DOWNLOAD HI-RES IMAGES >>

Hunting Areas

• Hunting is closed by legislation in Katmai National Park and the McNeil State Game Sanctuary.
• Hunting is closed by regulation in McNeil State Game Refuge.
• Hunting is allowed in Katmai National Preserve.
• Hunting will be allowed this year for the first time in almost 22 years in the state-owned Kamishak Special Use Area, most of which is within the boundary of Katmai National Park.

Economic value/tourism attraction of Katmai Bears

• A study commissioned by the University of Alaska’s Institute For Social and Economic Research found that visitors to Alaska who include a brown bear viewing experience in their itinerary spend almost twice as much on their vacation as the average visitor and those persons coming to Alaska specifically to view brown bears spend more than 2.5 times as much. 
• The study also documented that one operator in Homer that takes visitors to the Katmai Preserve directly generates almost $1.5 million in visitor spending. 
• In 2004, over 10,000 people traveled from all over the world to observe and photograph Katmai and McNeil bears. 

NPCA Proposals before the Alaska Board of Game

Katmai National Preserve – hunting is allowed in Katmai National Preserve so long as the number of animals harvested doesn’t impact the Park Service’s mandate to protect Katmai’s “high concentrations of brown/grizzly bears.” NPCA feels the current harvest levels are in conflict with this Congressional mandate. 

• Proposals 38 to 42 provide the Board of Game with a variety of suggestions and ideas to shorten the season, limit the number of hunters, or close Katmai Preserve to hunting all together.

Kamishak Special Use Area – These 95,000 acres of state land inside the boundary of Katmai National Park has been closed to hunting for almost 22 years.  It is adjacent to Katmai National Park and McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, both of which are legislatively closed to brown bear hunting.  Two years ago the Board of Game voted to open the Kamishak Area to hunting beginning in 2007. 

• Proposals 43 to 48 unanimously ask that the hunting closure be reinstated.  These proposals come from NPCA, bear viewing guides, the Alaska Professional Hunters Association, and local residents.

Bear Numbers

• Bear numbers in Katmai Preserve are also going down, as reported by local bear viewing guides that have kept meticulous records over the past 13 years. In 1994, it was not uncommon to see 35 to 60 adult bears per day.  In 2006, a typical daily count was 10 or 11 adult bears, and only two large males were observed all year.
  
• Bear numbers at McNeil River Game Sanctuary are at the lowest level since the state started keeping records more than 20 years ago. 

Additional groups against opening the Kamishak Special Use Area to hunting

• The Alaska Professional Hunters Association
• Emerald Air Service

 DOWNLOAD HI-RES IMAGES >>