Relaxing With Alaska's Big Brown Bears

Bears And People Get Up Close At Sanctuary, But Will The Animals Know To Fear Hunters?

(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," says Ruth Roberts.

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 that these are not your average bears.

"They're so confident and so unconcerned about us and what we're going to do, that 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."

[rihan156]

Hunting the brown bears when they already are endangered? Am I thinking backwards, or what?

Please leave them alone; those who love fur can by synthetic fur that is such a good imitation it costs almost the third of the real one! So, here you go! You have your fur...

Now let me enjoy these scenic programs on Nature and the wildlife. The music added to the wonderful scenes are soothe your mind and are worth more than a real trip, considering the price of gas we can no longer afford.

One suggestion: can we inverse the game this time and have the Bear Hunters hunted; one or two per year; you pay double, and the guarantee for no criminal charges is a bonus!

Yahoooo!!!

[alaska_guy-2009]

The Rod Arno guy is from the Alaska Outdoor Council. You can call them at (907)55-4262. FAX [phone] or email at [e-mail]

The current govenor Murkowski will loose his party's primary next week since he's a completely arrogant sell-out to the oil companies. There's no point calling him; he could care less. You can find legislative folks emails at the state web site www.state.ak.us, and email them.

[lizziemoe123]

I THINK ANYONE WHO CAN HURT ANY ANIMAL IS JUST A MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!

[bowling687]

For folks who wish to contac the "powers of Alaska", here are some numbers:

Sen. Ted Stevens 202-224-3004, fax [phone]
Sen. Lisa Murkowski 202-224-6665
Gov. Frank Murkowski DC Office 202-624-5858, Anchorage office 907-269-7450

Alaska Dept of Fish and Game - 907-465-4110 fax [phone]
[e-mail],
Jim Marcotte 907-459-7215

Alaska Board of Game members:
Ben Grussendorf 907-747-8458
Clifford Judkins 907-373-3594

Alaska Travel Industry Association
2600 Cordova St. Suite 201
Anchorage 99503

[bowling687]

For folks who wish to contac the "powers of Alaska", here are some numbers:

Sen. Ted Stevens 202-224-3004, fax [phone]
Sen. Lisa Murkowski 202-224-6665
Gov. Frank Murkowski DC Office 202-624-5858, Anchorage office 907-269-7450

Alaska Dept of Fish and Game - 907-465-4110 fax [phone]
[e-mail],
Jim Marcotte 907-459-7215

Alaska Board of Game members:
Ben Grussendorf 907-747-8458
Clifford Judkins 907-373-3594

Alaska Travel Industry Association
2600 Cordova St. Suite 201
Anchorage 99503

[bowling687]

For folks who wish to contact the "powers of Alaska", here are some numbers:
Sen. Ted Stevens 202-224-3004, fax [phone]
Sen. Lisa Murkowski 202-224-6665
Gov. Murkowski DC office 202-624-5858, Anchorage 907-269-7450
Alaska Dept of Fish and Game - 907-465-4110, fax [phone]

Jim Marcotte 907-459-7215
[e-mail]

Alaska Board of Game Members:
Ben Grussendorf 907-747-8458
Clifford Judkins 907-373-3594

Alaska Travel Industry Association, 2600 Cordova St., Suite 201, Anchorage 99503

[gp1975]

those of you who want to know what you can do, can start here... http://www.PetitionOnline.com/mcneil66/
also, someone else posted the names and addresses of those responsible for this stupid decision. keep checking the comments and send them some hate mail.

[gp1975]

those of you who want to know what you can do, can start here... http://www.PetitionOnline.com/mcneil66/
also, someone else posted the names and addresses of those responsible for this stupid decision. keep checking the comments and send them some hate mail.

[ldjohnson5]

Shooting what are essentially tame bears is reprehensible. Perhaps those who are so concerned with maintaining their "heritage" should be allowed to hunt the bears with handknives.

[jrporch]

What OXY MORON thought of this? I am an avid hunter but this is insane. Hunt bears further away that are not use to interacting with humans.

[therug1]

Total Disregard for the beauty and magesty of nature. It is no wonder that this planet is dying. When we as humans take an animal and make them unafraid of us and then WE HUNT THEM! I find this despicable. Why can't we leave well enough alone? These bears deserve our protection for all time (or as long as we are here). Hopefully the Alaskan government will realize this is a crime in itself. If we as humans kill these bears we deserve no less.

[bylehuskey]

I AM APPALLED. THESE MAGNIFICANT ANIMALS NEED TOTAL PROTECTED. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN. ONLY THE WEALTY CAN AFFORD THIS SO CALLED SPORT. IT'S REALLY A CANNED HUNT. VP CHENEY WILL PROBABLY PULL THE FIRST TRIGGER.

[pwalker5827]

No,No, No. It's wrong to permit trophy Bear hunting to happen in this area. These Brown Bears have lived protected for 50 years with no threat from man, now by whos order ??? the big bad business man with lots of cash can come in and bag a Brown Bear with litte or no threat to himself. Lets make it interseting, have these so called hunters hunt Brown Bear on the bears terms. For those of you that think, these are the ranting of a tree hugger, well I have been a SPORTSMAN most of my life, I find no sport in waiting for your target to walk up to you so close that you cant miss. Well, if you want to kill something buy a steer from your local rancher/farmer walk into the field and blow its brains out. I think this would be more dangerous than shooting a friendly Brown Bear.

I posted the Member Addresses of the Alaska Board of Game Members. These are the ones that made the decision reguarding hunting in the buffer zones of Mcneil River.

[ginkgi]

How can I officially and vehemently protest this terrible and tragic trophy hunting? We are such hypocrites...to a lobby...we simply cave in and the animal is once again the innocent suffering loser.

[carusso2-2009]

Dear Sir,
I just watched Jerry Bowen's piece depicting how Alaska is soon to open up it's own "killing fields" regards Brown Bears that have lost their fear of humans. It made me sick. Especially the guy that bemoaned loosing his hunting 'heritage'. What's that? Is that the malady we in the lower 48 states say when we wonder why we can't go out and kill a buffalo? Gee, we've lost our "heritage"... Give me a break. I suggest all of those who hunger for machismo via picking up a gun and killing some living thing go see a psychiatrist. My only question is how can those of us who would rather protect the Brown Bears from the killers unite via some kind of protest. Who do we write or call. Can someone please post the address and phone number of the politicians on the web so we can contact those responsible for opening up the killing fields...thanks.

[sanderson68]

I have hunted since I was 12 but never in my life have I seen anything so revolting. How can a "sanctuary" open its area up to trophy hunters. These bears have become accustomed to humans for the last 50 years and do not reguard us as their enemy. I can not imagine any self-respecting hunter would participate in such a dispicable act of slaughter and murder. When the program started I told my husband, "wow that would be a great place to vacation", then I heard the rest of it. To say my husband and I are outraged doesn't begin to describe it. If there is someone to contact please post. All of the people who came up with this barbaric idea should be ASHAMED!

[jandnmcguire]

My husband and I were lucky enough to see the bears in Alaska.They are beautiful lovely animals.I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE UP FOR TROPHY HUNTING!!! What kind of a nut would want to kill these beautiful animals for a TROPHY!!!!PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I HAVE TO DO TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING?????
N.MCgUIRE

[dontodaro]

Let me start by saying that I am 42 years old and have hunted since I was 12, but I am a hunter who hunts for food only not horns not trophy and definitely not bears. I have found it appalling my whole life the same with hunting big cats or any animal that is used to put on a wall or a floor.

As for as people who have been killed by bears they have my sympathy, but they knew going into the bear habitat that was a possibility, if they did not they the error was on there part for not doing enough research on the environment they were
entering.
The bears do what comes natural, when killing a bear who is acclimated to humans is hardly a natural act.

Don Todaro
Desloge Mo

Member Addresses
Alaska Board of Game Members

Member
Address
Position Term Expires

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Fleagle
3821 W. 67th Ave.
Anchorage, Alaska 99502-2014 Chair 03/01/2007

Ron Somerville
4506 Robbie Road
Juneau, Alaska 99802 Vice-Chair 03/01/2008

Ben Grussendorf
1221 Halibut Point Road
Sitka, AK 99835 03/01/2007

Richard Burley
1165 Coppet Street
Fairbanks, Alaska 99709
03/01/2009

Ted Spraker
49230 Victoria Ave.
Soldotna, Alaska 99669 03/01/2008

Cliff Judkins
PO Box 874124
Wasilla, Alaska 99687 03/01/2009

Paul Johnson
PO Box 329
Unalakleet, AK 99684
03/01/2008