Russian River fishing info [Russian dancing bear playing with pepsi can added]

[Chinook SSSF]

IM going try my best to keep my personal feelings about man, fishing and the russian river bears to myself this round. I do love this video I just found and wish to place this into circulation. A public service announcement from the Kenai Brown Bear Committee.

http://www.alaskaoutdoorjournal.com/QT/russianbearwindow.html
Video link

While fishing there this year and trying to obtain video and photographs I was told by a parks worker that 7 or 8 of bears had been shot this year because they were "becoming to bold" , not for hunting purpose, that I would support under the prefface of proper game management... I wonder who it is that is really becoming to bold?



I would just like to think that we all know what a special place this is and who else calls it their home.



One of the few bears that was left by the end of the season, a humble 2 year old male.

[Globugger]

Thanks Matthew!!

I love that 1st pic..

Im hoping to get up there after I graduate from HS.

[scudrunner]

Matt,

I know that seeing and/or en*****ering a bear in the lower 48 states is a rare and exciting thing. In Alaska, however, bears are exceedingly undermanaged! If you ask the managers, there is an extreme shortage of bears, such that if 20 man caused deaths occur, the hunting season will be stopped. The reality is that they do not even have a clue of how many bears are in the area.

Indeed, I worked for 26 years as a paramedic in Soldotna and took care of only 2 bear maulings. Over the last 5 years, we are averaging at least 1 mauling per year! These are'nt even people looking for a fight like the pictures you are posting... these are joggers in neighborhoods! Even in Anchorage!

There are two possible explanations: We are infringing on bear habitat or bears are overflowing to people habitat. I am convinced of the later, simply because the bear problem has increased every year over the last decade, and yet the management scheme remains the same where hunting is drastically curtailed based on some arbitrary number.

So, are people stupid? Of course. Are there too many bears? In my opinion, yes. Are there other ways to prevent human/bear conflict? Sure...

[Chinook SSSF]

Yea Ed Thats why I mention that I would support hunting as a game management tool, as it should be. Hunters sitting on the sideline bench is always a frustrating thing any place large predatory game animals exist and need control. I was thinking a few spring bear tags might help to cure some of the problem, but as a hunter that might be a selfish biased opinion? who knows...lol. I dont think they ALL need to be wiped out each year in there, if the masses are going to enter the basin looking to snag sockeye in large numbers, they should have to deal with "some" amount of nature? Pointless genocide for the purpose of money, in a pristine wild fish + bear basin........ohh yea, was not going to let my feelings be know lol....well ....

Although your right about bears overflowing to people areas more then ever before, your also right that we are getting into their habitat, when we enter the russian river basin.

Thanks for your sweet input on this : )

[scudrunner]

The ADF&G has issued fall hunting permits for the last two years, but have cancelled the hunt due to the human caused death numbers. However they have allowed the hunts in the spring. So the problem with that is, first of all, folks pay a premium to enter into the lottery for the chance of securing a bear tag, second, if they win, they make plans for the fall hunt.

Last year, out of the number of tags allowed (I can't remember how many) only 2 bears were taken, far short of the goal. The spring hunt is exceedingly difficult. I often wonder if that isn't the plan of the managers, to give people a false sense of hope that some thing is being done, only to cancel the hunt and postpone it to a time that is virtually impossible!

I do agree with you that we don't need to wipe out the bears. I really, really enjoy seeing bears. I also think that by killing all of the bears on the Russian, we are interfering with natural selection in regards to the idiot fishermen (that is a bit harsh), but people have to learn how to be responsible. They are endangering the bears, no the other way around.(hope that makes sense).

That is my $2 (adjusted for inflation).

[Chinook SSSF]

Well said, from an Alaskan : )

[Chinook SSSF]

Would like to also mention that the bear in the top photo was playing with a pepsi can for almost an hour!. Wish I could get anything from a pepsi can for that long....When he was done with the can, he ripped the sign down off the bank behind him and tore that apart for another 30 minutes.......IM not kidding, there was other witnesses!.....!....

[Avengerfish]

The issue w/ the Russian R is conflict of management between three main agencies US Forest Service (campground and West Shore) , US Fish and Wildlife (Moose Refuge, South Shore), and ADFG in charge of escapemnts and fishing regulations... To make matters worste fisheries manages are indifferent to the opinion of the wildlife bio's...

Simple, the bears are only there in June-through mid-Ausgust cause of man made food supply from the enormous amount of sport fishery carcass's, stringers, and incidental mortality.

Making the promlem worste is the fact that the Ferry and the Campgound are Forest circus concetions... So, they do there best but, also what is cost effective in manageing the West and North shores. Secondly, Alaska'ns utilizing this fishery are grossly uneducated about dealing w/ human bear interactions and in my opinion are some of the biggest culprets in this whole management dibacle...

[scudrunner]

The issue w/ the Russian R is conflict of management between three main agencies US Forest Service (campground and West Shore) , US Fish and Wildlife (Moose Refuge, South Shore), and ADFG in charge of escapemnts and fishing regulations... To make matters worste fisheries manages are indifferent to the opinion of the wildlife bio's...

Simple, the bears are only there in June-through mid-Ausgust cause of man made food supply from the enormous amount of sport fishery carcass's, stringers, and incidental mortality.

Making the promlem worste is the fact that the Ferry and the Campgound are Forest circus concetions... So, they do there best but, also what is cost effective in manageing the West and North shores. Secondly, Alaska'ns utilizing this fishery are grossly uneducated about dealing w/ human bear interactions and in my opinion are some of the biggest culprets in this whole management dibacle...

First of all, welcome to the board.

I think your comments are an over-generalization. Some Alaskans who fish the Russian do indeed know how to act in bear counry... it only takes a few sour apples to ruin the batch. And the bears would be there with or without the people to harvest the fish. This is a strong concentration in relatively shallow water... perfect for fishing bears. Certainly the bears have become humanized and have learded that to get a free meal, all they have to do is "woof" at a pilgrim, and it's like a free happy meal for bears!

I think what you maybe saying is that the real problem is the number of people who do not understand how to behave in bear country or around bears are the problem. These are the ones who find themselves in an encounter and may take matters into their own hands by wounding the bear or worse yet, maybe injuring or killing other people in the area. I can agree with that.

You are very perceptive, however to see the multi-agency debacle, and the "hey! here's an idea" approach to management.

Cheers

[Avengerfish]

First of all, welcome to the board.

I think your comments are an over-generalization. Some Alaskans who fish the Russian do indeed know how to act in bear counry... it only takes a few sour apples to ruin the batch. And the bears would be there with or without the people to harvest the fish. This is a strong concentration in relatively shallow water... perfect for fishing bears. Certainly the bears have become humanized and have learded that to get a free meal, all they have to do is "woof" at a pilgrim, and it's like a free happy meal for bears!

I think what you maybe saying is that the real problem is the number of people who do not understand how to behave in bear country or around bears are the problem. These are the ones who find themselves in an encounter and may take matters into their own hands by wounding the bear or worse yet, maybe injuring or killing other people in the area. I can agree with that.

You are very perceptive, however to see the multi-agency debacle, and the "hey! here's an idea" approach to management.

Cheers

Thanks for your insight... I would add that the bears would only be in the area below the falls where fishing is good... bears never traditionally fished the lower Russian River in June and July... Only later when fish where spawnign do they become available to catch.

The real issue in my mind is minimizing bear ppl interactions.. Just stop by and talk to Jeff Selinger and he can give u an insight on what needs to be done... most ppl don't seem to want to fix the problem though.