstream summary highlights the increase in the Mulchatna caribou herd but does not address the significant role of predation in calf mortality. According to a review by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, predation by bears and wolves accounted for 89% of calf mortality in the first two weeks of life, with bears responsible for 46%. This critical data underscores the urgency of predator control measures that the summary downplays, framing the issue primarily around the bear-killing program's legality rather than the ecological context of caribou survival.
Additionally, while the mainstream account mentions the herd's population growth, it omits the potential impact of other factors, such as the high prevalence of brucellosis antibodies in adult female caribou, which exceeded 35% in 2020. This condition could have contributed to the herd's decline and complicates the narrative that predator control alone is a panacea for the caribou's recovery. Furthermore, social media perspectives reveal a divide, with some users condemning the bear-killing program as a means to facilitate future hunting, while others argue it is necessary for the caribou's survival, highlighting the contentious nature of wildlife management in Alaska that the mainstream summary does not fully capture.
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📊 Relevant Data
Predation by bears and wolves accounted for 89% of Mulchatna caribou calf mortality in the first two weeks of life, with bears responsible for 46% and wolves for 43%.
Review of factors in public and agency predator control for Mulchatna caribou — Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Following lethal removal of 94 brown bears in the western calving grounds in spring 2023, the fall 2023 calf-to-cow ratio improved to 44 calves per 100 cows, the highest recorded since 1999.
Review of factors in public and agency predator control for Mulchatna caribou — Alaska Department of Fish and Game
The Mulchatna caribou herd population increased by 30.1% from 2023 to 2025, reaching an estimated 16,276 animals, coinciding with the start of intensive predator management.
Mulchatna Caribou Herd News: Fall Update 2025 — Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Brucellosis antibody prevalence exceeded 35% in adult female Mulchatna caribou in 2020, potentially reducing fitness and contributing to the herd's decline.
Review of factors in public and agency predator control for Mulchatna caribou — Alaska Department of Fish and Game
📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Judge Adolf Zeman rejected conservation groups' bid for a preliminary injunction against Alaska's Mulchatna caribou predator-control plan.
- The ruling allows Alaska Department of Fish and Game agents to continue aerial shooting of black and brown bears during the 2026 calving season.
- The Mulchatna caribou herd declined from around 190,000 animals at its peak to about 13,000 in 2019 and an estimated 16,280 in 2025; hunting has been closed since 2021.
- State records cited in the lawsuit say 180 bears were killed between 2023 and 2024 under the program, plus 11 more in 2025, including 99 bears and 20 cubs killed from the air in less than a month in 2023.
- Alaska wildlife officials argue bear removals are aiding herd recovery, while conservation groups say the state lacks key data on bear populations and sustainability.
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