Polar bear killed near village in Interior Alaska
Published Friday, March 28, 2008
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A polar bear wandering around the outskirts of the Interior village of Fort Yukon, 250 miles inland from its normal coastal habitat, was spotted eating lynx carcasses Thursday morning and was killed later in the day because of safety concerns.
The bear was first spotted outside a cabin on the edge of town by Peter John, said Tony Carroll, who had recently been skinning lynx at the cabin.
Most people didn’t believe him, Carroll said, but as word spread around town, more than a half dozen hunters began tracking the bear.
Zeb Cadzow, maintenance director at the Council of Athabascan Tribal Government, took off work after lunch to join in the hunt.
“There’s usually grizzly around this time of year,” he said. “You want to get rid of it because it’s hungry.”
The men tracked the bear three miles out of town to the Porcupine River, where it moved onto a river island.
At that point, most of the hunters returned to Fort Yukon for a sled dog race, leaving Cadzow, 30, and Paul Herbert, 60, to continue the hunt.
“We assumed we were chasing a grizzly bear,” Herbert said.
Cadzow concurred, thinking the white description meant it was an albino bear or a grizzly covered in frost.
While Herbert waited at one end of the island, Cadzow, on foot, went into the brush tracking the bear.
Suddenly, the bear came out from under a brush pile about 10 yards away. It charged straight at Cadzow, who was carrying an AR-15, a rifle similar to the U.S. Army’s M-16.
The encounter was so close, Cadzow said, he didn’t have time to lift and sight the rifle.
“I shot from the hip, seven or eight times,” he said. “If I had gotten it to my shoulder, it (bear) would have been on top of me. It happened so quick, by the time it was down, it was about 10 feet from my feet.”
According to the hunters, the young female bear appeared to be in good health and wasn’t starving.
The hunters contacted the Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks on Thursday and are delivering the hide and head today so biologists can have a closer look at the bear. It will be sent to the Marine Mammal division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for further study.
After perusing some photographs Thursday evening, Dick Shideler, a Fish and Game wildlife biologist who studies North Slope grizzly bears, is in cautious agreement.
“I’m not 100 percent sure, but it sure looks like a polar bear. The ear set looks right, so does the head profile, and the feet look pretty big which is pretty typical (of polar bears),” Shideler said.
“It’s definitely not a grizzly. The only other possibility is a hybrid. I’m leaning pretty far towards polar bear,” he said. “It’s a super interesting bear no matter what it turns out to be.”
The Fort Yukon hunters and the village of more than 900 people are still in a state of disbelief that a polar bear wandered so far south.
“I think all 900 people have been by my house today,” said Cadzow, who spent the rest of Thursday skinning the bear hide.
Townspeople in the Yukon River village have been fielding calls from friends and relatives around the state since word about the polar bear has spread.
“It’s quite a shock to our town,” wrote Bonnie Thomas in an e-mail. “Our oldest elder, Rosalie Joseph, 102, passed away. She must have some powerful medicine to bring a polar bear to us.”
Community Discussion
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You all are in disbelief that a polar bear wandered south, give me a break! Then you shoot the bear for safety concerns, maybe you should be skinning lynx at all. Polar bears are almost extinct and you shoot the bear because it might be hungry, hahahahaha what a joke!
You're right. They should have let the polar bear, one of the deadliest predators in the world, continue to raid the village until it proved its lethality by attacking a human. Maybe you don't realize this is not the first time a polar bear has wandered south of its natural habitat. Nor is it the first time the people of Fort Yukon have had been visited by hungry bears. Maybe you would feel differently if the bear were outside the front door of your house.
There is absolutely no reason to show this dead animal, in color, no less. I find it offensive. Is this another source of "male pride"?
you didn't read the part where he had to shoot from the hip several times or the bear would have been on top of him? self defense isn't a good enough reason to kill a bear?
I am not suggesting that the bear didn't have to be killed. I am only saying the newsminer did not have to print the bloody picture. I prefer to see animals alive.
I hardly call it self defense when it took three miles to catch up with the bear.
These kinds of comments are exactly why Alaska Natives are paranoid about sharing their culture with Outsiders. You seem to have no idea about how they live or the circumstances they experience daily, but you are quick to judge. Gee, sorry about that blood. I guess when you buy steak under plastic wrap at your local urban supermarket in the Lower 48, it's neatly cleaned away for you so as not to offend.
What is really offensive is the Outsiders who go up to AK each year to trophy hunt. Alaska Natives hunt to eat, or in this case to defend their lives and the lives of their kids. And do you think that polar bear meat will go to waste?
So instead of judging these folks, how about wondering what has happened to our climate that would induce this animal to wander so far out of its natural environment? And if you read the FDNM regularly, would these forces be the same that have encouraged grizzlies and wolves to now be found wandering through Fbnks with increasing regularity? And when those folks on CHSR shoot these critters in cold blood to defend their DOGS, are you equally outraged?
Looks like they chased it until it attacked.
What is the safety zone or line of death that the bear must stay away from to keep from being killed? Seems like every hiker, or snowmobiler should carry a gun and shoot bears on sight.
I lived in the interior most of my life and never had to shoot a bear. I have a lot of respect for th polar bears based on my time on the slope but never felt threatened there either.
Looks like the boys wanted a trophy, and needed to gussy the story up a little.
Actually, I would be surprised if the bear is eaten.
Unbelievable comments.
Disgusted by a picture of a dead bear?
Critical of villagers protecting their village from a vicious predator?
What, they should have waited for the polar bear to parade through town.
I think that we're being Californicated.
It is a strange event. I'll be interested in how the global warmers explain this. Was the bear lost, looking for dry ground?
I spent 10 summers working/living in Fort Yukon. I am amazed at this story, as I am sure everyone is!! I am even more amazed at a few of the comments on here!!! I honestly do believe if you cannot conform to living in the greatest land in the world, you pack your belonging and hit the trail!! You can see bears, moose, and caribou at the local zoo. For the life of me, I cannot understand these people coming up here and making such comments.
I am still stunned. Everyone knows that polar bears are MEGA aggressive. Any bear is hungry this time of year. These people are absolutely totally clueless!!! I am astounded beyond belief, but I will shut up now and try and sit quietly.
Everyone is so quick to judge, and that's sad.
Bears are incredibly smart animals. If a bear finds a reliable food source (such as a place where a man regularly processes his hunting kills), the bear is likely to develop a habit of foraging such easy food.
Another conclusion one could have jumped to is that this man felt it was neccessary to protect his own livelihood AND his village from a bear that was likely to come back for such an easy meal.
As far as global warming- who knows. It's no secret that the prefered food source for polar bears (seals) is diminshing. There was an article just yesterday about declaring certain seals as "endangered". I'd be more interested to see what the future studies on the bear show about it's health, condition, and speculation as to what it wandered into the village.
I highly doubt the man was looking for a "trophy"- other villagers openly admits that they believe the bear was sent to them by thier recently passed away elder. There is an amazing and way of living in Native culture that we Outsiders often do not understand- a very delicate balance of faith and spirit/world connection.
I'm all for protecting life and property. But if you keep animal carcasses around in bear country (a defacto bait station), you should not be surprised if something (including bears) show up to take advantage of the situation. I don't view this as any different than someone leaving their garbage outside and then complaining that dogs or bears show up, and then proceed to shoot them. Maybe animal carcasses shouldn't be left near the cabin, endangering the occupants and the community.
More proof of the desperation faced by animals suffering because of global warming! This bear shoiuld have been out on an ice pack hunting seal instead of scavenging for lynx carcasses in a village hundreds of miles from its preferred and natural habitat.....time to wake up and smell the bear poop!
to all you outsiders who come to live here don't bash the native way of life. we have lived here for thousands of years and god willing we will be here for a few thousand more. bears are dangerous animals especially animals that are not in their own habitat. polar bears are extremely agressive and there are plenty of stories of people in the top of the world protecting their towns from these dangerous animals. if you think that native people kill animals for fun or for the hunt then you don't understand us at all. where i come from, if a bear comes into town it is killed because of the danger they pose to any people they come into contact with. the bears are very intelligent animals and once they find an easy food source they will keep coming back and only get more agressive in their quest for food. I have been charged by a bear before and trust me, that is something you have to experience for yourself to understand how fast they are. I have had a black bear follow me for a while trying to decide what kind of animal I was, that was an experience I don't want to repeat, but it happens if you live here. There were a few bears killed in Fairbanks and Anchorage last year and that was to protect people and property, I didn't see hardly any outrage over that. It is big news when a Polar bear is killed outside of its natural habitat so it is only right to do a story on it to show people how Alaska is changing due to global warming. Good job to the brave hunters. It is not easy to track and kill a bear, if you don't believe me, fine, nothing I say will change your mind. Sorry about the long winded comment. :) peace
I'm no wildlife biologist, but my first reaction would be this is a young bear who wasn't able to find a territory of its own in the coastal region because of too many stronger bears there.
And while polar bears *prefer* seal, they are every bit as adaptable in their food choices as any other bear. It certainly didn't get to Fort Yukon without finding something to sustain it along the way.
Alright they had every right to kill that bear. Having lived for quite some time on the slope I learned that you don't play with polar bears at all. They have no fear of man. We are food just like any other animal to them. Polar bears are the only ones in the bear family that think of us as food. Other bears would just as well get away from us. They dont care for our noise or smell. And as for the dead animals around, it is the way they choose to live. Don't judge them on that.
OK first of all, people might actually want to READ the article...it seems this bear was just out looking for food...these villagers took it upon themselves to rise up in some sort of weird, backwoods vigilante session...cadzow and the other idiot took it upon themselves to follow the bear who was now 3 MILES OUT OF TOWN!!! the bear wasnt hanging around harassing villagers or their precious lynx carcasses, it had LEFT THE VILLAGE...there are people making calls to the to see if some poaching charges are applicable because this was NOT DEFENSE OF LIFE AND PROPERTY...cadzow followed this bear looking for trouble... big, tough guy with his ar-15...what kind of idiot goes after a bear with a .223? wow, unimpressed...
Well spoken woodster!!! Until you know how the people in the villages live don't go judging them or thier way of life.
Yes, having dead animals around is a choice. However, there is a responsibility that goes with that choice. According to Alaska law:
"You may kill a bear in defense of your life or property if you did not provoke an attack or cause a problem by negligently leaving human or pet food or garbage in a manner that attracts bears and if you have done everything else you can to protect your life and property (5 AAC 92.410)."--taken from the ADF&G Wildlife Conservation website
Now, I know a moose is not a bear. However, by way of example, I had a problem with an aggressive moose and her calf milling around in my dog yard, with the calf poking its head into the occupied dog houses. They were showing up to feed on the nearby willows. I could have shot the moose after she charged me, but I made the decision to remove the willows. Problem solved.
Now maybe the bear would have came back, but I think it was the responsibility of the person choosing to keep animal carcasses around to first remove the bear attractant before following the bear for three miles until it felt it needed to charge the hunters.
Flouride warped this poor bear's mind into thinking the Interior is worth the trek.
Global warming, If that bear was hungry because global warming was causing it to go hungry there would be many more bears wondering around the interior in search of food, I think it was a bear that went to wondering...A bear doesnt need to wonder 200 miles inland to find food.
I find it funny and thoughtful thinking about a 60 year old with an AR15 running around in the woods trying to shoot a polar bear. I would want the biggest gun in the village if my buddies are going to head back to town and leave my with the BIG BEAR.
I also think that the men did the right thing by taking that bear, It would have most likely returned to town and caused problems.
Hobbes007- I respect the traditional way of life for both whites and natives in this land, however I have seen wanton waste of game from native people just like I have seen it from others that are non-native so dont think that your people are above such things. Just look at the walrus found rotting where the only thing removed is the ivory.
My_02, I am sorry to single you out, you are certainly not the only one on here that is ignorant about bear and their habits. This bear might have gone three miles, but it would have been back WITHOUT A DOUBT!!! There was no way it would go very far from an easy food source. Three miles in not very far in terms of how far an animal will travel. This killing HAD TO HAPPEN, once the bear was this close to the village. I was in Ft. Yukon one summer and the berries did not come out. Bears were foraging all over town searching for food. 19 black bears were killed in three weeks. All of them were emaciated and would have died anyway. It sounds like this bear was in pretty good shape, no competition for food yet, most bears are still sleeping until right about now.
Why was the villager hunting one of the largest most vicious predators with an AR15 (.22 caliber)? Why did they have to pursue the marauding bear three miles away from the village to kill it? Maybe there are a lot of a lot of skinned animal carcasses lying around town and it might come back. Cudos for their wise stewardship of natural resources and going out of their way to make Alaska a safer place.
Alaska will be a better place to live when we kill off all the wolves and bears. Bravo to the brave hunters.
oh yeah yukonjohn, I forgot, YOU are the all-knowing, omnipotent, all-seeing, final authority on all things Alaskan...you DONT know if the bear wouldve come back or not...are YOU a bear john? were you THERE? sounds like this bear had decided some rotten lynx bones werent worth the trouble and had MOVED ON JOHN!!!
TheGoat-- Hilarious comment, I wholeheartedly agree.
skinfish-- I really hope that was sarcasm.
I think it is only natural to be shocked by this. I also think we should get used to seeing things out of the ordinary in Alaska. Global warming is happening! Start riding the bus if you don't like seeing polar bears being killed. It is only natural for them to try to find a new food source. I was happy to see that it was healthy and not starving maybe we will have polar bears in our future. I understand killing it before it attacked someone and I do think it will get eaten. It would have been nice to study and collar it to see what it would have done, and were it would have ended up.
wow! This could be great news for us who depend on a wild meats for food. With the decreasing ungulate population around here we native people need another meat source. Grizz meat is great and my Eskimo brothers in Point Hope says white bear meat is real high energy food. Yeah, let me think about this more.
To bad they don't get to keep the skin. would make a great camping sleep mat. Bear mat is almost good as a Caribou.
From the pictures it looks not too old so must taste purddy good!
"You may kill a bear in defense of your life or property if you did not provoke an attack or cause a problem by negligently leaving human or pet food or garbage in a manner that attracts bears and if you have done everything else you can to protect your life and property (5 AAC 92.410)."
now, people, which part of this LAW is unclear?
Having been chased by 2 grzzly bears while armed with only a whistle and a camera, and a brochure about how bears were harmless unless bothered, my attitude changed quickly. As long as bears stay in their area, fine. Come into my neighborhood and it's adios Yogi.
remember people, the alleged endangerment of polar bears and seals is so controversial because it is a PROJECTED endangerment, based on theoretical models of the FUTURE. Currently, no one has been able to show any real data on CURRENT endangerment. By all accounts, they're just fine at present. Also, this is not the first time oddball members of a particular species have wandered far from their normal habitat. Remember the walrus in Cook inlet?
I just can't believe the other hunters opted to go to the dog races!!!
Wow! This is an amazing story! Thanks to the newsminer for posting because I hadn't heard about this otherwise. I would like to say that Cadzow and the 60 year old man that they are talking about are very knowledgeable hunters and they have the most respect for animals and did not do this out of disrespect. Im sure Zeb was thinking about protecting his family. Most of these negative comments are more sprung out of feelings toward Alaska Natives in general and these same people will take this side of the coin in the next story involving natives. Unfortunately that is the reality here in Fairbanks. Its not a pleasant thing to talk about.. and these comments are the last thing that crossed my mind while reading the story. What ever happened to the whale that swam up the Yukon?.. Alaska is changing. Something that the Earth has always done. You just aren't taught that in school. These continents used to all be connected at one point in time. And.. there is geographical proof that a piece of South America used to be connected to the SouthEast of Alaska.. There is so much to take into consideration before shooting off at the mouth about Alaska Natives. But it is interesting to see the differences in perspectives. Too bad some of these intelligent thoughts are brought forth in blindness.
Haven't read all the post but I don't need to to know that hunting down a animal that is out of season is one thing but hunting one down in its primary environment(the wild) and the animal has not been a threat since the animal has the right to roam where it wants and now you get a little scared that a bear is in the area, your petrified and now you over react and go on a killing spree. Pansy hunters,hahaha a ar-15 what a way to show your heritage or culture. Now kill the lonely bear with a bow and arrow then you can have some respect. This was murder.
I just hope the feds get the carcass and hide. Fine them for shooting a endangered animal for their stupidity on not being able to tell what kind of track they were stalking. Whoa! what great hunter. Glad this story surfaced.
My comments have nothing to do with a bias against Alaska Native culture. I always get irked when people act irresponsibly and them blame the animal for acting like an animal. Well, as Wally Hickle, one of our past governors once said, "we can't let nature run wild."
I wasnt talking about global warming.. my point is that the earth is changing always. Thanks
How could you do it. I can't belive you did it. The polor bear is losing its habitat and you go and shoot it. It does not even look like it is full grown. You should be ashamed of yourself. How dare you, I am so upset by this. What the heck were you thinking. Everything is going through my head right now. All you hear now adays about global warming and glaciers melting and north pole wildlife loosing there homes. So upsetting.
Wanst there, cant say. But offended by the bloody bear pics? Come on now. Since when does the rest of the world have to conform to your delicate sensibilities? Pick up a newspaper in central or south America, they have bloody pictures of accident vitims and homicide victims. But then, you wouldnt care cause they are just HUMANS, right?
wow! this is great!
It looks like a young bear. what's the chance of sending some of the meat to us in Galena. We are having a celebration soon and we need more wild Alaskan meat. Fronteir has daily flights from fort Yukon.
Could use some fat too if there's any left!
Must the News-Miner show more pictures of bloody dead animals!? I find this nasty and tasteless. Do what ever needs to be done to protect the people of the village, but don't show us the after math in full color, thanks!
Way to go you Hunters!! I say it is much better off for the front page paper to read "Dead Polar Bear" rather then "Dead Children Found" dont you agree all you Animal Activists!!!
Wow. Amazing.
All I can say is that having a Winter Bear is not good.
Most bears are suppose to be in hibernation, SO, for you
people who are not from this land please here remember that having a loose Grizzly or in this case A POLAR BEAR!, having it wandering around your children's homes is not safe especially if it is awake in the winter and HUNGRY AND VERY AGGRESSIVE-You might want to "get rid of it."
Listen to these Natives, they have adapted and survived in this unforgivable climate for over 10,000 years (you've been here since the pipeline or a couple a' decades) Get real and educated. And obviously, Global Warming could be a factor here.
If you are not familiar with Fort Yukon, 3 miles is not far, it is on the outskirts of town. Most of you making these ridiculous comments obviously don't give a S$%# about your families enough to want to protect them. I wonder what kind of comments you would post if an article appeared that the bear attacked a child? I'm sure you would find some smart a#@ comment to make about that too. These guys were protecting their community. So what if there were lynx carcasses for the bear to be eating...... this is Alaska and Alaska has trappers. For once can you people just come to your senses and have some respect for the people (alaska natives) that have lived on this land before any of you ever arrived? I don't know where any of you are seeing wanton waste of animals but you will NOT find that in Fort Yukon or any villages in that area. They are taught from the time they are born to respect the land and animals and not to kill unless it is for food. This was an unusual situation...... I think that those of you in Fairbanks that live in the areas that the grizzly bears and wolves were spotted in would agree that you wanted to threat of the animal in your area gone. I agree with some of the comments above.......... if you do not like life in Alaska, GET OUT! Thank you to the hunters for putting your own lives at risk to protect your community.
I can't believe how many people are offended about the politics of this one way or another. As a liberal Democrat new to Alaska, I have the following to say:
1. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the villagers killing this bear. When any bear learns to associate a human dwelling with food, it becomes more dangerous and it's not likely to stay away. And polar bears are naturally very aggressive. While their kill might have not been necessary -- nobody can know -- they're justified in not giving the bear the benefit of the doubt.
2. Anyone offended by the pictures of the bear needs to grow a pair.
3. Global warming is real, it's dangerous, and it's largely caused by human activity. But it is not to blame for every single thing that happens to a polar bear. Blaming this encounter on global warming makes no logical sense on any level.
4. The wackos who want every bear and wolf in Alaska killed are just as loony as the PETA freaks. The value of Alaska as a relatively untouched wilderness is important, and these predators -- and the danger that comes with their presence -- are an important part of that. It's worth tolerating a little bit of danger and hunting competition to preserve that wild quality.
Save an Indian Kill a Bear. Man we don't just go around killing animals for the Hell of it. There is always a purpose. Living in Rural Alaska, I know as well as MANY others, that the Bear would have continued to come around, and be nuisance.
Everytime I read comments like these, I get frustrated, by outsiders that know nothing of our culture continue to challenge ever aspect of our rich traditional heritage. Just let us live.
Melanie from Minto
UNBELIEVABLE!!! The perfect solution would have been to trap this bear and put in a large cage with all these idiots so they could pet it and hug it.
"pet it and cook it"
NO! cook it!
I think this bear wandered this far inland DODGING all the oil rigs from the ocean to Fort Yukon. By the Way...where is the mother? Is anyone worried?
Wow. Maybe some of the commenters will start to rely less on "liberal" as an insult after your thoughtful post Setec - this from a new-to-Alaska liberal Independent :-)
I find the comments very interesting and everyone brings up a lot of great points. If this had been a grizzly bear would there even be a debate? Granted, it wouldn't be a "story" the way this is, but would people be as upset? I don't think so.
I do agree that the use of an automatic weapon makes the "traditional way of life" argument a little weaker, or at least incongruous. I'm from upstate NY, an area mired in Native American land claim issues and while I sympathize with their issues I always feel a little, oh I don't know, skeptical when the land they win is used for multi-million dollar casinos and 52 hole golf courses; spiritual? traditional? Eh. So I'll concede that the AK gave me pause here...BUT...
I know that if I were 3 miles from a polar bear right now I wouldn't feel all that relaxed. And once the hunter was charged...? C'mon. So what that they tracked the animal? That's what hunters DO, right?
This is a great story and I can't wait to link it in my blog and to my local hometown online newspaper.
I stand corrected Roger.
This reminds me of Prisilla Feral's Letter of a few days ago lamenting the killing of wolves that she's seldom (if ever) seen, has a limited perspective of (while ignoring all perspectives but her own) and wants to preach to Alaskans about.
Whether the Polar Bear is near extinction or not, my first priority is to keep myself from becoming extinct.
And for those who lament the "bloody" pictures, sorry but that's called a trophy and man has been doing that since pre-recorded history (that's why there are pictures of animals that the hunters took that are painted on cave walls and rock faces around the world...
I am the high school biology teacher here at Fort Yukon School. This is my 8th year of teaching in rural Alaska. Bears are a fact of life here in Alaska, as we all know. In April of 2005 I watched from inside my (previous) school at Chignik Lagoon as locals chased a brown bear away from the school. It was a very unusual situation in Chignik Lagoon to go on a walk of any length and not see some sign of brown bear. They were a familiar presence to us there.
Bears are also a fact of life up here in Fort Yukon, however polar bear is not. Polar bear, however, is very well known to be highly a aggressive, carnivorous animal, but they are not known here in the forests of the Yukon Flats. People here are absolutely stunned that one has even been spotted here.
When one factors the deadliness, and known aggressiveness of this species of bear, with the fact that no one has ever seen a polar bear here in the Yukon Flats, and that older people and children walk around here in Fort Yukon (the bear was shot three miles from town, but it was seen here in town earlier yesterday), we should not assume that the men who hunted the animal had anything but the protection of the local human population in mind.
I am surprised at the comments about the bloody carcass. Should they have given it a bath first? I also don't understand why people are offended by the AR-15 used. Bears are hard to drop and many a hunter has filled a bear full of lead only to have it reach them or have it drop at their feet. People are judgmental without understanding how life in rural Alaska works. Life is hard here and people that have to hunt to subsist are well acquainted with the dangers of bear encounters. Bears, especially winter bears, cannot be allowed to wander near the village. I agree with the comments relating to how we are not offended by red bloody meat that we buy in the store but we are offended by blood on the dead bear's carcass. The point of the picture was to show that it was indeed a polar bear not to show the blood. Native people are familiar with killing their food, dressing it out and the whole nine yards. We are removed from that process and forget that our beef is fattened in feed lots where the animals suffer from infections and horrible conditions. This is hypocritical, to say the least.
I'm sorry but when I pack to go on my polar bear hunts I usually don't pack my spear or my bow and arrow!
You have to be brave to go alone into an island with a unfamiliar, unpredictable beast! Yes, bears are known to be beast-like although some might associate them with teddy bears.
Finally a comment with CREDIBILITY!
Thanks "SCITEACH" for your comment.
All I have to say is that Natives have been here thousands of years. This is not the first white, hairy mammal that has trekked to their place of living, and it will not be the last. Native people certainly would not have survived as long as they have without protecting themselves. Three miles is NOT very far for such a mammal to amble- they can do it in next to no time. Anything that can be used and salvaged will be. Native people to not trophy hunt, and would rather not just shoot something up if there is a better choice. There likely be proper thanks for this animal in that village this week. You people need to quit being so judgemental, and concentrate on your lives. Let the Native people concentrate on theirs. Balance existed in this country at one time- without the help of all you well meaning folks, and Natives are the LAST ones who want an unbalanced world. They know what they are doing, and they know what they need to do. Be quiet and let them do it.
As an "outsider" living in Iowa, all I have to say is that people complaining outght to shut up and mind their own business.
As far as global warming goes, after 4 straight months of below normal temps and living through the "winter from hell" (including snow twice in the last week), i'd gladly accept a little of Al Gore's hot air right about now.
I lived in Fort Yukon for a year and a half, Sourdoughjoe, you don't know what you are talking about. I don't mean to single you out, anybody on this blog who thinks this was wrong. Doesn't know what they are talking about. These people are not trophy hunters, obviously you don't know what you are talking about in regards to Polar Bear, or Bear in general. Where that bear was found is not its habitat, so yes it was a threat, and Ft. Yukon people did what they had to do to protect their village. My best regards to the Cadzow's. I wish everyone in Fort Yukon the best. I miss you all.
Amazing all the people want to blame the Polar bear being in Ft Yukon on global warming. What about the beluga whale found near Nenana, was that global cooling?
The ice age ended millions of years ago and there were no cars, pollution or any carbon from humans. Was that global warming? Get a grip and quit crying wolf about global warming. All you are doing is try to get money to study something that is a natural cycle and line your pockets. Go hug a tree and save me your blithering rhetoric.
I can't believe all the ignorant comments and judging of native people. All villages know that when a bear is close to town it can kill a child or anyone.
If every one is so positive that polar bears are going to be extinct in a few years, why not open up a drawing so a few whities can shoot one before they are all gone and get some use out of them? They can in Canada, and it's only an imaginary line away. Everyone judges everyone else in these comments. I want to shoot a polar bear. Judge me for that. If you can't handle it...move back to Connecticut.
Garn,
Amen to that, with gasoline and fuel oil prices at an all-time record high, "I'd gladly accept a little of Al Gore's hot air right about now" as well...
I'm more afraid of humans than polar bears!
This is why we don't want outsiders to label Polar Bears as endangered. Especially since their populations are at an all-time high. They would attempt to prohibit shooting of nuisance bears who return time and again to sources of food in villages. 250 miles shouldn't surprise anyone. Polar bears are great navigators. Relocation won't work with them. We don't need outsiders to tell us how to manage Alaskan wildlife!
Just because this event happened in a Native village does not make this a Native issue per se, although lots of you want to make it one.
I agree with you Imusuallyright. Some folks seem to think that only views that jive with theirs should be expressed. The last time I checked I was allowed freedom of speech. Lots of folks certainly feel free to disagree with me. I usually discount the comments that resort to name calling or telling people to leave that state. Those kinds of statements tell me a lot about the nature of the person making them.
Its amazing to me that some of you even feel that you can remark on this topic with any kind of relevant understanding to the life these folks in the villages live and this incident that has taken place. Its a clear sign of ignorance, lack of knowledge and premature emotion to even make a such a snide judgement of something you have never done and will never do. Keep sipping your Latte's and Cappuchinos and debate stories such as this one with such fierce emotion, cuz thats as close to living that life as you'll ever get. Its amazing that we dont understand why our country is so screwed up and afte reading some of these replies makes it quite clear to me.
1)I agree what the heck was Cadzow doing using a Ar-15 assault rifle ?
He needs a much bigger gun for Polar bear hunting.
2) The state need to implement the 3 mile .
If a polar Bear is 3 miles out of town they are out off limits. Every village elder knows there is no way a polar bear are going travel 3 miles for 2 legged food, when they just traveled 250 miles for some Lynx.
Too bad ANWR isn't open and being drilled this polar bear would have been trapped and transplanted , before it had to travel so far.
I agree with one of the posters...we should have relocated this bear....right to these people that are against this action's back yard!!!! I cannot believe some of the comments that people are writing about this incident. ANY bear wandering around a village at this time of year IS A DANGER to humans!!! What part of protecting the population of PEOPLE do you not understand?? These comments just sicken me, we should relocate some of these folks to the Yukon Flats so they can be next to nature, that would sure solve ANY PROBLEM with them! Their ignorance would show instantly.
By the way, if one were to go to Ft Yukon (or ANY other village) you would find the SAME RESPONSE that has been given here by villagers.
OMG!! Unbelievable comments alright. Three miles out of town really isn't far at all, and these people were right, the bear would've back tracked and been back in town. And the Fort Yukon people are NOT trophy-hunters, as some of you are labeling them. I think the Outside people that come up here for their big expensive hunts, are the trophy hunters. And, I agree with Roger, send some meat to our home in Galena! Natives are always known for sharing their food with others. And as for the people that couldn't stand the bloody photograph? Holy cow, every day we see the pictures of war in the newspapers!~ Humans, bleeding, dying, crying for their loved ones, and that doesn't get to you? Yeah, but let our people protect our community and children, and it's not ok. Wow. I think Yukonjohn and alot of others have some good comments on here....way to go , guys!
sourdoughjoe, your comment "Pansy hunters,hahaha a ar-15 what a way to show your heritage or culture. Now kill the lonely bear with a bow and arrow then you can have some respect" shows that you have no respect for Natives or understanding of Natives. No culture is static, but you seem to think that Natives should remain in the past like a museaum diorama.
Why should only Natives hunt with bows and arrows to gain some respect while nobody else is expected to do the same? Sounds like a double standard & hypocricy to me. The fact is that these men did what they thought was best for their family & their community. You & the other critics would be wise to listen to the Natives that have posted here- they have much to say that is worth hearing & taking to heart. Just because they may not be a scientist or educators does not mean that their knowledge is less valid.
As for those that think this is or isn't due to global warming, there is no evidence at this point to make a case either way, but it is very unusual that this polar bear would walk away from it's normal habitat, cross the Brooks Range & come down to the edge of the Arctic Circle.
I currently live here in Fort Yukon and I agree with everyone talking about how dangerous bears are near town. MANY times people sight a bear and a warning goes out around town. The hunters gather their gear and look for the bear for hours, if not days. Sometimes, they don't find the bear and are forced to call off the hunt. MOST OF THE TIME the bear will return within a few days. And when it comes back into town, it is bolder and comes further into town than before. And that is only with Grizzlies and Black bears, which are known to be FAR less aggressive than Polar Bears. Honestly, when I heard about there being a Polar Bear around, my first thought was "I hope they find it".
As far as being offended by the bloody pictures: I am in full agreement with those talking about people getting packaged meet from the supermarket and turning a blind eye to what goes on in life. You can create a fantasy life for yourself all you want, but don't complain when pieces of the real world break through your little bubble of ignorance.
As far as Global warming goes, come on people, do a little research of your own. EVERY bolt of lightening is more "damaging" to the atmosphere than the average SUV is during a year of activity. And do you really think that God (who made everything in 6 days) would just let global warming happen and say "Well, I had a plan, but I guess the humans messed it up by breaking the Earth".
Bravo to the hunters, Praise God, they killed the bear. Thank you for making Fort Yukon a safer place to live.
I agree that this is not a native issue per se. But to say that a school teacher is a credible source of village life, but a native is not....hmmm.
My previous post was about 2 different comments, after reading it appeared that i was mixing together. I apologize
LOL good one seven51.
I just had an epiphany!! Actually my girlfriend did. She said she knows why the guys up at the Fort did not know what kind of bear they were tracking.....It did not have a COKE bottle in its hand like on TV!!!
Actually, Sourdoughjoe, how could they have possibly known what they were tracking?? I am sure they thought (as I would have) that this was a grizzly. NO POLAR BEAR has ever been seen in Fort Yukon!!!
any one in Fort Yukon pass this on,
Remember the Nuchalawoya event in the village of Tanana this spring. It is our tradition to bring a blessing to this event from the stores houses of our past winter's blessings. It would be wonderful for the gathering to share the special meat that the spirit has given you. think about it.
hope to see you there!
I don't get why people are so upset about this but I'll bet that they are the same people that don't have a problem with ordering a big mac from McDonalds. As long as someone else does the killing for them and they don't have to see the blood they can go through life on their high horse and condemn those that have the fortitude to do their own killing, especially when it is completely called for, as this was. A polar bear that has just wandered over 200 miles for whatever reason, people shouldn't think that 3 miles is "way out of town". But most people today won't walk any further than from the house to the car and back again, so they can't imagine walking 3 miles. A bear can do that without any effort and most have territories that span many more miles than that and they patrol them on a regular basis. it is unfortunate that this bear had wandered into a village but it isn't the villagers fault and I give them high praise for doing what needed to be done to protect themselves and their families. For the anti gun fanatics, here was a use of an assault rifle for hunting purposes, so you can shut the h up about that as well.
Kids in the city say they will "punch the bear in the nose" to scare it away. Kids in the village know to be cautious. My point is that everyone has a different perspective, it depends on how and by whom they were raised and where they were raised. I would like to thank the Fairbanks Daily Newsminer for allowing readers to comment on their stories. We all have different opinions, and we will probably not be able to change each others opinion, but it is interesting to see the different views. Kind of opens your eyes to see what kind of people there are in Alaska.
Just to clarify a point or two....
When we had the grizzlies visiting the areas *near* (not *in*) town recently, F&G put out many, many advisories strongly recommending people clean up the area immediately around their homes to prevent the presence of attractive nuisances. Some folks did, some folks didn't. As more grizzlies were killed there was quite the uproar as many residents began to wonder about some of the claims of DLP (Defense of Life and Property) especially when spilled dogfood was laying about the kill sites.
Same happened with the wolves. Only there we began with idiots (and it is very rarely I use that word) who let their dogs wander loose which is against borough regs for very good reasons. Wolves went after the loose dog, found it a good food source, began doing some hunting...again *near* town, not *in*. Most of the wolf (and grizzly) activity was about 15 to 20 miles north of Fairbanks along Chena Hot Springs Road, an area that has seen a lot of build-up over the past 40 years. Again, F&G strongly recommended people remove attractive nuisances and added they might either want to bring their dogs inside or at least stake them closer to their houses. However, one idiot (there's that word again!) actually left his 3 dogs staked 200 feet from his house and sat up all night with his rifle over them. When dawn came he had two dogs and an empty collar. He essentially used his own dogs as bait yet our esteemed Congressman Don Young choose him to hold up as a "victim" of these "savage wolf attacks". Sure enough, there were folks started having hysterics about the wolves, saying how our children were in danger, etc, despite there having been no attacks and there still being no documented unprovoked attacks by healthy wolves in the history of the state. (That killing in the Yukon last year was not a proven killing but rather one expert vs another with the final decision being made by a panel of residents. It was not a peer-reviewed instance, in other words, and so lacks a great deal of credibility as an example of unprovoked killing of a human by a wolf.)
Finally, and boy will I catch heat on this but it has to be said, just as there is a bigotry in portraying Alaskan Natives as ignorant bush dwellers mired in the Stone Age, there is a similar bigotry that holds them up as superhuman nobility, unable to make mistakes and almost instinctually perfect in their response to the land. The reason musk ox went extinct in Alaska was a result of overhunting by non-Natives AND Natives. (The reason we have some now is the result of transplants in 1945. Even so, we have nowhere near the numbers that once roamed the Coastal Plain.) Additionally, about 2 months ago some Native teen-agers were charged with using snowmobiles to chase a moose around on a frozen lake until it hit thin ice, went through, and drowned. The D.A. for the area....and I believe it was in the SW portion of the state...said such activity was common in the area. When I first came to Alaska in '69 I had the highest respect for the Natives. I felt if anyone knew how to live within the natural parameters of the land, they did. But now, as I see villages overrun with snowmachines and ATV's, as I read things like this hunting of a bear that had not menaced anyone despite being in proximity to them, as I read that AST report on the moose drowning, as I read the newspapers throughout the state on a daily basis and see what is going on, I have to wonder about my early faith. I still try to adhere to it as I realize there is a growing disparity between the elder Natives and the young today...but sometimes that just can't account for some of the more disturbing things encountered.
Then, of course, there are the comments from folks we have seen in this section including but not limited to Yukonjohn who apparently shares a viewpoint expressed by others in this discussion that the only real purpose to wildlife is for it to be shot...and often and whenever encountered. Disagree with this view and you are told to "Git outta the state!" as though the first and primary requirement to being a real Alaskan is to want to kill whatever moves and most of what doesn't. Funny how that view bumps up against the elder Native view of respecting wildlife but then, I guess for such folks, those Natives should also "Git outta the state!".
BTW, to forestall the usual attacks, I have hunted up here (3 caribou, 1 Dall ram), I have encountered grizzlies and black bears, have had my share of wolf encounters...and somehow by just behaving sensibly in each situation we all were able to walk away and live another day. It's amazing what you can accomplish when your first reaction isn't to start shooting everything in sight.
Okay...you can start throwing your stones! *Grin*
I had to laugh at most of these comments posted about the polar bear.
I am a white 29 yr old woman, mother of 4. We moved to Alaska 10 yrs ago. The first reason for the move was to "get out of" the lower 48 mind set.
It's kind of funny to see how far Alaskan's have come when we cry over a polar bear getting shot, because after all the bear "has rights" too & lets not forget "feelings"! Blood.......please, this is real life not fairytale land! Guess it would be better to see the cleaned up version of the truth. Alaska is a awesome place to live, we still have rights here.... over the local animal. Lets keep it that way. And maybe if the animal rights people can't stand that fact, they should go back to the lower 48, after all they fit the mold!!!!
Hey, half you all are not near as offended by the trash that Hollywood puts out as you are by thes pictures. That is really bothersome to me. The same people in hollywood who want to stop global warming and protect everything are feeding us violence in movies and music that we don't want or need to hear. But I don't see you out there lobbying for the kids. Pretend to be offended, the animal was a threat. Be offended at the junk on the radio and at the movies, they are a real threat.
Gee....here is someone only 10 years in the state and already she is "Alaskan" enough to be telling other people to get out. It's ironic, given we Alaskans like to talk about how we value individual views and individual independence but as we have just seen with her entry (and others in this discussion) that seeming tolerance goes right out the window when someone expresses a differing viewpoint.
So let's see...here are the rules for living in Alaska as I gather from her comment and others similar:
1. Kill anything you can whenever you can however you can. After all, it's just wildlife and why respect it for its intrinsic value.
2. If anyone disagrees, tell them to "Git outta Alaska!".
3. If you happen to have even the slightest bit of respect for wildlife, see item #2.
4. If you share the elder Natives' cultural respect for wildlife, see item #2.
5. If you don't live in the Bush, not only see item #2 but shut up first.
6. If you don't agree with anything I've just laid out in these rules, see item #2.
7. See item #2.
8. See item #2.
9. See item #2.
Eight hours and over 90 messages ago, I put in my 2 cents. I will do so again now, and then turn off my computer once and for all.
What I said then, and what is written now above for all to see, is that the animosity between white and Native Alaska today is considerable. I said then, and repeat now, that when a number of bears (ok they were grizzlies, but is that REALLY what this is about?) were killed by white folks near Fbnks last year, no one blinked. Now these Native folks kill this lost bear and folks are freaking out. Why? Would everyone be reacting similarly if this wayward bear had found its way down to, say, Manly (now that's lost!), only to be shot there? I doubt it. But this is Ft. Yukon after all, which has a reputation for -- what? Well good basketball is what I think of, and many a fond visit there with friends. And that's what all these folks who wrote these comments above are thinking of as well, right?
So to my mind, folks, this story isn't about a bloody bear. It's about white-Native relations in Alaska today. Read the 90-some messages above and tell me, am I imagining things, or do we have a problem here?
Thanks Dobieman, for all of your comments. I concur.
In addition, I don't understand why so many people posting comments can't be a little more civil. Does it really look like you or anyone else is reaaly changing anyone's mind? I sure don't see it, so I'll chooes to refrain from name calling and kicking people out of the state.
quit doing mean comments you people. It's good that they killed the bear because if they didn't kill the bear it would have probably come to town and destroy us. SO PLEASE QUIT DOING MEAN COMMENTS!!!
this sixty four year old fart (and even my ninty three year old dad who says "this old fart" as well) who is also an Alaskan native; we agree with much of what dobieman said. you can agree with us though that we do have "extreamist" on both sides the issues. Heck! we just want some bear meat. we are fresh out.
This is crazy. The bear was previously seen near Fort Chukon so it was known to be a polar bear before the hunt began. It was attacted to the Village trash and moved on. F&G should have been notified of a polar bear siting before it was shot. I live in rural Alaska (20+years) and have bears and wolves near home often but have never had to kill one. My wife was trampled by a cow moose in our yard and we did not kill it. People are the invaders; we must respect the land and animals and only fight back for immediate protection. The issue is not racism but rather respect for our world and each other. I read of very little respect in the comments written. I would bet that Cadzow could not see the bear in the snow and it was startled by his direct approach. A terrific omen to have a 102 year elder die on spring equinox, then a white bear appears only to be hunted and killed...bad juju.
I've lived in Alaska for 28 years. We live withy bears. 2 yrs ago a 300lb black bear was shot less than a quater mile from my house. You possey-sniffin bunny-huggers from the lower 48 DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT. Do you realize when a bear walk near you the ground actually shakes????? DON'T SHOOT IN DEFENCE!!!!! IT just proofs you DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. Which I knew anyway, so thanks for proofing it.
GOOD JOB FORT YUKON our town is safe from THIS POLAR bear we saw here for the "FIRST" time ever now we can feel it is SAFE for our CHRILDREN and family members to go and enjoy the rest of our spring carnival also SHOW our respect for our 102 year old elder who passed on and be apart of her funeral services...also be there for family . We all know our number one PRIORITY is our PEOPLE!!!!! dont pay no attention what THESE people are saying about "US", let me say they DONT KNOW A THING about "our people" "our culture" or "our tradition" THANKS again....
So would this be as big of a controversy if this was a hybrid bear. Hey..it's happend before
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/wildli...
HEY PLEASE QUIT DOING MEAN COMMENTS PLEASE. YOUR SINNING ABOUT SWEARING AND OTHER THINGS JUST DON'T BE MEAN, DID U KNOW WHEN YOU SWEAR YOUR SINNING. WELL PLEASE STOP DOING MEAN COMMENTS. THEY ARE REPORTING IT!
STAY IN COLLEGE
Thanks for not doing mean comments, i respect ur word. & please have respect for the people who has just been sent to heaven don't gossip of angels. THANK YOU for no more mean comment. I RESPECT YOU PEOPLE
we love you too nomeancomments.
akbob,
You shouldn't assume so much about people. I've been charged by grizzly bears, had my tent torn up by a black bear, and had a cooler snatched from my feet by a black bear while sleeping under a tarp.
You just killed a perfect example to see if a animal can live and survive outside its natural enviroment
That cooler in the tarp incident was my first experience with a bear wwhen I was much younger--I do n't do that anymore :) Now I keep the cleanest camp I possibly can.
I don't live in rural Alaska (anymore) but in one of the smaller cities. Every once in a while a bear walks out of the woods, through my back yard and down my stairs. Sometimes I find one sleeping on my porch in the morning. I have never had occasion to be on the self-defensive end of these encounters and lucky for me because I'm not usually packing on my way to work in the morning (or on my way home from a basketball game or etc. late at night). When these bears become "nuisance" bears - which they are usually classified the second time they make their presence known by (usually) tearing apart the garbage (or in the case of a good friend of mine, eating her chickens right out of the coop in her back yard), the local authorities or ADF&G come and shoot it. There is no backlash. Hardly anyone notices. Why is this any different? I think some perspective is needed here - and people should consider their neighbors just might know how to deal with the issues in their own communities.
you people are soo funny...yes its crazy to some that a polar bear was spotted near ft. yukon. ya theres going to be people that dont like the fact that that man killed it and others are rooting him on... no one can say what the bear was going to do. if that man felt that him or his family or village was in Jeopardy then do what u have to do to keep what you think is in Jeopardy to save it. if i would had saw a polar bear i would had kept my happy ass inside and waited till someone else was up and tell them to do something about it.
I think quitdoinmeancomments needs to go to college. That way they can learn proper English. Also, maybe they will learn that civilized societies allow swearing and other freedoms, unlike the Theocracy they apparently came from.
news reader, leave the kid alone. Innocence is a blessing. please be gentle and gracious.
dobieman/ In my opinion you can stay in Alaska as long as you want. But you can't change it.
Ok now we're telling people to go to college? Newsreader do you realize that you might just be talking to an Elder/older person that grew up in the village? They are doing quite well to even go near a computer! Shame on you!
Pinhead, regarding your 1:10 p.m. post- the FDNM article was about the polar bear and many of the comments that followed tried to stay on-topic, turned into commentary about native/non-native relations. It looks like we still have a long way to go to improve those relations, both in Alaska, the Lower 48 & Canada.
I think everyone should go to college - old or young. My Mom got a degree when she was 64. ;)
seven51....I couldn't change it even if I wanted to and in many ways I don't. Alaska is a heckuva lot more than the people living in it. It always has been and with a great deal of luck it will remain over and above its human residents, a very, very special place. I care a great deal about this place I have called home for almost 40 years, now, and I would dearly love to think when it's time to get rid of my old corpus they just fly me out over some uninhabited area and dump me out the door. (Some might argue no need to wait for my demise to do that...*grin*.)
But change Alaska? Naw. It changes every day just for being part of the world. I do hope, though, that folks living up here will come to realize when we call this place the "Last Frontier" it truly is. And it is within our hands to keep it as wild as possible for *all*, hunter, non-hunter, PETA, NRA, whomever to enjoy. I just don't see that happening, though. When I came to Fairbanks in '69 the idea of driving beyond the Yukon River was folly. Now, you can go all the way to the Slope. Houses and settlements are springing up along the Dalton. Areas I used to moose hunt in are now subdivisions.
Heck, I know things change. It's just that when I see folks so quick to shoot and then wonder afterwards and all the vehement rhetoric supporting those actions by all of us second-guessers, be we villagers or city folk, it just brings home to me all the more how the real Alaska I assume we all cherish is slipping away, piece by piece. Now *that* I would love to change.
116 comments! This is ridiculous don't you people have anything better to do then sit to a computer and write comments all day. You don't even know the people in Fort Yukon so don't judge us and our way of life. This is how we live so deal with it.
anyone keeping score?
No one except the people who were there should judge whether or not the bear should have been shot. I simply think it was in poor taste to picture it in the newsminer as if it were a trophy kill. Now it has turned into whites against Alaska natives. "Why can't we all just get along".
FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE THAT THIK IT WAS WRONG FOR SHOOTING A POLAR BEAR......Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm BEAR MEAT!
FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE THAT THINK IT WAS WRONG FOR SHOOTING A POLAR BEAR......Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm BEAR MEAT!
Wow. Lots of hard hearts out there. Let's try loving and respecting our fellow man first; then maybe we can learn to treat the environment and wildlife better. As for those who live in Fort Yukon and other subsistence communities, let's not judge their actions by the standards of Seattle and other built-up areas.
Well said, Obie. God, I miss Alaska so much!!!!
THANK YOU CADZOW for putting your own life at risk to protect your community! GRAEAT JOB!
ya so stay in school...dont do drugs... i love yall...*sniffle* cant we all just chill for a sec and get along?!?!?!?!
dobieman/ All I can say is good answer.
Good job Cadzow! We as natives know its very important to protect are own. For those who think it was wrong to kill such a creature, what would you do if a bear was running around in your back yard?
Yes, Dobieman, well said.
so im out...u people crack me up...please amuse me again some time soon ok? luv ya alaska !!!
Think about this......it happens a lot in the lower 48. When someone says that they "find it offensive" they are looking for something to sue $$$$$$$$. And with all the comments here, oh my. A class action law suit - dead bear - and yes red blood. I would like to know if these offensive peoples cover up the picture then read?
One should not stick there nose into other situations which they know nothing about (Alaska is a very beautiful and Wild country) - DO THE RESEARCH before condeming an article. The computer is at your finger tips.
If the COMMENTS keep comming in such large numbers , better watch out the News Miner will begin charging us !
Did any of you guys read the lines? It said "FOR SAFETY CONCERNS". Geez laweeze...
Thank you i_am_in_ak. I thought the hybrid possibility was a really intriguing part of the story, and you're the only person so far to mention it. I remember reading about that case in Canada, which you thoughfully provided the link to, at the time when it happened. If this one tests out genetically to be a hybrid, as the one in Canada was, that would go a long way toward explaining why it was so far inland. And it would only be the second documented case of such a hybrid, but the two cases are geographically quite far removed from one another, so it makes me wonder what kind of an environmental/biological trend that might be indicative of. I'll be hoping for a follow-up article on the testing of the bear's remains.
Polar Bears are NOT endangered, not even close. 3 miles is nothing to a Polar Bear. And to suggest that the villagers should have tagged or followed it and studied its behaviour is absurd. You can't expect a native hunter to think and react like a research biologist, it's just not realistic. They have completely different purposes and goals. Indeed, you shouldn't expect me to think and react like a research biologist, if I saw this bear in close proximity to my livestock... let alone my family.
He who has ever been charged by a bear this big, and chosen NOT to shoot in self defense... let HIM cast the first stone.
Oh, wait. He couldn't. He'd be dead.
I bet part of you people don't even live in Alaska, & quit doin mean comments i said that's mean. And i bet part of you people didn't even go to college so shut up. If they didn't kill that polar bear they would have destroyed our town. That is a good thing, there is alot of more bears quit being smart now & i am not no kid. I'm 20 years old
So will the people of Ft. Yukon be eating the bear meat? I dont think it should go to waste. Or will the state take it?
quitdoinmeancomments -
Don't let them make you feel bad. I don't have a college degree either. Going to college doesn't make a person any smarter, it can't raise your intelligence one bit. What it CAN do is teach you other people's ideas, and as a biproduct it often indoctrinates a person with the commonly accepted societal norms (read as BRAINWASHING). The trends du jour... such as animal rights.
In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible tells us that "the wise man regardeth the life of his beast" - in other words, be kind to your animals, and care about them, which is the way that my animals are raised. But most people who belong to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), or 'bunny huggers' as they are referred to here, don't even know how brainwashed they are by the group's propaganda.
I kinda feel sorry for them
:(
I HAD TO THROW IN!
Sadly the debate has somewhat deteriorated to a PRO-Native/ANTI-Native twist. I am a native Alaskan (native with a lower-case ‘n’). By strict letter of the law the individuals who shot the bear did so illegally. As the bear had left area of Fort Yukon, it was not endangering anyone AT THAT TIME. Mr. Cadzow and Mr. Herbert CHOSE to continue hunting the bear to 3 miles out of town. Moreover, leaving the Lynx carcasses outside created an ‘attractive nuisance.’ By this action they were not legally permitted to shoot the bear. True, at the time of the actual shooting it BECAME a ‘defense-of-life-or-property’ (DLP) shooting. Everything up to that point made that shooting illegal.
That being said, I have no intrinsic problem with them killing the bear. Though nobody can DEFINITIVELY say that the bear would return, it would likely have happened. So it basically boils down to letter of the law vs. spirit of the law. I do think it a bit of a shame that it HAPPENED TO BE a polar bear, as it would have proved a great research opportunity.
It is rather unfortunate that this turned out to be a ‘racial’ dispute. In my experience living in and out of rural Alaska I have seen both great injustices and great stewardship by Native Alaskans. The same is true of non-natives. I find it disgusting that people continue to pigeon-hole Natives as great land stewards or rapers of the land. We are all PEOPLE.
(for some reason this shows as Anonymous)
I said quit doing mean comments that is so mean of you people. And if you say i have to go to college I don't have to listen to you people out there. Bear mean you can eat but, If it is rotten don't eat it
I see it has been claimed, erroneously, in here a couple of times that polar bears are not endangered. So let's look at some simple facts.
1. The Polar Ice Cap stood over 120 miles offshore this year.
2. Polar bears can, at best, swim about 60 miles in a day.
3. Polar bears have to haul out on the ice to rest and also to do the vast majority of their hunting.
4. Read items #1 and #2 and tell me what you don't understand about the implications thereof.
5. Native elders along the northern coast say this is the furthest they can remember the ice cap standing offshore and we're talking folks who are in their 80's.
6. Again, read items #1 and #2 and, again, tell me what you don't understand about them.
7. Polar bears do come ashore and have been known to interact with grizzly bears, usually to the detriment of the polar bears.
8. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is presently considering putting polar bears on the endangered list because, in great part, of items #1 and #2. Bear biologists experienced in studying polar bears for many, many years have predicted a good possibility that by 2050 they will be extinct in Alaska. If you can get one of these people aside and promise anything they say is off the record, they will admit it is more apt to be 2020 or 2030. Scientists, by nature, tend to be very conservative in their public statements, thus the discrepency. More drowned and starved polar bears have been showing up then in previous years, according to USFWS data.
9. Seals, one of the chief food sources for polar bears, also depend on the ice cap for resting, pupping. The less ice they have, the more restricted they are in how far they can range for food and haul-outs for resting and giving birth. The fewer seals (and already the ribbon seal is being considered for endangered status) the less the bears have to eat, the more they have to turn shoreward, and the more they encounter grizzlies who will compete strenuously for resources as well as humans who can be counted on to kill them at pretty much every opportunity.
10. Geezum....see items #1 and #2!
I know that you shouldnt eat rotten meat, I want to know if they get to eat it. Sounds good to me.
Whenever someone says I'm just throwing around a lot of emotion or offers some similar accusation, I always tell them to cite where I am wrong and to show their supporting citations in doing so. Well, I figure what's good for one is good for another, so here are some citations about polar bear endangerment. PLEASE NOTE....these are excerpts as the entire article was usually too long to fit in here or didn't have any further info on the point. However, if you want to read them in their entirety note I have included the dates and source by which you can locate them on the Net.
Anchorage Daily News
January 8, 2008
Governor Sarah Palin weighed in on The New York Times op-ed page with an argument why polar bears, which scientist say are losing habitat to climate change, should not be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
***********************************
Polar Bear Cross-Breeding May Become New Threat
Andrea Gusty / CBS 11 News / January 9, 2008
Polar bears and brown bears are close cousins, and interbreeding could happen--especially if ice melt continues to force polar bears to spend more time on land.
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Juneau Empire Editorial: Stop Procrastinating on Polar Bear Issue
January 10, 2008
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/0111...
The truth is the research is in. Last year, the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration independently determined that enough sea ice will have been lost by 2050 to slash the numbers of polar bears in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast. The same is likely for the East Siberian-Chukchi Sea region between Alaska and Russia.
Sea ice is essential for the survival of polar bears because they use sea ice as a platform when hunting their primary food source - seals. The USGS estimates that in the next 50 years that polar bears will lose 42 percent of the Arctic range they need to live during the summer.
Last summer also set a record low for Arctic sea ice with just 1.65 million square miles, according to researchers with the University of Colorado.
I am relatively new to Alaska. But I did grow up in wild country in the hills of the middle of nowhere. My family and I came to Alaska to embrace the ruggedness of it. Where we lived before was becoming too over-populated with people and the wildlife was suffering.
I think all bears are beautiful, amazing creatures. A big factor in choosing Alaska was that there were so many different kinds of bears. People who live here and complain about the wildlife and the rugged living outside the cities, may seriously be happier on the East coast or maybe in California. Because Alaska being so frontier-like, is the reason most of us are here.
I wish they could have relocated the bear, but, who am I to say what went through their hearts and minds about the safety of their community on that day. I wasn't there. So I cannot judge.
I do, however, think that native Alaskan culture should be embraced and respected. I am part native-american and I was raised to respect the land, nature, and my elders. I find that those values apply in my new life as an Alaskan.
One comment I read has stuck with me, the talk about native youths on snowmobiles and torturing a moose. This was not native culture at work it was the white man's worldly influence that caused that unfortunate event. (I'm NOT racist - I am also part caucasion) But if people had not moved up here from the lower 48 to put in the pipeline all those years ago, or to try to get rich from the gold, who's to tell if the native culture would have suffered as such.
Also you see alot of white people on snow mobiles, acting stupid and pushing the envelope of safety. All I am saying is there are good apples and bad apples in every race. One race should not judge another.
Now, I don't know if it is true, but I rented a DVD about polar bears and they said that the meat of a polar bear can not be consumed by humans. It said there was some kind of bacteria or something in it that makes it harmful to man. Can any natives tell me if this is true or not?
So everyone can voice their opinion - But the facts are still the facts. The bear is dead.
Tongue in cheek here...
Bunny-hugging is fun. Um, They also make good stew (or braised or pot pies).
Bears? NOT good for hugging, unless they are of the teddy-type.
Polar bears, especially not good for hugging. They think humans make good stew and pot pies. :)
Ok. I had to throw a little fun in here, because it's getting so SERIOUS.
On that serious side though... I find it ironic. I was SO looking forward to moving to AK this spring. Looking forward to it because I am finally leaving the bigotry of Alabama behind.
Oh, I'm still happy about moving to AK, but I find it sad that I am going to see a whole lot of the same racial bigotry that I am happy to be leaving.
Are we talking about bears here? Or Alaskan Natives?
It makes me wonder if the community would have thought differently about the bear being killed if it had been done by a non-native?
On the hybrid- I'm just curious and would love a real science based answer to this: will bears actually breed with different bears? (Grizzly and Polar, etc)
Kind of gave me a Napoleon Dynamite kind of giggle about his Liger, and wondering if it's actually possible to get the bears to mate.
And a totally different question- being in an area where we don't get much bear, much less eat it... what does it taste like? (And no fair, saying "chicken!")
Countrygirl - I liked your post, and I do hate to draw you out or pick on a statement... BUT...
The statement - "This was not native culture at work it was the white man's worldly influence that caused that unfortunate event" REALLY make me cringe. It was neither the influence of Native or Caucasian (White-man) heritage. This is a total 'cop-out.' People are responsible for their own actions. The act of labeling Natives as the perfect land stewards, "whiteman" as the great pillager, or vice-versa is inappropriate. This is simple an attempt to take away the accountability for a person's actions. Grave injustices and poor land stewardship have been done on both sides. A PERSON IS responsible for their own actions aside from race or any outside influence.
I would like to know how they taste, too.
BelindaMarie72 writes: More proof of the desperation faced by animals suffering because of global warming! This bear shoiuld have been out on an ice pack hunting seal instead of scavenging for lynx carcasses in a village hundreds of miles from its preferred and natural habitat.....time to wake up and smell the bear poop!
And you have proof of this how? I am assuming that you are just brainwashed like half the country so you point its cause directly at Global warming with absolulely no evidence to support your claim. Just throw it out there and people will beleive it, thats what Al Gore does. WTF!
I had worked in a remote camp location in Alaska. I was responsible during bear season to haze or dispatch problem bears (black and brown only). We had one black bear come around camp and wasn't a problem at first, just curious. When the bear would get inside camp I would haze the bear from getting too comfortable around the camp, cause without fear of humans they'd attack. On days I would see this black bear more then 3 miles from camp, recognizable because it had a few bald spots. On a few nights this bear made it's way back to camp and busted in while we were sleeping, it tore the place up but fortunately nobody was sleeping the room it busted into. After this the bear was never spotted during the day. The bear attempted to bust into another room (like the first one by prying open the window). The bear was shot. If a black bear is cornered, or ends up in a small room with you, it will attack, otherwise fear will drive the animal away. Polar bears don't behave the same way, it will attack because it doesn't fear you like other bears.
I was working up north around 2003 when a Polar bear was spotted on the North side of the Brooks Range, at the time it was the furthest south a polar bear has ever been witnessed and recorded. I was in a 1-ton diesel pickup with an engine that was loud enough to hear a mile away when the polar bear charged the truck. I wasn't going anywhere near the bear. If I lived in a remote village I would also hunt down this bear.
"This was not native culture at work it was the white man's worldly influence that caused that unfortunate event"
What? Look, dont take this the wrong way but, um, I would venture to say that the native Alaskan culture had its share of bad apples.
I am not racist. I study a lot of history. Guess what? Native Alaskan culture was not some perfect utopia that the evil white man corrupted. It must be nice to have an entire other race of people to blame for all of a societies problems.
I think its the polar bears liver that cant be consumed because of the Vitamin A. We would die.
Countrygirl, by the way, do you attend the Trinity Church in Chicago?
tntmedic -
On the hybrid question. When a grizzly and a black bear mate, the offspring are sterile, much like a mule. But with the Polar Bear and Brown, or Grizzly, bear, they are much more genetically similar, and would produce reproductively viable offspring.
As for the taste, I've only had bear meat once, at a wild game feed potluck. I thought it was the most horrible tasting meat I've ever had! I've been told that was likely because the bear was taken at the wrong time of year, what they are eating determines the flavor of the meat. Best is when they've been in the thick of berry season... as opposed to the heat of the salmon run? The one I tried must have been eating garbage!
dobieman -
Polar Bears are NOT on the endangered species list. There is nothing erroneous in that statement. You obviously know this if, as you indicate above, you read the news. They are not on the endangered species list because their numbers do not warrant it. The reasons you state above(Read items #1 and #2) are reasons why you FEEL they are endangered. You speculate - conjecture, predict - that they WILL be in low enough numbers to be classified as an endangered species 10 to 40 years down the road. Rationally speaking, that makes your statement the erroneous one.
I have read all of these comments and the other story about this incident. I agree, we should try to get along like Alaskans should, but I HAVE to stand by the fact that these men were protecting their village, and the story would be the same in any village. If this had happened in Borneo or some other jungle and this were a tiger or lion roaming around the village, the hunters would have been on Nat. Geo. being hailed as the brave noble hunters that had slain the threat! This is no different. This is the quote out of the other story:
While the Marine Mammal Protection Act allows Native hunters in coastal villages with a tradition of hunting polar bears to legally shoot the animals for subsistence, Fort Yukon is not a coastal village and the shooting must be a defense of life or property killing to be legal, Steve Oberholtzer, assistant special agent in charge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's law enforcement division in Alaska.
"We are looking into the matter" is all Oberholtzer would say concerning the case on Friday. "There's quite a few things to sort out."
I believe that if these men are prosecuted, there will be and should be a huge uprising against this action!!!
Hey just because us alaskan natives shot a polar bear doesn't mean that u guys always have to be jealous. Just because we saw a polar bear doesn't mean u have to be jealous........
Send the meat to me on ice, I will make some sausage that you wouldnt even know was made from bear. Just because something is endangered doesnt mean THAT bear shouldnt have died, he came into a village in spring time and would have without doubt been back around. No part of protecting ones family or property says that you have to wait for the attack if you know it is a threat. The last three bears that came in killed something but this one wont, Yeah right! One difference between us college educated folks who think we know everything and village life, people in the village dont profess to know everything, they actually ask someone older for a real life experiance that might shed some light on things, its called listening!
I am a caucasion which has no meaning in this .Being native hunters has nothing to do with this .This deals with protecting your village your family and your children along with your neighbor.I live in a high bear concentration on the ak pennisula so i know all about bears in town .This time of year is a very hazardous situation involving bears.My understanding is the meat will not be wasted.This is no differant then these other going to mcdonalds or safeway for getting there dinner.As far as his choice of weapon to be used against a large predator this is america this is alaska and we do have a choice.Good shooting and keep up the good work.These others that do not live here in rural or at least in alaska .Please do not make unfair judgements against us for our way of life.These posts comparing our rural against your subburbs are completly unjustified.We live in differant worlds.
Maybe next time a polar bear wanders into town, just do what ranchers in South Dakota do when it comes to mountain lions. Shoot, shovel, shut up.
Well said Reader1.
I would modify that to Shoot, S(h)alvage, Shut-Up!
I still have a had time pinning this to a clear-cut case of protecting the village. My closest neighbor about 1/2 mile away has a dog that came to my house BECAUSE I LEFT TRASH OUT, and tore into the bag. He may come back and eat more trash, or he may come back and eat my dog. Either way now I keep my trash inside 'till ready to haul out or burn. I don't drive down the road and shoot him. Obviously this is a different situation, but I hope you can recognize the parallel.
I do not lament the loss of the bear, nor do I feel that Mr. Cadzow or Mr. Herbert are 'evil men'. In my judgment I merely feel the action they took was inappropriate (not what I would choose to do). These men/this village CHOSE to take an action, by letter of the law (being leaving out an attractive nuisance), that action was illegal. I don't see the DLP case being valid... YET.
Children run around and play outside, and these men were not prepared to set a live trap for such a large animal. These hunters that were entrusted to hunt this animal must have much respect for being honored with such a heavy duty. It's dangerous, and it was not thrill seeking, put your feet into this man’s boots, and look out your window, you'll see your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren, and fellow villagers who are in danger. Why would a sixty year old man go out with a weaker gun chasing a large, deadly predator? This man did it for his family, for his children, and he did it for those who cannot protect themselves from such a fierce animal. It's hard to lock 900 people into their homes. Especially the children. If they did not track the bear, they would have lost its location, and not have known when the bear chose to return to the village. The bear is a scavenger, known to dig through garbage, it would have returned, for where else can it find a village of 900 people. A village brimming with enticing scents, and easy food. It saddens me to see such scorn for these brave men, it’s as if the lives of multiple villagers, of Family, of Children, were less precious then the life of a lone polar bear. As much as many wish, this bear would have returned, ask any woodsman, and it could not by any means be left to roam the village. Even if it had not found the lynx carcasses, it would have encountered a smell. A human smell, a dog smell, a cooking smell, a garbage smell. Yes, the bear was innocent due to ignorance of human protectiveness, and that is an ignorance that got it killed. It would have killed someone. This bear is wild, it’s nothing like the bears you see at the zoo. Such an honorable animal would fight, for its life, and even… for its food.
Yes.. Where else could the bear have found EASY FOOD! That is all part of the point. Yes.. if the bear returned it should have been shot.
But "[The bear] WOULD have killed someone"? Come-on! Unless someone hear has developed the uncanny ability to talk to a dead bear, how are we to KNOW what it WOULD have done?! Many people in many places (including me at times in my life) have lived with bears in or near. I have walked out my front door to take a leak and found myself 10 feet from the smelly end of a brown bear (sometimes the smelly end is a matter of opinion). Given this was not a polar bear, but the point remains. I recognize the necessity to protect ones family, I would protect mine at all costs, even that of facing prosecution for illegally killing a bear. It is the circumstances up and to the point of killing the bear that make this an issue in my book.
Secondly, and I apologize for feeling the necessity to say this... but if nothing goes to waste in Fort Yukon, why were there Lynx carcases laying around on the ground?
There are no Tranquilizers in Fort Yukon ? The State Fish and Game could have sent a helecopter with a net and a Biologist to relocate it 250 miles back from where it came Jack Asses.
I really hope that was facetious!
KevinAk -
Not at all realistic! No, they don't have tranquilizer guns and helicopters readily on hand in Fort Yukon. State Fish & Game doesn't have the resources to make a regular habit of impromptu helicopter trips to bush villages to relocate wayward bears. It's just not what happens.
arcticlady....I cannot make it any simpler, plainer, or less true. I quoted not opinion but facts. I will repeat them even more clearly.
1. The shore ice was 120 miles offshore in 2007, more than the elders interviewed had ever seen it.
2. Polar bears can only swim a max of 60 miles a day. If they are trying to make it to the ice and they started from shore (and quite a few come ashore in the winter) they would drown. That means they would be dead, unable to breed, unable to contribute to the population. Kaput.
3. If the ice keeps receding and there is every indication it will, there will be more and more polar bears dying either from drowning, coming ashore and being shot, or starvation. Most polar bear researchers are now predicting a 2050 extinction for Alaskan polar bears unless something changes from the better and with Palin in charge she has made clear she is not going to give up oil exploration opportunities to save the polar bears of Alaska.
4. The bears have not been listed because the Bush administration has the Dept. of Interior dragging its feet. By law, they should have reached a decision in January. They put it off, claiming they need more info when there is already a vast amount of data out there from very experienced researchers who have spent years tracking polar bears and watching them in the wild. You are picking at nits when you say they are not endangered because they are not listed as such. That would be like saying until the death certificate is signed that rotting old corpse in the corner is actually still alive.
5. Again...read #1 and #2 and tell me what you are failing to comprehend. I will be glad to take the time to explain it to you but you do not seem to want to accept simple, observed, recorded, documented facts as facts. I cannot do anymore than relay the facts as observed by researchers and Native elders.
I did read that one comment made by a native (I presume) that had listened to his elder saying that the bear in question had come over from Crow Flats. That would make it a Canadian bear. I do not know enough about Polar Bears in Canada, but I do know where Crow Flats is, and it is quite conceivable that it came across there and down the Porcupine River. Just a curious observation.
TNTmedic....in answer to your questions....
As another commenter noted polar bear liver is toxic. A person consuming would wind up suffering from, I believe, a considerable overdose of vitamin A, something their liver is very rich in. As to the meat, I also have no idea how it tastes but gather it has been eaten with no problem by the coastal Natives for ages. That comes with a caveat, however, in that like any other bear there is always the possibility of trichinosis. Too, other bears tend to take on the flavor of what they have been eating (thus, bears cleaning up the dead salmon after the run are usually pretty bad tasting from what I gather) so it could be there is a flavoring from seal. It then depends on whether or not you like seal flavor.
BTW, c'mon up to Alaska! I lived in Biloxi, Miss., for 5 years when I was a kid and there are so many things I DON'T miss from there such as chiggers, ticks, roundworms, pinworms, etc. We also have no reptiles naturally occurring in Alaska but being as I have owned many reptiles as pets I overlook that little failing. It's a vast, grand place with people who, if we are a tad bit passionate in our opinions, are thus mainly because Alaska creates a passion in a person. You either love it passionately or hate it passionately. Doesn't seem to be much in-between.
Sorry KevinAK, I didn't think you were serious.
I think 'ENDANGERED' is a matter of semantics. Would you all agree that polar bears are threatened? The species is (by population studies) on the decline, and critical habitat is being lost or at least severely modified.
I don't know that I would go so far as to say that oil development and polar bear populations are directly linked, (if that is what you were getting at). The world is changing, and everything it too.
I admit that I was wrong to assume the bear would have killed someone. I edited that comment five times... it seems I cannot get my fear of injury or death, especially to the defenseless, out of my head as easily as I would like. I try endlessly to not offend, yet in the end, I offended the bear. I'll work on becoming distant enough from the subject material to lend a cleaner opinion. I really appreciate everyone's comments. I too am Alaska Native, and it comforts me that their were little comments offending people of the village of Fort Yukon based on their race, compared to the comments disregarding such a thing. And when there were such terrible comments made, someone stood up with a meaningful defense. Thank you. I learned alot from the more educated comments, I do not know as much as the people who made them. I just had to say that. :)
BrwsrJss, What a humble and thoughtful comment. You have not offended, even the bear. It is sad that the bear was killed, but in the end, it had to be. I only wish that the few that made what I considered racist remarks would see your wise view. It sounds like you might be a younger person, and I think if you are, your comment speaks very well for your view on life and the things that happen to us all during that life. I wish you well, and again, very insightful comment. I spent those ten years at the Fort, many working with Charlie Thomas from Chalkytsik. He was an inspiration to me. I would love to sit and talk with him now about this incident. Have a great weekend!!
BrwsrJss, I implore you, do not distance yourself from what is important to you. I myself must apologize as I am afraid I did just that, distanced too much, and became a bit disingenuous bordering on rude. It is right of you to be protective of both your family and your culture, and to stand for what you believe. I believe through these discussions that I have certainly grown more understanding of your position, and in no small part to your fervent and sincere defense. We all have our own opinion and view the world through our own eyes, this is what makes it truly great. I sincerely wish you and Ft. Yukon the very best.
Anyone remember Timothy Tredwell, and his story?
Oh yeah, Timothy Tredwell, the genius, he wanted to be bear excrement, now he is. Just too bad he had to take out his girlfriend too.
That polar bear would have most likely become a nuisance. Frozen carcasses is a ready meal for meat eaters such as lost polar bears. To bad Cadzow couldn't keep the bear and hide but instead had to turn it over to F&G as they think it is their property. My suggestion to the animal skinners, propertly dispose of fur bearing animal carcasses as this would attract other animals looking for a free ready meal.
One: Global warming has occurred before in documented history. It happened when the Vikings started invading Europe due to a population explosion which was due to a boom in arctic agriculture which was due to a natural warming of the arctic regions. The Vikings didn't have cars or power plants, so those things are probably not the cause.
Two: Polar Bears are dangerous predators and WILL kill a human without giving the morality of such an act a second thought. They have done it before without being provoked. If a Polar Bear is in close proximity to humans, it should be removed or killed so it can be prevented from killing innocent people. If an armed burglar was in your home, would you not go after him with a gun and try to find him in your home to prevent him from harming you and your family? Even if you're a coward, you would call the police to do it for you unless you're insane. That is what the hunters were doing for their village. It's called protecting your family, and is not a bad thing to do.
Three: Dead things exist. Blood exists. Plants and animals become extinct. Everything that is living eventually dies. Deal with it.
Good insight dobieman. I'd like to point out that if this bear wasn't shot we would have had an extremely remote chance of losing our good friend and spelling and grammar prodigy quitdoinmeancomments. Tragic. tntmedic if it was a white person who shot the bear we would have another Rodney King. The penalty for shooting ravens is staggering enough as it is a "sacred bird". AthabascanPrincess the shooting of the bear (arguments regarding principles aside) was illegal. Whether it was your "way of life" or not it directly interfered with State laws and I sincerely hope it is dealt with.
Could it be with Polar Bears on the arctic coast, with limited food sources due to the receding ice pack, that the older and larger bears competing for food put pressure on the younger and smaller bears to starve and or wander elsewhere for other food sources?
It's my understanding that Polar Bears are very unpredictable when in close proximity and become very aggressive. Villagers on the Arctic Coast send out warnings with sirens,radio's,phones, and word of mouth of bear sightings in or near the villages, so as , for their people to keep proper distances to be safe. They have the advantage of open tundra for spotting. In the interior here we do not have that advantage, only a lot of trees and brush for concealment.
I suppose if a hiker, runner,dog musher or snow goer was out enjoying what they like doing and ended on the bottom of the food chain with this bear. Would we be having this much political sympathy
for the victim as some of you have for that bear? You know you're residing or sitting in a safe place,safe to say or make any comments you so wish.
Okay, let me clarify. I didn't mean anything racial about the "white man's influence" statement. I just meant that most natives (not just Alaska and American, but any small village that depended wholly on the land to provide for most of their needs) were not exposed to modern technology or most even diseases until their encounters with the white man.
I read a book before I moved stating specifically that the natives in rural Alaska used dog sleds as their main form of mobility until the pipeline went in. That's what I meant by snow mobiles were a white man's influence.
Personally, I believe that every single race, culture, financial bracket, etc... has people that choose to do GOOD and people that choose to do BAD. I don't feel that any one type of person is supreme over another.
I am sorry if I offended anyone. I personally call myself part Blackfoot and part Hillbilly, because those heritages were instilled in me as I grew up. I lived such a sheltered life that I din't even know that there was such a thing as bigotry until I was 14 years old and my father took us from the mountains for a weekend in a city to meet his new wife.
I wasn't stupid just uneducated about such things. I respect all people as far as they have the right to pursue their own happiness as long as it doesn't directly affect another person's pursuit of happiness. Nor should anyone purposely upset the natural balance of Earth.
We have made this discussion about Alaskan Natives, Global Warning, Racism, Poor Hunting Habits, and General Insults. How about this...
The bear is dead. Nothing's bringing it back. The Oficials in Alaska are the only ones to determine if a law has been broken. Every person has the right to voice their opinion - The Constitution says so. Thank Heaven no humans were injured - especially defenseless ones. And NOBODY has the right to jugde another's action unless they are serving on a jury.
And FINALLY: Unless you've walked in another person's shoes, with their mind and heart, and had to make their decisions... You can't say with full honesty, you would not have done the same thing!!!
To all of you saying that people should not have left trash out...have you ever been to a village or other AK bush place? It happens. We don't have trash service picking up trash--lots of stuff gets left out. And who worries about leaving carcasses laying around in the middle of winter? No one I know... Lots of people have piles of skinned frozen carcasses in their yard and chunks of fat hanging from the trees for bird food. I'll have no problem leaving a moose quarter outside in a game sack or something for over a week. In places where there are only brown and black bears they don't just wander into the yard in mid-March. They're sleeping.
And, for those who think that the bear had left never to return because it went 3 miles away forgot that it traveled over 250 miles to get there... Polar bears will stalk their prey. Sometimes humans...read some of the old explorer's stories from the turn of the century.
I think so much has been said that I don't really need to say anything else. But, I did want to laugh at the person who wondered where the bear's mother was...surprisingly no one commented on that post.
my question is...who gets to sell the pelt and pocket the money?
right on sister!!!! They should have used a trank and relocated it like others do. Why are people so quick to kill everything? Theese things are going extinct!!!!!!!!!!!! Do people understand what that means?!?!?!?! So lets kill one that wanders to where it shouldn't be, who hasnt posed ANY threat to humans at this point instead of being humain and giving the poor thing a chance. No wonder the world is in the shape it's in. I am not against hunting, i grew up with it and think it is something that needs to be done, but to kill an animal just because it isn't where it should be is a bunch of Crap!!!!!!!!! no matter how dangerous it is. People with common sence no not to go near the thing and to stay away. People know that bears command a lot of respect and not to mess with them. My heart goes out to this life that was taken all because someone was trigger happy. I am not a bear expert but I have done my research and i work with wild animals for a living and know whatanyone of them are capable of, but that doesn't mean they diserve to be killed. That community should have pulled together and done the right thing. This happens too much in the world and it needs to stop, once they're all gone there's no getting them back, they all serve a purpose and eliminating them is doing more harm than anything. This bear didn't charge anyone, it didn't try to attack anyone, it was probably looking for food, do people realize that some of theese bears have become canables because there food sources are so scarse? That they no longer have all that land to hunt and that in order for them to get across the water, it's an average of 25 miles now and most of them drownd. So in this case the whole thing is inhumain and people need to open their eyes to what's going on in the world. Their homes are melting, where are they suposed to go? Are they all just suposed to starve to death? Do they not have the right to relocate so that their species at least has somewhat of a chance to servive if any at all? The reality of it all is our world is also their world and we're all in trouble, we may not see the effects, but they do, and they need a place to live and that means traveling to places that they don't belong, but who is anyone to say where they belong, there homes are going to be melted soon. what are they suposed to do?
After reading all of the comments, it appears to me that we are the cold-blooded culprits here. Making a big thing out of something that is none of our business! AS USUAL~we need to start respecting each other and move on. Each culture has their own way of life which we as humans need to remember. In my opinion, Cadzow was only protecting the people of a threat which may have been tragic. Thank the good Lord for watching over us each and every day as we deal with the unexpected which we have NO CONTROL of, it happened so get over it and quit being so negative and try to change your train of thought. AT least try it for a day, I will remain neutral on this issue. I'd like to know more from those that live in the BIG CITY and never stepped foot in the WILD ALASKA! I feel the same way when I'm in your neck of the woods, I'm still scared to think of all the murders that occur, I think I would rather be back in Alaska! God Bless
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