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Reader Participation Day: Should The National Park Service Ban Solo Hikers In Grizzly Bear Territory?

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By NPT Staff - August 29th, 2012

Should solo backpackers and hikers be banned in bear country in national parks? USGS photo.

Does the National Park Service have to rethink its rules when it comes to backcountry travel in known grizzly bear habitat? That question grows in importance in the wake of last week's fatal mauling of a backpacker in Denali National Park.

Last year one hiker in Yellowstone National Park was killed by a grizzly, and another man hiking with his wife was fatally mauled in a separate incident. In the case of Denali, last week's fatal mauling was believed to be the first in the park's history. In the Yellowstone incidents, it marked the first known time that there were two fatal maulings in the same year.

National park staff routinely recommend that if you're going into bear country, you go in groups, but it's not a requirement. Should it be?

Comments

Submitted by admin on August 29, 2012 - 9:04am.

How many dangers would you attempt to eliminate? Maybe we should just get rid of all those pesky animals that might hurt one of the visitors?


Submitted by admin on August 29, 2012 - 9:13am.

VISIT PARKS CANADA BEAR AWARE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM (more advanced

than US NPS) http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/lsv-dyk.aspx

No SOLO Hikers in GRIZZ Habitat, or alternative, CLOSE Grizz Habitat to hikers.

NPS Denali Bias is for the Alaskan hunter & NRA (to please US Congress), so NPS supports

a desire to go kill a GRIZZ merely because the GRIZZ was doing what evolution mandated:

attacking/stalking a threat. All one has to do is study the Science Conflicts at Yellowstone

between fascist superintendents and The Craighead Brother Biologist Team to understand

that NPS management does not truly respect scientific research, and does not want to see

the NPS Culture change from the earlier days when all predators threatened or not were

proudly killed by park hunters/rangers. We see the same lack of respect for wolves when

the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation composed primarily of big game hunters desires to

spend funds on trapping/killing wolves. The human predator is what threatens all wildlife.


Submitted by admin on August 29, 2012 - 9:17am.

Absolutely not. As others have said, total knee-jerk reaction. "Stuff happens" and you cannot regulate the hell out of everything. The word wild is in Wildlife for a reason and people need to realize the risks (along with the many many rewards) of hiking solo (or with a group) in any area (not just the back country!)

I truly hope people "in charge" relax for a second, step back and realize that you just cannot regulate everything to death.


Submitted by admin on August 29, 2012 - 9:27am.

The first fatal mauling in Yellowstone was not a solo hiker. The man was hiking with his wife. Remember?


Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 29, 2012 - 9:34am.

Thanks for the recall, anonymous. Corrected in the story.


Submitted by admin on August 29, 2012 - 9:43am.

OMG really?? That's like telling someone with one leg that they can't go hiking either. And two people together can still be stupid. In Arizona we have a stupid motorist law. I really think we should have a stupid hiker law as well. Then maybe people would re-think what they're doing if they have to pay for their own rescue.


Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on August 29, 2012 - 10:12am.

Point of clarification, folks: The NPS is NOT considering or proposing such a ban. We only raised the question here at the Traveler to get your thoughts on the matter.


Submitted by admin on August 29, 2012 - 10:24am.

So far this year, deer mice have killed more people than grizzly bears in the national parks.


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