You are here

Home

All Recent Comments

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers, A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds

Aug 19th - 21:33pm | Birder's Library

This is a beautifully written book. I enjoyed it, but fervently hope that Cokinos never has cause to write a follow-up chronicling even more birds. And great review, by the way.

Big Cypress National Preserve Officials Crafting Hunting Management Plan For Addition Lands

Aug 19th - 21:10pm | Batch

"The NPS should do what's right for every ecosystem it manages, without regard to what anyone today thinks or how they are affected, the NPS mandate is to preserve "for future generations" not greedy folks today."

Aug 17th - 18:59pm | Ranger Bill

Once again the NPS has caved in to local pressure and national lobbying by folks whose idea of enjoying a resource is destroying it. While local concerns should be listened to, they shoudln't matter any more than the concerns of folks in distant places. Economic concerns shouldn't matter at all.

Are Hunters Good Wildlife Stewards When It Comes To Wolves? Not According To This Study

Aug 19th - 18:02pm | RangerLady

Sorry...my info came from a report by the USDA and the FWS

Aug 19th - 17:48pm | Anonymous

Hunters are fine for 'conserving' horned and antlered animals so they can shoot them themselves but that does not translate to conserving healthy ecosystems and the whole vibrant diversity that is essential for the wild. My experience is that hunters will not stick their necks out one millimeter to protect carnivores politically for fear of being smeared as bleeding hearts.

Aug 19th - 17:32pm | Danika Klein

As a hunter but a zoology/wildlife biology major i am a but torn here. I am a wildlife steward when it comes to our endangered and threatened wildlife species, wolves, bears, cats, etc, and i believe that it is our duty to protect these species.

Aug 19th - 17:07pm | Andy Aslaksen

Not sure if my last comment will get posted, or if this one will it has been a while.  @Rangerlady, I would ask the same form you that I did of Bruce, please cite your sources.   Thanks

Aug 19th - 16:43pm | RangerLady

Well I watched the video and I didn't hear much truth from the ranchers. In 2010, only 63 domestic animals were killed in WY, which was the lowest since 2003. In states with wolves, only 2.5% of sheep losses and 0.11% of cattle losses were as a result of wolves. Domestic dogs, on average, kill 5 times as many cattle as wolves.

Aug 19th - 16:27pm | Anonymous

Bruce ... They only get paid if they win, not lose. Don't hate the environmental organizations because they are good at winning.

Aug 19th - 16:10pm | Andy Aslaksen

Bruce, Can you please cite the sources for both Dr. Mech and Mr. Allen?  I would like to review the information you presented in full and I think it beneficial when quoting someone that you include source information otherwise how do I and other know that indeed the information presented is factual?

Aug 19th - 16:10pm | Anonymous

Let's listen and Learn from these sources too: with an Open Mind: [color=#0000ff]http://discovery.mnhs.org/MN150/index.php?title=L._David_Mech[/color]

Aug 19th - 15:43pm | Bruce Hemming

I meant to say How many Billions have they collect from the tax payers??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trc3680VEYM  Watch the video see the truth about wolves... This is real Americans that are putting up with wolves.

Aug 19th - 15:34pm | RangerLady

I'm not entirely sure I understood the post by Bruce Hemming, but I do know for a fact that Dr. Mech does believe wolves are essential to a healthy ecosystem. As for having to get wolves under control, why? They aren't even out of control. They haven't decimated the elk, moose, or deer herds at all. They hunt the young and the weak for the most part, keeping the herds healthy.

Aug 19th - 14:55pm | Bruce Hemming

Who many Billions have the collect from the tax payers??? They are winning a lot this is nothing but a con job.. For the fake hunters that live anywhere near wolves.. You are preaching lies.. Wow I guess the wolf lovers have not heard the facts. Dr Mech states wolves are NON ESSTENIAL to healthy eco system.  President of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation David Allen, I have apologies

Aug 19th - 14:09pm | Ryan

Bruce, the fees are only paid to the organization if they win, if they lose the case the government does not pay their legal fees.  So unless they know they are going to win every case, they are not in it for the money.

Aug 19th - 13:48pm | Anonymous

On the Issue of Humanity Eating better: plase read with an Open Mind: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/opinion/04pollan.html   Discusses how much public tax money is wasted subsidizing bad habits of Big Agric-Business.

Aug 19th - 13:38pm | Michele Wright

my husband is a hunter and so is my son. My family hunts for subsitance purposes only. They only take what we can eat. We do share our food with older hunters who can no longer get out and it helps with their fo...od for the winter. We donate the hides to the VA for PT sessions for vets. We say prayers over every animal killed and thank it for giving it's life so we can live.

Aug 19th - 13:00pm | Boogra

Hi Judith.  If you agree with Vincent then you are clearly as uninformed as he is.  I hunt a 380 acre area in Mississippi with five other guys.  All of us are dedicated conservationists.  We do not, in fact, kill the strongest fo the species, but instead harvest from a wide spectrum of the gene pool.  We have a 15 acre lake on the property as well and have solid rules about which sized fish we

Aug 19th - 12:25pm | Bruce Hemming

[color=#0000ff]http://idahofarmbureau.blogspot.com/2009/10/equal-access-to-justice-act.html[/color] “We tried to track the fees paid to environmental groups in certain federal courts.

Aug 19th - 11:44am | Anonymous

We totally agree with Vincent based on 55 years of observations and conversations with friends and relatives who have no integrity or ethics respecting any wildlife; they see wildlife as a moving target for killing; many western ranchers despite their alleged "Love of the Land" stories have destroyed many predators with their

Aug 19th - 10:36am | JLA

Vincent,

Aug 19th - 10:27am | Anonymous

  As wolves have expanded range and increased in number their impacts on prey species have been greater, reducing hunting opportunities. Why? Because a wolf will eat between 16-25 deer or elk from Nov. to April each and every year of its adult life. They actually eat even more large prey, but that is the standard research year because it is easier to detect wolf kills on the snow.

Aug 19th - 10:15am | Judith

Thank you Vincent. Your comment is right on the button and a great addition to this article when it comes to the facts and studies about why hunters are not good stewards for our wildlife. Hunters can deny it all they want but the evidence becomes clearer more and more.

Aug 19th - 05:38am | Vincent

Hunters are not good wildlife stewards.. period. They tend to hunt the strongest of the species resulting in bad genepools. They destroy any competition like wolves cougar bear etc resulting in overpopulation of bad gened grazers which they favor because of easier hunting.

The Million Club: National Parks That Had More Than A Million Visits in 2010

Aug 19th - 17:27pm | Anonymous

Which parks had the least number of visitors???

Aug 19th - 11:01am | Randy Johnson

Shenandoah—that's the one that hit me, Tony. I would have sworn that park would be a lot busier, especially due to proximity to DC. I always found Shen attractive in winter for cross country skiing and winter backpacking but recent times I've tried, road plowing hasn't been nearly as important as it once was (much less Big Meadows Lodge having a winter season--remember that?).

Aug 19th - 07:34am | Tony Ingraham

On the one hand, it's great that national parks are so popular. On the other, it's nice to see that many places that are not traditional national parks are getting heavy use. I hope the National Heritage Corridor system keeps receiving funding; and that it gets increases (cuts are more likely).

Shocking Photo From Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Aug 19th - 16:43pm | Green

REAL GREEN ENERGY :).   Wonder if there was a fish kill in this strike.

Aug 19th - 14:32pm | Tim S.

Fantastic photo.  Beauty in the fury.

Persistent Pedestrians: Black Bears in Big Bend National Park

Aug 17th - 21:18pm | Meghan

Rick, great question! These are the same bears that are found all over North America. So adaptable are they that they live almost everywhere. Physiologically speaking, Big Bend's black bears are noticeably smaller than black bears you'd find else where eating salmon, though.

Aug 17th - 11:15am | Rick B.

Are these bears drastically evolved differently from black bears elsewhere? There are so many areas with "surplus" population that I wonder if a little transplanting would help stabilize the population? Or would bears used to salmon and ready rainfall and such just wither in the desert.

Aug 17th - 08:54am | Lee Dalton

Terrifically interesting.  I know I'll be letting my ignorance show, but I never dreamed of desert bears.  Neat!

Reader Participation Day: What's Your Solution When the Weather Doesn't Cooperate During Your Trip?

Aug 17th - 19:58pm | atwillw

There's no such thing as uncooperative weather, merely uncooperative clothing!

Aug 17th - 19:17pm | Barky

Heck, I go out in it!! Of course, sometimes with dubious results. I hiked Shenandoah trails during on-and-off driving rain. Had all my raingear, was well protected, and had a ball. That is until I needed to go back up to the road. Had a wee bit o'trouble getting up the muddy trail. I was a filthy mess when I got back.

Aug 17th - 18:20pm | Wildweather

Make "Lemonade" :).  Many times the challenges actually make the trip, if you are game.  A test (I like breakthroughs:).

Aug 17th - 17:42pm | Anonymous

We find muddy river banks and pretend we're otters.  :)

Aug 17th - 10:11am | AnonymousD

We are avid day hikers but not campers, which shapes our Park visits. We both enjoy reading, like museums, and happily chat with strangers. We also tend to plan each trip with an extra day in case we want to just hang out or do something new we came across unexpectedly.

Aug 17th - 07:54am | Anonymous

I pout and throw tantrums.

Aug 17th - 03:04am | MRC

Years ago, we had several days of constant and cold rain in Utah. For the first day, we went "underground" and visited Timpanogos Caves National Monument, the second day we went to SLC and did the "mormon tour" including some time in the genealogical records archive and we had the good luck to hear the Tabernacle Choir at a rehearsal.

National Park Road Trip 2011: Crater Lake Lodge

Aug 17th - 19:42pm | Anonymous

Welcome to Crater Lake Lodge, and we truly hope that you will correct the errors

Aug 17th - 18:40pm | Outnumbered:)

Hey Tim, I have to attest to the restroom cleanliness.  Although they were scheduled to be cleaned one morning in August I convinced the maintenance crew to wait a bit as there were  about 400 runners preparing to run the Crater Lake Marathon, Half Marathon and 6.2 mile races.  We outnumbered them, lol!  Awesome place! 

Aug 17th - 18:27pm | Timothy Mahoney

Full disclosure, my name is Timothy Mahoney and I am the current manager of the Crater Lake lodge.  I recently arrived here from Zion NP and have spent 10 years living and working in national pakrs for Xanterra and Aramark. 

The Birth of the National Park Service: The Founding Years, 1913-33

Aug 17th - 18:48pm | Anonymous

  See also: Preserving the Living Past: Legacy of John C. Merriam by Stephen R. Mark, in learning J.C. Merriam's role in the early visitor educational programs of the NPS.

Billy Malone And the National Park Service Investigaton At Hubbell Trading Post

Aug 17th - 15:40pm | Dave Montalbano

Rick- appointing new people with the "new systems" is pointless and not a long term solution.  Special agents need to exist in a structure of extreme accountability.

National Park Quiz 97: Ships

Aug 17th - 12:17pm | R Stefancik

(9) True. Wreck diving is allowed in Michigan's Isle Royale National Park, which has nine major sunken vessels in its waters. Scuba diving is quite dangerous there, however, due to the water's depth, cold (39-45 degrees F in some places), limited visibility, and other hazards of open water diving in Lake Superior.

Aug 17th - 10:34am | tomp2

on #7, the San Diego Maritime Museum and Cabrillo National Monument are constructing a replica of the San Salvador at Spanish Landing, just across Harbor Dr. from the airport, and about 5 miles from Cabrillo NM.  Most weekends and some weekdays you'll find CABR interpreters in their 1500s dress at the construction site.

Where Can You Enjoy The Best Wildlife Experiences In the National Park System?

Aug 17th - 08:54am | Old Zion Ranger

Wind Cave and Theodore Roosevelt NP's for bison, elk, pronghorn and mule deer.  Zion NP for big horn sheep.

Aug 17th - 08:16am | CraigBowman

prarie dogs not getting much respect ! Lots of them at Badlands NP. Mule deer and big horn sheep too.

Aug 17th - 03:06am | MRC

How about watching Gray Whales from Point Reyes NS? They can be seen occasionally from the shore.

Mennonite Women Backpacking and Bears Falling in Shenandoah National Park

Aug 17th - 06:39am | CEM

My wife and I are about to become Mennonites. We started a website with pics chronciling our journey. Please check it out and feel free to join or leave a comment. www.quiettimes.webs.com

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.