Ep.125 When Protected Wildlife Becomes A Public Threat

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A sea lion the size of a small car starts lunging at people in a Southeast Alaska harbor and the town has to make a call. I’m joined by Brandon Ware out of Petersburg, Alaska, and he walks me through the full story of two aggressive male sea lions that were “terrorizing” the docks, stalking people, and creating a real risk for kids and dogs in a working marina packed with boats.

Before we get to the action, we slow down and get the context right: what Southeast Alaska is like day to day, why Petersburg is such a commercial fishing hub, and what waterfowl hunting looks like up there, from sea ducks and diver ducks to geese and even big sandhill crane migrations. Then Brandon breaks down Steller sea lion biology in a way that’s hard to forget: 1,500 to 2,500 pounds on the big end, heavy scarring from fighting, massive teeth, and a bite force that can change how you think about “marine mammals.”

From there, we talk wildlife management and the legal reality under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, including how Alaska Native subsistence and cultural harvest works. Brandon shares what went wrong with these particular sea lions, why non-lethal efforts didn’t solve it, what it’s like taking careful shots inside city limits, and the chaotic challenge of retrieving a 2,000-pound animal with a crane when a line snaps and the whole plan goes sideways. We also dig into the “why” behind aggression, including signs of sickness, parasites, and the dangerous pattern that starts when people feed wild animals.

If you care about hunting ethics, conservation, and real-world safety around wildlife, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share it with a hunting buddy, and leave a review with your take: where’s the line between protection and necessary management?

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