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...low game numbers due to over hunting & wolves, but biggest problem is the lack of any economic base in rural areas. The feds have restricted mining, commercial fishing, pretty much everything.

First of all, thank you for updating us as to how everything is going up there in Alaska. If I may, may I ask you who do you think is responsible for the restrictions on mining, commercial fishing and everything else. Did all the federal restrictions begin with Bill Clinton? Or with Obama?

...low game numbers due to over hunting & wolves

I'm also curious as to why hasn't the legislature immediately enacted laws for all their game wardens and the public -to be allowed to shoot wolves on sight, thereby controlling their resurgence.?

The process of making Alaska a big biozone fed reserve has been going on for many years, Jimmy Carter is still hated up here. Every Democrat enacts another land grab; imagine if tomorrow the feds run everybody off 87% of the state land mass of your state; then said no economic activity. Years back, rural people fished and sold salmon to buyers who flew it to processors, there was extensive gold mining operations. The feds shut everything down once the area becomes a park; tell the people to get food stamps or move to the city. Every new incoming park ranger reinterprets the last ranger's land use agreement with the local land owners that were on the land before park creation. Some just can't afford to fight the feds after living 50 years within a park that didn't exist when they were born on the land. I have friends that have faced huge fines as the feds force them off their lands. Alaska's low population has it's benefits and drawbacks.

What's crazy is there's more moose around Anchorage and Fairbanks than out along the Yukon; main reason is wolves & bear & and thousands of urban hunters that swarm rural areas; the resource just can't with stand the demands. Every wolf consumes 6 moose/year, bear take 85% of moose calf production every June, and come hunting season, the urban hordes arrive. No joke, it's hungry country out along the upper Yukon. Most people get a couple caribou, if they migrate within 100 miles of them, feel quite blessed if they get a moose every other year, and last season the feds shut down the use of fish nets on the river for kings. The Indians complain constantly about having to eat White man's food using food stamps; they wonder what is going so wrong and the future.

You need wolf and bear control or the land will only produce 10% of the moose it's capable of; the feds rather the people starve and wolves eat well. Palin was loved up here because she fought the judges injunctions and funded wolf control programs; but she's gone now and the politicals are in fear of the wolf luvers money at election time.

It's tough getting wolves, awful smart; you see them from time to time in the winter, but got to be lucky. I've hung out the window with my 6.8 stag, flashlite on the barrel shooting at wolves in my garbage cans at 3 am. Last week, I put over a 1000 miles on my truck, road hunting, up to cold foot, down to Tok and up taylor, and through central and circle. We've seen wolves in these areas in the past, but not this time, just tracks; no joke they are tough unless the caribou are moving through.

Sweden harvests 5X the moose Alaska does, reason is they control the wolves. WE have over 25X wolves in Ak. Hard to envision with a lower 48 mindset, but I'm speaking the truth.

Bottomline, someday the price of oil will go back up and Alaska will be awash in cash and no problems again. $40 bucks a barrel is break even for oil in Ak; they are still pumping into storage, but running out of space. Also over 1`/4 the population is Native, vast majority on complete govt assistance, state grants, ect. In itself overloads the state expenses.

Even with the problems, I'll never leave Alaska; something about the place, where I feel peace.