ADFG Weighs In on Katmai Bear Hunts Question

The Alaska Division of Wildlife Conservation has produced online information about the brown bear hunts in Katmai National Preserve as a result of substantial attention to this in the media in recent weeks.

The ADFG information points out that bear populations in the area are carefully monitored and are healthy. The agency says a conservative harvest strategy in the area has resulted in high numbers of bears that area used by both viewers and hunters.

The agency information page also discussed fair chase and whether these human habituated bears have been taken in an ethical manner.

Southern Alaska Peninsula Caribou Herd in Trouble

The Southern Alaska Caribou herd is faring so poorly this year that all hunting there, including subsistence hunting, has been prohibited, according to Alaska Wildlife News. The agency believes that any harvest of either bulls or cows would be detrimental to the herd. The herd could now be as small as 600 animals, a drop from 4,200 animals in 2002.

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