Alaska officials say 68 wolves trapped on or near island

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska wildlife officials have reported that 68 wolves were taken by trappers in 2020 on or near Prince of Wales Island. Conservationists unsuccessfully tried to block the 21-day wolf trapping season from November to December. State Department of Fish and Game officials ruled that trapping could be safely allowed and would pose danger to the overall wolf population. Conservationists claimed that state and federal officials were allowing unsustainable killings. Island residents have testified at hearings that the trapping season is justified because too many wolves prey on deer. Conservationists counter that decades of commercial development on the island’s forests are to blame for thinner deer herds.