|
[ Return to Contents
| Post a Reply
| Post a new message
]
More info?
Posted by Michael Strahan on Aug 06 2005
Jim,
I've been following this story too, and remain perplexed at the lack of details available on it. All that is known is that the bear was shot, but there are no details as to why it was shot. The ADN article you posted may give some clues toward the latter end of the article. It said that the sow had bluff-charged several people this year already. There's a chance that someone either panicked or truly believed they were about to be attacked. I believe this may be the same sow and cubs I saw in there last year. It was the same area. I was fishing the island at the confluence, and watched her drop the cubs off at the top of the bluff upstream of the ferry. She went into the woods, but the cubs went straight down to the river and grabbed everyone's fish.
I respectfully disagree with some of the conclusions in the ADN article. I don't think the problem is the cleaning stations at all. Granted, the cleaning stations collect carcasses, but what does everyone think used to happen to those carcasses in the past? Many years ago before the fishery was so popular, salmon just died and drifted downriver, collecting in back-eddies where they were there for the pickings by hungry bears. The salmon numbers have probably not increased, therefore the bear activity has probably not risen on the long haul either. What has increased is the numbers of anglers. With the increase in angler numbers comes a corresponding increase of armed folks who don't know how to read bears very well. It's inevitable that bears will be killed under these conditions.
If folks would just toss the carcasses well out into the river instead of on or near the bank, I think the problem would be much less than it is now. On one of my trips there during the first run, I saw some folks cleaning fish near the shore. When they left, they left about 15-20 carcasses laying on shore or in a few inches of water. This was in the same exact area where the sow was shot. I went over there and tossed every carcass way out into the main channel.
I guess what I'm saying is that there isn't a simple solution to this. It's going to require educating folks on proper behavior around bears, the proper disposal of salmon carcasses, and even folks like us challenging the sloppy ones to clean up after themselves. Unfortunately, some folks don't want anyone telling them what to do, and they think the Russian is their own private trash can. On my first trip there this year, I collected a whole garbage bag of trash from slobs who couldn't seem to find room in their packs for the garbage they hauled in.
It's gonna be a long road...
-Mike
Previous: this would solve the problem... homerdave Aug 06 2005
Next: Another Idea! Michael Strahan Aug 06 2005
 Message Thread:
|
