Recent comments

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. I've been growing tired reading the ignorant comments left by over emotional, undereducated, slightly ignorant writers.

Because I have not seen one comment yet written by a person who lives in the area I have to question where they are getting their information about tame bears. Let me fill you in....Katmai is large. In response to one question, "can they hunt in a less densly populated area of Katmai, to make the chase more fair?" The answer is YES, but I'm not sure how the question relates to what is being accomplished here. It was never intended to be a chase. Bears are overpopulated in many areas of Katmai, why would you use harvest control hunts in areas where they are less populated? Bears roam MANY rivers in that area. The density of bears on that river in the video is not unique even to Katmai. Back to the point. For those of you who insist on questioning the process, please limit your comments to what you actually understand. Consider that many of you have never even been to the area. Do any of you live in the bush? Do you know what the alternatives to a controlled hunt could be?

I personally could not shoot a bear and I've been close to many. I just don't know if it came to me or the bear that I would feel just taking his life for mine, knowing I was in the bears territory. I have great respect bears. We do see them in large numbers sometimes flying over and counting well over 100 bears in a 10 mile area. These are not even healthy numbers for their own survival. Have you watched a bear kill another bear? Have you seen the village public safety officer shoot a cub walking on the beach in front of a handful of kids? Or the scores of visitors that had to receive counseling after watching a bear kill another bear right in front of them at the falls (Brooks Lodge.)

It has to be managed. If you don't like to see it, I understand, neither do I. Because we don't like it, doesn't make our opinion the best judge. My husband was a big game bear guide back in the 80's and he still flies hunters to these locations to shoot bears. I no more personally agree with this than I do with the bear viewing outfits that try to prevent the hunters from shooting. We all have to respect the law, enforcers, and the science behind the decisions being made. If it infuriates you that much, educate yourself, you might find that as much as you don't like it, it actually makes more sense than your intitial emotionally charged reaction.

Lastly, I cannot put into words the distaste I have for Channel 2 News and reporter Megan Baldino. In my opionion their coverage borderlined heavily on biast reporting. The troopers didn't show up until after the news team had left, this made it difficult for them to follow up on the interference complaint, for lack of evidence, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. This video and news release has caused many problems for organizations in Alaska and I thought Channel 2 was at the very least, irresponsible. Flying out with a well known "Bear Viewing Operation" did not bode well with the public trust. Consider sending your reporters, not with the guy whose making a luxrative living off BEAR VIEWING but with an air taxi that is not partial in any way. Whether Megan Baldino personally agreed with harvesting bears in Katmai or not, she might have pretended for her audience to be an unbiast reporter. One Example: immediately following an update on the complaint against her for intentionally interfering with the bear hunt, a story aired about hunting whales (also very contested), her response was something like, "I haven't tried Mukluk yet, I'll have to do that some day", (laughter). Clearly she doesn't have a problem hunting whales. Problem is, she isn't in a position to advocate for or against anything. Megan Baldino, when at the news desk, representing Channel 2 News KTUU, is a reporter. We don't care or want to hear her personal views or side comments to her co-anchors about anything when she is reporting "the news."

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. You see justanotherhunter beleiving only what you want is no more fact than beleiving what is shown!! That video is not the only evidence out there for the rediculous bear slaughter you guys call sports hunting. I've persoally talked to several pilots and crew who monitored and recorded the entire first week of the hunt and all report the same thing unfair chase, slaughter horrific etc. Lets not forget that Alaska's own BOG wildlife biologist sent out to Katmai to see the first days of this hunt said the same thing.. he had no idea it was this bad out there and he was embarrassed and ashamed the Alaska Board of Fish and Game has been allowing this to happen. The Katmai bear hunt is no different than the canned hunts down in Texas where ranchers get old retired circus animals, disgarded exotic pets throw them out into a field and charge big money to allow some fat rich slob to shoot big game wow' what men!!! Like Ralf said, these are basically tame animals, again what skill it must take to shoot them. Justanotherhunter, if you sanction this kind of killing than you are definitely not a hunter and you should call yourself "justanotherkiller" The real hunters I know completely disapprove of what"s going on out on Katmai. Skillful moral hunters feel this is a disgrace to their sport!!

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. The first time occurred during the 75th anniversary of the National Park Service in a meeting held in Vail, Colorado.

The saddest part of this story is that not only is the US Park Service losing a chance to share what its employees have learned with their protected area colleagues around the world, we are losing a chance to learn from others. Many protected area systems around the world do not have the financial resources that the US National Park Service posseses. Their employees have to be more creative and innovative to resolve issues that we tend to throw money at. Let's hope that the next administration will pull its head out of the sand and recognize that good conservatin any place in the world provides benefits to us here in the States.

Thanks to Alvaro for reminding us of that fact.

Rick Smith

I and about 50 of my hunter friends have called all parties involved with this hunt and told them what a great job they are doing! Sound game management!
So, all you anti-hunters can go whine some more.

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. It's dire time for all of us to wake up and pay attention, to read, to see and hear these important messages that you (and Jeremy) print out for us to read every day on the NPT. You both have kept us well informed on such pertinent issues that were discussed at the Austin summit on the NPT. Above all, many thanks for allowing us to give critical in put and feedback with honest candor on your blog. This is journalism at it's best and keep up the good work!

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. Also be sure and tell your bear adventure pilots, bringing you to the streams so you can take pictures, to leave their firearms at home, that if confronted by a bear, you can handle the controversy you are causing with your cameras. I would be willing to suggest 3 days after this unfortunate set of circumstances that occurred at Katmai, you would have had trouble finding a camera person looking for such a hearty adventure. The winds started blowing 35-50 mph, the temperatures dropped, the bears suddenly headed for the mountains toward their hiberation hideouts, and likely the only people left were a few hearty hunters and a few dedicated guides that are tough enough to weather the storm. Take a moment to discuss the difference between the summer bears, that camera people shoot, and their attitude toward people while lots of food source is traveling up the streams, and the fall/winter bears that are shot by people (the same Fall bears that were hungry enough to change their food diet to Timothy & Guest), as the fish diet dissapated late in the Fall. If the summer people are right about their appraisal of these bears' habits, they should feel free to go back to their camping spots, next to the streams, in the middle of bear country the entire month of October. and get up close and personal. Possibly these wonderful creatures of beauty have more than one side--I most certainly do.

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. Read "Over the Edge" by Michael Ghiglieri which details how dangerous the Grand Canyon is however most of that danger is due to people being unprepared or negligent. The beauty of the canyon should not be marred by more fencing. There are ample warning signs all along the rim, (for those for whom the dangers aren't already obvious).

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... it doesn't mean funding interpreters, the cleaning and/or pumping of pit toilets and other things that while they are great, they don't always get the job done on the ground.

great post, kudos to mr. morton for pushing for education and funding more than new visitor centers.

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. I was even more surprised when I saw several people during this visit sitting or lying literally at the edge of a rock! There is a drop-off of at least 300 ft right below them. I also saw several little children walking around with their parents who were NOT holding them. It was a hard breaking scene at the South Rim and I keep thinking about it.
It was my first visit at the Grand Canyon and it was a great experience, unfortunately, the accident was always in the back in my mind.

That's not hunting - just stupid pointless vandalism.

What pathetic people they must be to feel any achievement at killing that bear.

I live in the mountains in southern California. Back in 2002 they opened bear hunting to thin the population. There were too many bears. I am sure that the population of bears in this park are monitored and protected. Grow up people!!

murder: to kill or slaughter inhumanly or barbarously.

that's what i and countless others see on the video.

this isn't a hunt. try hunting bears with spears and atlatls. that's hunting.