Hello leesaaaaaaa

R

Here is a link to a series of videos I made (as a volunteer) for the State of Alaska to acquaint prospective visitors to McNeil with what they might expect. There is a lot more information on that website on how to apply for a permit in the lottery. Feel free to contact me with any questions. www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=mcneilriver.videos I hope to go again next year myself.

@@babyleon v

Nice vidio .. too much human noise , desenitizes the bears senses working in harmony thru the river noise ..a boar could creep the cubs. Females always edgy and paranoid too .cub injuries are not an option to nervous mama grizzies .. really nice mini version of brooks falls .

McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, Alaska.

My title here is incorrect. This clip is in the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary. No hunting or trapping of anything in the Sanctuary. Adjacent to the Sanctuary are some additional state lands - the McNeil River State Game Refuge. On those Refuge lands there is only no hunting of brown bears. But unfortunately there are enormous areas on the Alaska Peninsula (McNeil is on the Peninsula) that are open to brown bear hunting. Hundreds are killed every season, just for "sport" and the money it brings the guiding industry.

They are certainly up to making the journey and some McNeil bears have been IDd at Brooks. And bears that were once tagged in this very spot were later killed well to the west and north of McNeil. But this location is even farther from Brooks than McNeil. I think most of these bears prefer the less competitive habitat here but that is only a guess. I was filming here the past four summers during the time when salmon would be abundant at McNeil and Brooks so I don't know what else would otherwise attract them away from this area, especially when the sedge was still productive for them here. So to answer your question, maybe?

The sky-prick doesn't exist.

I believe between the people and other bears they are under great stress.

Thanks for the comment. I am absolutely sure the first big bear is a female. In my experience, generally speaking there is no difference in the size of the hump between the sexes, just small differences among individuals. These are coastal brown bears and typically bigger than interior brown bears due to the type and availability of food. This was filmed out in the open, not using any kind of blind. We were just standing there in plain sight of all the bears, if they cared to notice. They are usually more concerned with other bears and with their own activities. At McNeil there is no hunting and no food-conditioning of the bears. The number of people is limited and the people always behave the same way and in a group. The bears are "neutral-conditioned" to the presence of humans, neither fearing nor being attracted to us. Access is by permit only. The permits are very limited in number and very popular, awarded through a lottery. Maximum group size is 10 people plus guide. Permits are for specific blocks of four days duration. Accommodation is camping in a designated area, with a few amenities. It is a remote area, access only by floatplane. The visitor groups go out for at least 8 hours each day but bears also wander near and by the camp at any time. In any situation, the bears have priority and the objective is to not displace them or affect their routine behavior. In my experience, this is the closest one can safely be to brown bears in a wild setting. And there are a lot of bears. This program has been in place for 51 years with no bear-related injuries. Though the guides are armed, no shots have ever been fired, warning or otherwise. The people follow the rules and the bears are bears. If this visitor season, which begins in early June, is not compromised by coronavirus restrictions, i won a June permit and will be going again.

:)

That would be great but everyone is a narrator. That and noisy camera shutters drive me nuts but I have no control over that, unless I am alone. Not an option at McNeil.