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Alaska Regional Director Responds To Outrage Over Katmai Preserve Bear Hunt

Oct 16th - 15:24pm | Living with bears

Thank you Gerald (PhD) and Ms. Blaszak's. Finally a clear educated representation of what everyone refers to as "the hunt" is really about. For comments made that the National Park Service is missing the point, please re-read Ms. Blaszak's statement. If you still don't understand it, please consider that YOU are missing the point.

Oct 16th - 08:01am | Bob Jackson

Great point Ralph. Justanotherhunter" If what you say is correct about the sound track on the video then thanks for pointing that out and I stand corrected on that! even so, that changes absolutely nothing about the bear slaughter happening on Katmai National Preserve GMU 9C 703 Katmai National Park and behavior of the hunting guide outfits.

Oct 15th - 23:39pm | Ralf

Dear justanotherhunter "it ran up the hill and I almost s*** my pants" (cant believe the editors let that one get through)

Oct 15th - 18:58pm | justanotherhunter

Bob Jackson: Your wrong on a couple things.. the hunters didnt say "what a great shot, the bears, they just don't even care. " another hunter says wow' the bear's walking right up to us"

Oct 15th - 08:57am | Bob Jackson

I too would like to thank FACT for providing us that information. Mark, Thank You! finally an intellegent educated hunter Outdoorsman who no doubt hunts with ethically and morally as well as skill.

Oct 14th - 15:54pm | Lone Hiker

Oh, I doubt if you could mount much of a case to support your statement insinuating that I'm ignorant of wildlife issues, and that the almighty Board of Game, NPS, DF&G, or other all-knowing agencies should be held in the highest reverence and left to their own devices in their decision making processes regarding the "resources" contained within our parklands.

Oct 14th - 00:24am | Anonymous

Fact, thanks for divulging more information about this some what clandestine outfit called the Board of Game and the Alaska Outdoor Council. Sounds like a group of good old boys wanting to control the whole atmosphere of hunting in Alaska...lock stock and barrel! These hunting boards are nothing but a scam.

Oct 13th - 17:14pm | Anonymous

"Murdering" bears...you are funni.

Oct 13th - 14:43pm | Ralf

Gerald, what is your Ph.D. in?

Oct 13th - 14:40pm | Fact

Marcia Blaszak's statement is no more than the pat agency response. They state that there are plenty of bears in Katmai Preserve. The whole of Katmai Preserve is not what is the problem. It is a small portion of the Preserve namely GMU 9C sub unit 703. This is the area of most use by all user groups.

Oct 13th - 14:07pm | Bear Hunter

How many of you people commenting have even hunted brown bears? How many of you live in Alaska? Most brown bears this time of year do ignore you as they are more concerned with finding food. It doesnt matter if you are in Katmai reserve or the yukon river or king salmon, if you are hunting a fall bear theres a good chance he wont notice you if you walk up to him.

Oct 13th - 13:59pm | Randy

All of you antihunters need to chill...we have the right to continue these tours, the park blongs to all of us. Our clients derive great enjoyment from this hunt.

Oct 13th - 10:33am | Lone Hiker

I wonder if she's referring to the public process of voicing opinions sure to be ignored or the public process of game management? Sorry, I couldn't resist.......

Oct 13th - 07:42am | Bruce Wilkinson

As a resident of New York City that does not have the benifit of wildlife (unless you consider the rats) I saw the video on You Tube and my jaw just dropped. Are you kidding me? We have a term here 'shooting fish in a barrel' which means the prey have no chance. That "hunt" remined me of that saying. When did Alaskans give up the idea of the need for sport when it comes to hunting?

Oct 13th - 02:58am | Anonymous

Regarding Alaska Regional Director Marcia Blaszak’s comments. I find it interesting that she failed to mention the “blood money” the National Park Service receives from this trophy hunt (shoot).

Oct 12th - 22:28pm | Mark

I am an outdoorsman whom hunts and fishes. I do not believe this is a true "hunt" and it should be managed better. I doubt there is any shortage of bears to view there or any other part of this state. If the powers that be think a certain amout of animals need to be removed, than it should be done by professionals and not the general hunting public.

Oct 12th - 14:05pm | haunted hiker

Wow! This one really got everyone's blood boiling. This bear hunt looked astronomically more humane to me than the chickenhouses, dairy farms, and pig slaughter houses that I've seen. Like they say, some days you eat the bear; some days the bear eats Treadwell. Nature, she's a real beeee-yatch.

Oct 12th - 14:01pm | Lone Hiker

Dr. Gerald-

Oct 12th - 11:52am | Bob Jackson

Yet another ignorant comment, made by someone who does not even begin to address the issue here. Please Mr PhD the issue isn't about thinning the population of bears and I'm surprized that this is the only comment you can make. If you truly have a PhD you should have understood what the real issue is? You're damn right people are getting emotional!!

Oct 12th - 11:21am | Gerald

I am satisfied with Ms. Blaszak's explanation of the parameters of federal jusidiction and justification for yearly thinning. Her science is quite sound and well reasoned. It is quite obvious that many of the commenters on this page are getting way too emotional...hunts have taken place for years. These bears will continue to thrive in Katmai thanks to sound mangement practices.

Oct 12th - 10:42am | bob Jackson

Yes!! Ms Blaszak's comments really read as if she's only addressing the legal rights of the hunters massacreing the bears on Katmai. In fact her entire comment seems nothing but pro hunter jargon however it comes to no surprise that yet another politician would once again completely avoid the real issue..

Katmai Bear Hunt: Outfitter Says It's No Walk in the Woods

Oct 16th - 08:19am | Anonymous

WOW" BRIAN, WHAT BIG STRONG COURAGEOUS MEN TO BRAVE THESE HARSH AND DANGEROUS CONDITIONS!! PLEASE EVERYONE WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN IN PROTEST OF THIS REDICULOUS HUNT ON KATMAI. BE SURE TO MENTION GMU 9C 703 KATMAI NATIONAL PARK

Oct 15th - 20:49pm | Brian Jorgensen

Just a few comments with a little different thought to process. It is unfortunate the park rangers felt they had to take the lives of two bears to protect the camera people that wanted to take pictures the following summer season--the bears may have found an alternative food source that should have been "fair game" for them. The bears could have enjoyed both the fish run and the people run.

4-Year-old Dies in Fall off South Rim of Grand Canyon

Oct 16th - 08:01am | Jerry

The national parks with their beauty and one-of-a-kind appeal tend to keep parents and others from considering the potential dangers which may exist as well.

Oct 15th - 13:04pm | Kath

This is a very tragic accident to be sure. But I hope that it does not prompt the NPS to install more fences at the rim. People do take foolish risks at the rim. They stand on crumbling rocks. They get way to close to the edge. They hop from outcropping to outcropping with only 400 feet of air underneath them.

Oct 15th - 07:58am | Anonymous

This accident just happened when my family and I arrived at the Grand Canyon. I was shocked when I heard that a young girl went over the rim and the rescue mission just started upon our arrival. I did not think about it before, but was quite surprised how much of the rim is not secured by a fence.

Oct 13th - 20:35pm | Suzanne

This is such a tragic incident, and while I do think the parents could have been watching her more carefully, accidents do happen, and in most cases they are not as fatal as this. This should remind us how lucky we are to be alive. My heart goes out to the mother and father, and the young girl whose life was tragically cut short.

Oct 13th - 06:52am | au79scorpion

Nature is beautiful,alluring and spectacular. And on the other side of the coin, harsh and un-compromising. My most heart felt condolences go out to the parents of this child after this most unfortunate event.

Oct 12th - 12:01pm | Ross

My first reaction was close to Steve but after thinking a bit, I can't help but feel bad for the parents and the guilt that they must shoulder for the rest of their lives. However, parks that are great for families are not necessarily child-safe proof nor should they be. Nature can be dangerous and families and children need to be educated on this and made aware of these dangers.

Oct 12th - 11:27am | Gerald

Cactusdar, that is one of the nicest posts I have ever read in this blog! Amen!

Oct 12th - 10:46am | Brenda

What parent has never done something stupid or careless that could have resulted in tragedy? Ever "almost" get in that car wreck that could have killed yourself or your kids? It only takes a second, folks. My heart grieves for this family. Their grief will be deep and lasting and I pray that if they have other children they manage to find joy with them in future years.

Is America Failing the World's National Parks Movement?

Oct 16th - 07:54am | Rick Smith

I had the great good fortune to work with Alvaro Ugalde during an extended detail assignment in Costa Rica. He was one of the most inspiring, motivated leaders I have ever met. The sad part about his message that the US is losing its place as a leader in the world conservation movement is that this is the second time he has publicly said this in a US meeting.

Oct 15th - 22:21pm | Anonymous

Kurt, many thanks for bringing this important summit to are attention: the National Park Foundation's Leadership Summit in Austin Texas. The summit definitely touches on some of the most important and critical issues facing are National Parks and country today.

Sunrise at Bryce Canyon

Oct 15th - 12:02pm | Lone Hiker

Don't be too hard on yourself Marion. Even the acknowledged best of the best, photogs who employ with and free-lance for National Geographic, Nature, Smithsonian and the like, can't make every shot perfect. For every one the makes publication there are literally DOZENS that end up in the round file.

Parks Philanthropy: It Shouldn't Only Be About Bricks and Mortar

Oct 15th - 09:40am | Anonymous

i'm glad to hear someone from the private sector saying this... in the philanthropic world, in my experience, no one wants to fund staff, they want to fund "tangible, on the ground results." to them (before you all start gang piling on this comment) this means building things, like visitor centers and toilets...

Glacier National Park Is Not As Pristine As It Appears

Oct 14th - 00:32am | Anonymous

What's your problem Gerald!? You seem to despise anyone that offers constructive criticism.

Oct 13th - 13:40pm | Gerald

Oh my Lord, you people can find negativity in anything! Ya'll are gonna die young from all this angst!!

Park Service Now Interested in Adding Christmas Mountains to Big Bend National Park

Oct 13th - 18:53pm | Anonymous

Sell it to the national forest service ------- they are more friendly toward public use than the national park sevice can be.

NPS' Washington Headquarters Supports Snowmobiles in Yellowstone

Oct 13th - 13:33pm | Yellowstone Junkie

YEEEEEEAAAAA baaaaaby!! Here is my sled this winter!: http://www.ski-doo.com/en-US/Snowmobiles/MXZ/The.Basics/ What ya'll think?

Yellowstone Snowmobiles: Has Apathy Arrived?

Oct 12th - 17:23pm | Anonymous

Frank, the anti Gore sentiment is already out...check FOX News! Gerald, in all due respect, but I suspect your so called Ph.D. doesn't give much insight or credence to the subject given.

Oct 12th - 16:08pm | Lone Hiker

Am I to understand that on the one hand, a criticism is justified regarding that bicycle you ride or that pack you carry with its petroleum-based fibers and petro-powered machinery that sews it, and these things are considered offensive, but that in the previous breath, since as you say, snowmobiles are "artificial" is enviro nonsense...we humans ARE part of the ecosystem, th

Oct 12th - 15:35pm | jersu

Gerald: You may be new here, and your contributions are welcome, but please criticize the argument, not the person. We are all bound to make grammatical errors occasionally, and these should not be used as the basis of an attack.

Oct 12th - 15:26pm | Gerald

No Kurt, the dangerous precedent was allowing the very first "environmental impact statement" which led all the other "scientists" (actually enviro ambulance-chasers) to go for the taxpayer dollars at every opportunity every time someone thought the sky was falling.

Oct 12th - 14:20pm | Lone Hiker

Speaking of juck science Gerald, you should be the FIRST to realize that as an environmental scientist, your comments make absolutely no sense. The emissions from the geysers are part of the environment, and if you want to try and regulate or remove them, that's your call.

Oct 12th - 14:05pm | Anonymous

gerald- your questioning science and protection of mostly intact ecosystems makes me a little queasy as does haunted hiker's quick endorsement.

Oct 12th - 13:51pm | repanshek

Is the sky falling? Perhaps, perhaps not. But what does it say when park managers have to weaken the standards of what constitutes a major adverse impact in terms of noise to justify their decision to support 540 snowmobiles per day? What does it say when they have to lower the protection standards for wildlife harassment and air pollution to justify this decision?

Oct 12th - 13:29pm | haunted hiker

Gerald! You're the man. Thanks for saying what I've been thinking for a loooong time. The so-called "apathy" is that there are "thousands of people" who realize the practicality of what Gerald just stated. 250 snowmobiles a day are not the "blight" the 10 million dollar enivronmental impact statements claim them to be.

Oct 12th - 12:02pm | Gerald

I would just like to follow up.... I do see way too much unfounded fear, raw emotion and junk science out there in many of the posts in this blog...did you all stop to really THINK about some of these issues before writing a post? Nature is SO resilient...just look at how fast nature takes back an abandoned logging road...or an empty field, for example.

Oct 12th - 11:42am | Gerald

Apathy? No, it is just realizing that just as in bear hunts to manage same, snowmobiles in Yellowstone is just one more issue that illustrates that there is way too much junk science with a heaping portion of too much emotion out there being spewed by environmental extremists.

National Park Foundation to Host Conference on Philanthropy in the Parks

Oct 12th - 10:33am | Anonymous

i'll take the "corporate intrusion" if it buys things like the rockefeller parkway (or whatever it's called) between yellowstone and the tetons. AND, i'll take it if it isn't funding what they want for marketing rather than funding what the nps needs. but don't let it supplant traditional funding and turn the parks private. that would be messy.

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