Save the McNeil River bears from trophy hunters
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Relaxing With Alaska’s Big Brown Bears
Bears And People Get Up Close At Sanctuary, But Will The Animals Know To Fear Hunters?
MCNEIL RIVER, Alaska, Aug. 14, 2006
(CBS) The spectacle plays out each summer at the world’s premier bear-viewing area: Alaska’s massive brown bears posing, wrestling and filling up on migrating salmon in the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary.
CBS News correspondent Jerry Bowen reports there’s not a more camera-friendly group of brown bears in the world, because over time they’ve become very accustomed to having human visitors watch what they do.
And it’s a tough ticket. A lottery system grants admission to just 10 visitors a day, totaling just 200 for the entire summer.
“It’s overwhelming,” says Steve Roberts, who came from Minneapolis to see the bears. “You just don’t know which way to look. It’s a three-ring circus.”
Some people wait years for their chance to visit the sanctuary. Cheryl Parker, of Fairbanks, Alaska, found herself taken with a skinny girl bear who was trying to catch salmon: “There’s a girl out here who’s a tiny thing, and it takes her a while to get that fish. But once she gets it, she tears off with it.”
The sanctuary is located a float plane ride over Cooke Inlet on the Katmai Peninsula, just past the still-steaming Augustine volcano. Once there, it’s a four-mile hike to experience the ultimate bear tale.
Close encounters are common, and, as Bowen discovered, unnerving.
A young bear looked to Bowen for a little help with other, bigger, bears who wanted his fish. Guides shooed him off, but retired sanctuary manager Larry Aumiller said it’s another sign these are not your average bears.
“They’re so confident and so unconcerned about what we’re going to do, they’re relaxed enough to play,” Aumiller says. “It’s great.”
Therein lies the problem. McNeil’s bears may be too relaxed for what’s about to happen, when, one year from now, adjacent buffer zones that protect them will be opened to trophy hunters. It’s led Aumiller to retire, because he fears he’s set the bears up for disaster.
He says, “When you finally get there, and they finally trust you, and you know that trust is going to be violated, I don’t know how to describe it except to say it’s heartbreaking.”
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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52 Comments
On August 16, 2006, Sandy Sobanski wrote:
Please save these great Alaskan bears!!
On August 16, 2006, jackie wrote:
That’s greatttt!
On August 16, 2006, Joseph wrote:
Let’s do alot more.,…With the start of hunting season and the killing of the McNeils Brown Bears lets get in the way and prevent the killing.
Who has additional thoughts and resources on how “WE” can get in the way… I am willing to fly up to Alaska and do just that!!!!
Joseph
On August 16, 2006, Katherine Ryan wrote:
Once again we are forced to spend time and energy on an issue that we shouldn’t have to. Leave the animals and nature alone. We should be helping not constantly having to protect. THou shall not kill means thou shall not kill. It doesn’t say, with the exception of what annoys you and what would look good on your wall! If the hunters have so much time and energy so waste why don’t they donate their time at a children’s hospital , the homeless shelters or a third world country that needs education. Do something productive instead of something so stupid. It’s the 21st century. Leave the animals along. They don’t want to be bothered. Go find something humane to do. God knows humans create many problems that need fixing! These bears have a right to live just like any other living thing on this planet! We the supposedly smarter species, ( although I have my doubts) are suppose to be setting an example and helping others. We humans seem to find more joy in destroying everything that God gave us to make this planet work harmoniously and peaceful. You know God is shaking his head saying,” what the heck is wrong with this human race. This isn’t the way it was suppose to be. They had how many years to get it right and they still can’t. Maybe it’s time to start another planet.
On August 16, 2006, Katherine Ryan wrote:
If people would just stop meddling with animals and nature we could put more time and energy into stopping global warming, poverty, health care and other important issues. Why are we always trying to save something that should have been been protected and left alone to begin with. Leave the damn bears , the seals and the monk parakeets and others alone and start working on the important issues. The animals don’t need us to meddle. They do a pretty good job at taking care of their own,UNLIKE HUMANS!
On August 16, 2006, Michelle Rivera wrote:
It is a shame that Alaska refuses to conserve and appreciate its own wildlife by cowtowing to hunters. I continue to boycott travel to Alaska and encourage friends and family to do the same.
On August 16, 2006, Kris wrote:
How many more times are we going to intrude into what little bit of sanctity is left in this world? I strongly agree that we need to leave the buffer zone up. I am not a strong believer of hunting in the first place. Everyday I read about more species becoming endangered or threatend and it makes me sad. I believe that we need to leave what little bit of nature that is left alone. Please leave this sanctuary alone!!!!
On August 16, 2006, Delma Fleming, Ph.D. wrote:
Please save the McNeil River bears from the coward trophy hunters. Shame, shame! This is sickening.
On August 16, 2006, Betty Jean Herner wrote:
Save the Mc Neil Bears, they don’t have to be for trophy hunters.
Gov, you must stop this idea of slaughtering bears. Just like you did with the wolves.
Blog editors’ note: Alaska’s Gov.Murkowski promotes the slaughter of wolves, but fomer governor Tony Knowles may be seeking to defeat Murkowski in the next election. That’s exciting. Former Gov. Knowles opposed aerial wolf control programs, and worked to create a more sensible Board of Game.
On August 16, 2006, Katherine Ryan wrote:
If we’re going to travel to Alaska to tell them off and stop the bear hunting let’s stop at Canada and give them a piece of our mind about their wonderful seal clubbing! What is Alaska following suit?
[Blog editors’ note: Boycott travel to Alaska
until the state-sponsored wolf and bear control schemes are cancelled. An economic message has political
ramifications, and this November Alaska’s Gov. Frank Murkowski will be challenged in the general election.
The primary election is August 22. If former governor
Tony Knowles succeeds in the Demoratic primary
and defeats Murkowski in November, we might see
again see the cancellation of the state’s predator control
savageries.]
On August 17, 2006, Annette Davis wrote:
All animals are God’s Creation, they are our comforters and companions, they should not be abused or killed for any reason.
On August 17, 2006, Shirley Campbell wrote:
I really think that opening this area to trophy hunters is wrong. These bears should still remain under protection. We are too fast at killing not for food but sport. These bears are not bothering anyone and are just trying to live. In fact they seem to bring joy to tourists who venture to their feeding grounds for photo ops and entertainment. Killing them serves only one purpose - for a hunter to brag about his trophy.
On August 17, 2006, unknown wrote:
i think it is so wrong for people to hunt and kill animals
for their fur,their feet, or their head.
i know the people that do this won’t have a pleasant afterlive!!
On August 17, 2006, Catherine wrote:
This is really messed up.
On August 17, 2006, branka wrote:
Save the Bears! They should be protected from hunters.
On August 17, 2006, Joan Hanssler wrote:
There is no need to kill these bears, other than sheer cruelity by some disturbed men. Every living creature born, deserves to live in a safe place, and not be exposed to being killed by crazy hunters.
On August 17, 2006, Joan Hanssler wrote:
Bears should be spared of hunters’s guns and to live their lives in peace and looking for their daily food and water.
On August 17, 2006, Joan Hanssler wrote:
Stop the killing of animals, They do have the right to life, just as we do.
On August 17, 2006, Melissa Mescher wrote:
Crazy this is. We need to protect these animals. There is no reason for this, what they are put on display for the people that kill them. There is hunting for people that actually use the meat for food. They are not using the meat they are just showing off what they killed. Anyway please think about the animals they were put on the earth just like we were.
[Blog editors’ note: The very idea that we believe they are appropriate food for us, and the custom of eating them, is certainly connected with this display of dominance. ]
On August 17, 2006, joann wrote:
as a matter of fact i watched the show about the bears and i think they should leave them alone they were very beautiful and it is sad i hope you stop them from killing the bears. thank you
On August 17, 2006, Lisa Hasbrouck wrote:
There is no excuse for trophy hunting and blood sports. Real men (& women) are kind to animals. As Dr. Albert Schweitzer said: ….every living thing has the will to live…to go on to go forward….to interfere with that will is the epitome of evil, to aid in that will the epitome of good….”
The bigger the gun…the bigger the problem!
On August 18, 2006, KJ Linarez wrote:
Trophy hunters will bring in less revenue then toursits. You can’t have it both ways.
On August 18, 2006, dave wrote:
hopefully the election will come before any more bear or wolf hunts, with the pipe line being shut down by BP, alaskas government is going to loose alot of revenue. and the blame will be pointed at murkowski and his cronies. then they can get a government elect in there that uses there heads for more than just a hat rack. maybe this time they might just listen to the majority. as far as trophy hunters,give me a break, any idiot can take a gun and shoot a defenceless, unarmed animal. they ought to call them trojan hunters, every time they kill a defenceless,unarmed animal they should be given a trojan, this way they get the hint, we dont want them breeding, theirs plenty of idiots in the world,we dont need them making more.
On August 19, 2006, Lynne Russert wrote:
Trophy hunts for bears or ANY animals is a barbaric, unfair and disgusting practice. Is it supposed to make a person feel more macho to kill a disadvantaged animal who has been stuck in a small pen, deprived of food and water, declawed and whatever else is done to them to make them easier to murder. These people are nothing but cowards and pathetic excuses for human beings. Animals deserve the protection they deserve from these horrible people.
On August 19, 2006, Martha wrote:
I DO NOT BELEIVE IN KILLING ANIMALS FOR ANY REASON…..AS I AM A VEGETARIAN… WE NEED TO PROTECT THE WILDLIFE,AND JUST LET THEM LIVE THERE OWN LIVE AS INTENDED…YES, FOR SURE KEEP THAT BUFFER UP….AND DON’T GIVE IN TO HUNTING.
On August 19, 2006, Maureen Schiener wrote:
Alaskan bears and other species are part of an important ecosystem. We should be protecting them, not making excuses to kill them.
On August 20, 2006, Julie wrote:
Just what kind of human being can kill an animal for “sport”? To make it a real sport why don’t these hunters who have this desire to kill something go and hunt each other or is the real sport killing something that really can’t fight back against high powered rifles?
On August 21, 2006, Colleen Meyer wrote:
I am sickened at the betrayal of animal life and nature.
There is no excuse for this and we should be ashamed.
On August 21, 2006, Evelyn Gall wrote:
Trophy Hunters !!!!!!!!!!
What is WRONG with these people?
Why can’t we just leave the animals alone and enjoy the wonder of God’s creations - alive - not hanging on a wall as some sort of sick, disgusting trophy!
ALASKA - Please protect your bears and all your precious wildlife. There is already enough killing & bloodshed in this world without destroying the animal kingdom also.
On August 22, 2006, Kay Schultetus wrote:
This is akin to hunting over a bait pile. Shooting fish in a barrel. Stealing candy from a baby. Anyone participating in this should be ashamed of themselves. Those making it possible should be doubly ashamed of themselves.
On August 24, 2006, Richard Ordonez wrote:
This will be a tough sell, trying to get Murkowski and the Alaskan Game Board to see things from a different view. Still, the fight is most worthy because these bears, and ALL WILDLIFE for that matter, deserve to live in peace. It is through mankind’s ignorance and greed that nature usually comes up with the short end of the stick. Wildlife should be afforded all protections due to them.
On August 24, 2006, maria eugenia elias wrote:
Please save the bears! Animals are God’s creation, like us and we wouldn’t like anyone to take our life.
On August 25, 2006, Lisa Walters wrote:
We as human beings do not deserve the present of these wonderful animals. The trohpy hunt is wrong and the hunt for all animals needs to stop. We take their land, their homes, their food, their family and sometimes their minds to make more space for human kind.
We gain their trust to only take their remaining dreams; their god given right to live. We are sending out a wrong message by allowing this kind of hunt to happen. We don’t gain the trust of one another to only turn around and KILL and it can’t happen to these bears……..
On August 25, 2006, Carol Wood wrote:
It boggles my mind that situations like these which should be addressed with common sense and just plain humane consideration are still issues today. I do not want these bears, who have allowed us to share their world and experience the wonder of nature, harmed in any way! What a cruel injustice to earn their trust and then betray it in such a vicious and offensive way. Why cannot creatures on this planet learn to live in peace and in respect of all living things! I despise hunters but particularly so called trophy hunters who are just little people looking for power and thinking they are somehow bigger after murdering one of God’s defenseless creatures. Please do not allow this lunacy to occur!!!
On August 25, 2006, andrea biro-csomai wrote:
I wayched the CBS video about the McNeil River bears. It is wonderful how trusting they are! Please, don’t let them learn about how cruel people can be!
On August 31, 2006, Linda Bonura wrote:
Protect the bears in McNeil River Sanctuary. They are a very important part of the ecological system which is being destroyed at an alarming rate. Please protect these bears and all wildlife, and their habitats for future generations. This is what makes America beautiful. Or would you like the entire country paved over? Would this make you happy? Think what you are doing - save the last great wilderness areas.
On September 2, 2006, John Safrit wrote:
To the Governor and the Game and Fishery Board of Alaska:
What the hell is going on with you guys? Don’t you know what you’re doing? You’re promoting greed, self-centered destruction of wild life and senseless bragging rights for those idiot blowhards that can only define their manhood by killing lesser animals. Shame, shame on you and your twisted thinking.
On September 2, 2006, david cerino wrote:
I thought he LOST.
On September 3, 2006, Smokey The Bear wrote:
I recently had an opportunity to go to Alaska. But I REFUSE to go to Alaska and NEVER will! I think Alaska should be kicked out of the Union. You people are the cruelest and meanest people in North America. You aerial hunt innocent Wolves, you kill innocent Bears, you glorify hunting, you terrorize, taunt, frighten and kill off all the innocent Animals there, you WELCOME and ENCOURAGE people to come to your horrible state so that they can HUNT! … Let’s ALL boycott … Alaska!
On September 3, 2006, sherry wrote:
why do you have to hurt animals leave them alone they came naturally let them go naturally . if those animals thought like we humans do this world would definitely be in trouble. we have aenough problems to worry about then destroying animals. like for instance the men and woman who are in a WASTED WAR and GLOBAL WARMING which if no one pays attention and they dont do something about it WILL GET WORSE WAKE UP AMERICA before its too late
On September 4, 2006, dave wrote:
my hat goes off to the people of alaska, you finally got rid of mukowski and his hench men. only problem is he may take a few bears with him before he parts ways. you might want to give him a going away present. a federal investigation into his finances by the attorney general’s office. let’s face it, he rejected to stop the the wolf hunt twice, even with a majority vote against it.should have paid him off, he bought a jet after both federal and state regulators rejected his bid for a plain, he appointed his daughter to his seat in senate. thinks he’s a monarch. and i saw a picture of him, i think he ate all the moose and blaimed it on the wolves.
On September 6, 2006, Leea wrote:
Don’t let these beautiful creatures trust humans so that they may turn around and kill them. This is a travesty.
On September 6, 2006, Anita R wrote:
please reconsider!!! Help retain the buffer zone that protects the bears in the McNeil River Sanctuary. Its not fair to them, that’s their home.
On September 11, 2006, Erik sander wrote:
Leave these bears alone - they are not a threat to anybody and to kill them for the sake of a trophy is sick.
On September 12, 2006, Renae M wrote:
It is a disgrace to even imagine that the people of Alaska would condone the opening up of the McNeil River Basin Sanctuary to trophy hunters.Furthermore I myself would be ashamed if I were involved in promoting the slaughter of a desensitized population of bears,as they are used to a human presence.If the buffer zone is compromised you all should take sanctuary away from the name,truly sanctuary means what?
On September 12, 2006, Renae M wrote:
It is a disgrace to even imagine that the people of Alaska would condone the opening up of the McNeil River Basin Sanctuary to trophy hunters.Furthermore I myself would be ashamed if I were involved in promoting the slaughter of a desensitized population of bears,as they are used to a human presence.If the buffer zone is compromised you all should take sanctuary away from the name,truly sanctuary means what?
On September 14, 2006, George Schaaf wrote:
Now that the Board of Game has opened bear hunting near McNeil River, they are targeting another Alaska brown bear viewing area: Pack Creek and the Stan Price State Wildlife Sanctuary, just south of Juneau on Admiralty Island. Since the early 1980s, the area adjacent to Pack Creek has been closed to hunting to protect the habituated bears that frequent Pack Creek each summer, where they are viewed by more than 1,200 visitors annually. You can find the Board’s proposals at:
Board of Game 2006 Report
Check out pages 9 and 11 to find the relevant sections. Comments must be received by October 27, 2006. Please feel free to contact me for more information … and thanks for caring!
On October 3, 2006, Bernice Dalby wrote:
Won’t you please reconsider! Why do we have to remove the buffer zone which protects the bears in the McNeil river Sanctuary? Like the wolves, why must we kill these bears for the sake of a trophy? It is a disgrace to even imagine that the people of Alaska would condone the opening up of the McNeil River Basin Sanctuary to trophy hunters. Are you not ashamed for promoting and pushing the slaughter of bears,as they are used to a human presence. Can’t you understand that people who visit Alaska go for the beauty of it as well as the chance of seeing these lovely animals? Let’s hope that the next governor will be more compassionate.
On October 18, 2006, Steven wrote:
Please protect these bears. McNeil River should be a year round sanctuary for these great creatures.
On February 19, 2007, ANDREAS wrote:
HEY THANK YOU FOR THAT GUYS THAT SAVED LIVES OF BEARS
On January 6, 2008, Brad Bartz wrote:
I wish I was around next time a stupid moron hunter aims his little rifle at one of God’s creatures again. .This is no respectable way to live and these so called “hunters” are cowards. They have high powered rifles with scopes, ooohhhh that is reeeaaalll brave. How about take on nature with just a knife and see how far the idiot gets?
On April 13, 2013, shelli wrote:
Not only Alaska. We grew up living off wildlife. here in Oregon. my husband and his family also did.most of our relatives still hunt, including some in Alaska. honestly they all make me sick. None of them which need to hunt for food. My neighbors who are wealthy and think they own the world are allowing hunters to come to their place to hunt which no matter which way you shoot here there’s a home in distance. there used to be small herds of deer everywhere. We try to protect them only to be forced to see or here them shot during season and poached after season. i have spotted one young one hanging here which had a mother with it before. It is now fending for itself. We have guns also. But don’t shoot the wildlife, we fight with people trying to protect it. people are cruel and do not care what u or i think. Save a critter DOWN WITH HUNTING OUR BEAUTIFUL WILDLIFE. Please protect it everywhere before its too late.