Bait hunters stain legacy of fair-chase hunting
The June 23 article by ADN's Beth Bragg reporting the killing over bait of two large Kenai Peninsula brown bears -- one reported to be a near-record animal near Clam Gulch -- was a sad example of how far the Alaska Board Of Game has descended into allowing such unethical hunting practices for harvesting trophy brown bears.
Imagine the skill it would have taken to hunt such magnificent brown bears by participating in fair-chase hunting without attracting them to human garbage. These participants, having killed such magnificent examples of their species over garbage at a bait station, do not deserve to call themselves hunters and the Alaska Dispatch News should be embarrassed by giving such low-skilled and unethical hunters a forum to trumpet their self-professed prowess and bait station owner Bingaman's totally ridiculous brown bear population estimates and game management opinions.
According to the article, the local fishing guide who established the bear bait station where his "friends" harvested the two bears, by his own admission, is also attracting a large numbers of brown bears that are not harvested. These bears by Bingaman's count (up to 200) are introduced to foods they will later associate with humans. Bears he and his associates choose not to kill or are not "legal" are likely to be habituated to human garbage at his bait site, and are more likely to become problem bears.
The predator-control policies of the current Game Board that allowed this travesty are a stain on the long and proud tradition of Alaska "fair-chase" big game hunting, and the reporter who wrote this article enabling this ilk of so-called hunter has an unchallenged forum that is an embarrassment to Alaska journalism. Even a junior high student reporting for a grade school newspaper might have sought an alternative source to balance Bingaman's ridiculous bear populations estimates and other self-serving remarks.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game appears to be stuck in the middle having to implement the policies of a runaway Game Board. The professional biologists at Fish and Game literally must have to hold their noses while administering such unethical hunting programs and reading newspaper articles about the results like the one featured in paper.
Currently the Boone and Crockett organization allows bears attracted by human foods or garbage, killed and scored to be registered in its record book as long as the harvest is legal in the state where it occurred. Boone and Crockett should rethink its policy of recording baited bears -- the officials at Boone and Crockett probably couldn't have imagined the Game Board and certain Alaska hunters would sink so low.
This is a stain on an organization that has record book entries documenting bears harvested by some of Alaska and North Americans most skilled and ethical hunters. A long tradition of fair-chase hunting in Alaska has been spoiled by allowing garbage hunters to document and record their shame.
-- Rick Johnson
Soldotna
Smooth out rough Title 21
I always thought the job of our Anchorage Assembly members was to see the will of the people carried out, not so with Title 21, it seems. Amy Demboski and Dick Traini are all for the out-of-state developer and not what is good for our neighborhood. They want the developers to have their way at our expense; putting 37 units on a lot zoned for 17 with half the parking and no green space, just isn't right.
Our comments are completely negated or hidden in back of reports. Why the big rush to push their agenda down our throats? Title 21 has been worked on a lot in the last few years. It needs to have the rough edges smoothed out. Giving developers carte blanche is not the answer.
Mystical truth, beauty in marriage of loving souls
Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court justices for legalizing same-sex marriage.
Tradition is never a justification for discrimination -- absolute equality is the only way to end persecution. Gays pay taxes like everyone else (except for the churches who persecute them), so they should have the same rights as everyone else. The freedom and responsibility of marriage must always be available to all. The mystical truth and beauty of the union of two people transcends the ostracism of society. The sacred is forever reviled by the profanity of conformity.
True religion, true spirituality comes not from Scripture, but from a heart of love, compassion and equality.
-- Thomas H. Morse
Anchorage
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com.