Recent comments

I couldn’t watch the whole video. I didn’t even get halfway. After seeing the hunters standing slack-jawed in such close quarters to the bear’s calm presence, I knew what would happen next. Taking candy from a baby doesn’t even begin to make a comparison – more like just killing the baby.

The difference here is between true hunting and lazy hunting. I think we all know which this is. I feel like those lazy hunters have no appreciation for what they’re taking.

I’m outraged.

So what do all of you people that are complaining suggest we do with the bears once they overpopulate? Disease themselves and die or die of starvation??? You can't have it both ways. And what about the poor fish the mean old bears are biting their heads off?? It is all relevant, isn't it?? All of you probably eat fish, chicken, beef, ham, etc., etc. etc. And those "poor animals" are standing in a 5X5 foot pen, gorging themselves on food we feed by hand. THEY TRUST US, right??? And then a bullet is put between their eyes...IS THIS "FAIR CHASE"????
GET OVER IT!!! It is all relevant. "One man's garbage is another man's treasure". Believe it: the bears are simply happy there is more food for them the following year!! SMILE and go to bed!!

I am deeply saddened and disgusted by the act of killing these habituated bears. I am a hunter, a fisher, and outdoorsman. This killing is dispicable, a low mark for human behavior. All individuals involved with this hunt, and the killing of these nearly tame animals, needs to be brought before the public and exposed for allowing, participating, or promoting these acts. Every magazine, newspaper, and T.V. station in this country should play this video and explain who in the state and federal government allowed this despicable act. The careers of the officials that sanctioned this tragic shooting event should be ended without hesitation. The videographers should be commended for putting themselves out in the field and bringing this footage to the world.

I have been a hunter for 13 years. What these people did is not hunting and is completely unethical. However, I also think there is another problem besides the hunting; these bears are habituated to humans. This should not be and the park needs to stop accommodating to tourists. It's a national park, not a zoo.

Honnestly, i find it wrong to raise fees... I'm a foreigner, and i don't understand why we should pay more than residents. I mean, the fact i'm coming to the USA doesn't mean i'm rich, it just means that i made the decision to save money to do it.
Then, i would say that, unfortunately, raise fees or taxes are common sense for administrations, in the states or here in my country, rather than spending the public money in a good way. Do you really think it still make sense (i'm not talking about fallen soldiers, they are heroes) to spend all money to war? With a small % of that money, a lot of stuff would be better in the US.
And, i want to add this, i'm really happy about your NP. Here, we don't have that (well, yeah, Belgium is a small country) but i think NP rock! You have fantastic landscapes, parks, ... and it's great to have it organised: rangers, campgrounds and so on. As long as it is open to everyone the same way, then it's cool. I fear of yu start raising fees, not everyone will still be able to visit...

Glad to hear that Alaska is putting the brown bear on its quarter. Too bad too many people will see it as the view through their spotting scopes. Guarantee you'll see images with the Alaska quarter and crosshairs superimposed on it within the year.

First thing I'm trying to do is ensure every news agency in the country picks up on it. The listing on Google News had three articles on my search yesterday and today it has nine, including papers in UT and TX that have picked it up. It needs some national exposure -- write to CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. first -- get more American citizens involved. After you've exhausted the list of usual people to write to (Congress, NPS, Interior, Jenna Bush's daddy) then get creative.

Oddly enough, Merryland, Alaskans just selected a fishing brown bear as the symbol to put on our quarter. It's a live brown bear with a salmon in its jaws, not a dead bear on the wall.

Here is a link that people may want to read to brush up on the history of bear management at Katmai. If you're going to be an advocate for something, you gotta know your history too.
[http://www.nps.gov/archive/katm/adhi/adhi9.htm]

And a link to Jim Stratton's letter this summer to Marcia Blaszak, Alaska Region Director for NPS.
[http://www.npca.org/media_center/pdf/npcas_ltr_katmai_bears_7_16_07.pdf]

One thing that really struck me from reading this -- this was federally protected land long before Alaska became a state. Since statehood in 1959, Alaska seems to have bullied the feds into letting the state game board dictate what's going on. Knowing the scruples of Alaska politicians these days, wouldn't be surprised if there's a lot of campaign donation influence and flat-out bribery going on up there. You can only imagine how corrupt something like a "state game board" must be -- with all the rich boy hunters running around up in Alaska... Hey Uncle Ted, got anything to say on the matter? What, no comment?

Lone Hiker---the bears that chomped on Treadway were probably not rogues but simply some very curious Ursidae who saw an opportunity to try some fresh Homo sapiens sushi. When you hang out long enough in the living room of massive and wild omnivores, well, anything is bound to happen. Bon appetite!

JUST LEAVE THE BEARS ALONE!!!!!!!!!!

Some of you just amaze me. First off, If people don't manage their population then mother nature will. These bears are the top predator, so what is going to keep their numbers in check? The NPS has to do something to control the population and keep the numbers at a healthy level. Either tax dollars will be spent on it, or hunters will come in and pay to do it. You can't argue the fact that if the numbers get too high for the are to support then the animals suffer a much harder death.
The fact that they don't seem to fear people does not mean they are tame. It means they are potentially more dangerous. Ask the people whose towns are raided by polar bears every year.

About the Treadwell idiot, how are these camera people any different? talking about how it fed in front of their camp. Would they shoot the bear if it came after them or just keep saying "nice bear" while it opened them up?

While I don't like leaving any meat in the field, don't be fooled. It did not "rot in the open stream" as you say. Since Lone hiker wants to discuss biology, maybe he will be so kind as to honestly tell us how many animals/organisms are likely to recieve nourishment from that animal?

Sorry, the argument that the meat is left to waste doesn't work in nature, Nothing goes to waste