Index of
Bear Viewing Association
Websites
 
To access a website or page, just click on its bullet: or Contents H O M E BEAR VIEWING * Bear Viewing Association * Books & videos on bear viewing and bears * How to have a superb bear viewing adventure * Bear viewing sites * What to know before you buy: bear viewing services & products (tour companies, equipment, etc.) * Vendors of services and products useful to bear viewers * Bear viewing management NATURAL HISTORY OF BEARS BEAR CONSERVATION CHALLENGES (including predator control) INNOVATIONS IN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT BEAR RESEARCH OTHER WILDLIFE WILDWATCH (wildlife viewing tours, environmental consulting, research, tutoring, book publication & video production) ************************************************************************************** WebPages Within Each Site are Indexed Below ************************************************************************************** H O M E BEAR VIEWING BEAR VIEWING ASSOCIATION Homepage for BVA: brief introduction to bear viewing; BVA’s mission statement, goals, allies and sponsors. BOOKS & VIDEOS ON BEARS AND BEAR VIEWING Bear Viewing in Alaska: Expert Tips for a Great Adventure by Stephen Stringham, PhD (2007) * An unparalleled introduction to this increasingly popular form of outdoor recreation and ecotourism When Bears Whisper, Do You Listen? Negotiating Close Encounters With Wild Bruins. by Stephen Stringham, PhD (2009) * Expert advice on how to avoid provoking any bears you meet, and how to appease or deter bears that are already provoked. Alaska Magnum Bear Safety Manual: Don’t Risk Your Life to Live Your Dreams of Fishing, Hunting, Hiking, Camping or Watching Wildlife in the Far North. by Stephen Stringham, PhD (2009) * The most comprehensive advice available on how to avoid bears while fishing, hunting, hiking, camping or watching other wildlife. Detailed guidance on deterring or killing bears that seem aggressive. Plus the “Ten Golden Rules of Bear Viewing.” Beauty Within the Beast - Kinship With Bears in the Alaska Wilderness by Stephen Stringham, PhD (2002) * Adventures of a young biologist and his bride raising three orphaned bear cubs in the wilds of Alaska while studying the behavior of the cubs and their wild kin. Evolution of Bears: Phylogeny, Adaptive Radiation and Geographic Dispersal of Ursidae by Stephen Stringham, PhD (1990; read this book online for free) HOW TO HAVE A SUPERB BEAR VIEWING ADVENTURE Bear Viewing Tour companies: Our recommendations Ten Golden Rules of Bear Viewing: Etiquette & Safety Tips for a Great Adventure: How to avoid common problems Bear Viewing Guides - A professional guide, particularly an expert on bears, can vastly increase the safety, convenience, enjoyment and educational value of your adventure. * Why have a guide – e.g., for planning your trip or for meeting bears up close and personal? * How much safer is guided viewing? * Where do a guide’s responsibilities end and yours begin? * How important is a guide’s attitude? What qualifications and certifications should your guide have? * When will an adventure guide suffice vs. when do you need a bear-expert guide? * Guide catalogue. Bear Safety - Links to essential books and websites Pitfalls of wilderness travel * Wilderness Travel: Essential preparations * Physical Challenges - Select viewing sites that match your capabilities * Driving or flying to viewing sites, flying over bears, landing near bears, etc. * What are the best and worst ways to view bears from a boat? * Challenges and hazards of hiking to and in viewing site How to Choose a Bear Viewing Site - Nine secrets to avoid picking a dud. • Safety • Vantage point • Timing • Availability of bears • Activities by the bears at that place and time (e.g., nursing, fishing, or mating) • Visibility of bears • Scenery • Government restrictions on what you can do in the vicinity of the bears (e.g., how closely you can approach them; whether you can use flash for photos, etc.) • Opportunity for other activities (before and after viewing bears, or for any members of your party who aren’t bear enthusiasts). BEAR VIEWING SITES Alphabetical listing of bear viewing sites, plus a gateway community for each site. Large scale maps of bear viewing sites & gateway communities in Alaska, Canada & Siberia. Regional maps of bear viewing sites & gateway communities. Arctic Coast Bear Viewing * ARCTIC COAST HOMEPAGE * Spitzbergen * Churchill * Beaufort Seacoast * Siberia Kamchatka Peninsula Bear Viewing * KAMCHATKA PENINSULA HOMEPAGE Interior Alaska Bear Viewing * INTERIOR & NORTHERN COASTAL ALASKA & YUKON - HOME * Fairbanks * Healy, Cantwell & Kantishna * Anchorage * Glenallen * Copper Center & Chitna * McCarthy * Whitehorse * Haines Junction & Destruction Bay Bristol Bay Bear Viewing * BRISTOL BAY HOMEPAGE Alaska Peninsula Bear Viewing * ALASKA PENINSULA HOMEPAGE * King Salmon & Katmai National Park * Egegik & Lake Becharof * Northern Katmai Coast * Central Katmai Coast * Southern Katmai Coast * Chignik * Ivanof * Cold Bay & False Pass Kodiak Island Bear Viewing * KODIAK ISLAND HOMEPAGE * Kodiak * Larsen Bay Kenai Peninsula Bear Viewing * Western Kenai Peninsula & Cook Inlet * Soldotna & Sterling * Kenai & Nikiski * Homer * Portage, Whittier & Prince Wm Sound * Seward & Moose Pass * Cooper Landing Southeast Alaska Bear Viewing * SOUTHEAST ALASKA HOMEPAGE * Yakutat * Gustavus * Juneau & Admiralty Island * Chichagof Island * Haines & Skagway * Sitka & Baranof Island * Kake & Kupreanof-Kuiu Islands * Petersburg * Wrangell * Ketchikan * Hyder & Stewart Coastal British Columbia Bear Viewing * COASTAL BRITISH COLUMBIA HOMEPAGE * Prince Rupert & Khutzeymateen * Bella Coola & Princess Royal Islnd * Northern Vancouver Island & Knight’s Inlet * Whistler & Garabaldi Park Interior Western North America Bear Viewing * WESTERN NORTH AMERICA HOMEPAGE * Sierra Mountains * Rocky Mountains on BC-ALB Border * Waterton-Glacier International Park * Yellowstone & Grand Teton NPs * Rocky Mountains NP * Riding Mtn NP Interior Eastern North America Bear Viewing * EASTERN NORTH AMERICA HOMEPAGE * Minnesota * Ontario * Adirondack Mountains * Appalachian Mountains WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY SERVICES AND PRODUCTS FOR BEAR VIEWERS Tips on Selecting a Viewing Guide Tips on Selecting a Tour Company Modes of Travel from Gateway Communities to Viewing Sites Modes of Transportation at Viewing Sites Lodging or Camping Near Viewing Sites Medical Help Photo Gear & Supplies Other Emergency Services Bear Deterrents o Pepper Spray o Electric Fences Bear Resistant Food Storage Telecommunications Protective Clothing Camping Gear & Supplies Misc. Gear & Supplies Food Gift Shop – Alaskan & Bear Memorabilia Books & Videos Legal Services VENDORS OF SERVICES (e.g., tours) & PRODUCTS USEFUL TO BEAR VIEWERS This site lists major national and regional vendors; local vendors are listed on the webpage for each viewing site BEAR VIEWING MANAGEMENT Ten Golden Rules of Bear Viewing: Etiquette and Safety Bear Safety Bear Ethograms: Can they assist in forensic analysis of bear attacks? How Dangerous are Bears Compared to Other Common Hazards? Can Aggression Data Alone Provide Valid Estimates of Bear Attack Risk? The Tim Treadwell Syndrome: Failure to Distinguish Effective Bear Safety Precautions from Superstitions Is the Public Really Endangered by Photos or Video of Close Bear Viewing? How Does Habituation of Bears to Viewers Affect Bear Attack Risk Managing Bear Viewers and the Viewer Guiding Industry Kenai Peninsula Brown Bears NATURAL HISTORY OF BEARS Website Menu and links to 2 online books: (a) Evolution of Bears. (b) Bears of North America. What is So Special About Bears: Life in the trees: Exotic Bears: Bears on other continents: BEAR CONSERVATION CHALLENGES (including predator control) Welcome: Highly Vulnerable Bears Index of websites and pages about conserving highly vulnerable bears Bear Hunting - does it really reduce risk of bear attacks? Is hunting ethical when it targets bears so trusting that they nurse cubs and sleep near people? Polar Bears and Climate Change: How long before polar bear populations crash? How long before they go extinct? Critical Habitat - How do we assess a population’s habitat needs? How can we meet those needs? How does meeting needs differ between robust vs. high-risk species or populations? Population Viability - The ultimate measure of a population’s health Befriending Bears * Befriending Bears: - Bears may learn to trust us; but do they ever see us as friends? * Steve Stringham * Lynn Rogers & Sue Mansfield Bears and Garbage * Bears at Dumps SFS 89 Feeding Bears * Introduction - Are fed bears really dead bears? * Habituation of bears to people * Food Conditioning * Colorado Woman Killed by Bear She Fed * Pennsylvania Woman Killed by Bear She Fed * Diversionary Feeding - Feeding bears during famines to reduce danger and depredations * Bear Baiting - The "legal" way of food-conditioning bears Prosecution of Charley Vandergaw * Charley Vandergaw & Bears * Charges Against Charley Prosecution of Karen Noyes * Karen Noyes & Bears Oregon woman arrested for feeding bears; neighbors claim these bears vandalized and terrified them. * State biologist forced to admit that bear depredations during famine a are statewide problem. * Feeding bears by Noyes may have reduced local depredations. Testimony Dr. Stephen Stringham, bear biologist. * Noyce convicted of "harassing" bears although underlying law to vague to be Constitutional. Testimony Dr. Stephen Stringham, bear biologist. * Conviction of Karen Noyes * Noyes conviction protested by Dr. Lynn Rogers, bear biologist. Predator Control in Alaska * Competing for Moose & Caribou Against Wolves & Bears * Predators, Prey & People * Governor Palin and Intensive Management of Wolves and Bears: Alaska’s Predator Holocaust. * Pro-Life for Wildlife - Killing babies isn't hunting, it's slaughter -- even when the babies have 4 legs and a tail. * Democracy or Democracy or Special Interest Tyranny? * Is Advocacy Trumping Objectivity In Alaska’s Predator Control? * Game Hogs - Every American owns a share of our wildlife - not just hunters * Alternative Strategy for Managing Alaskan Predators and Prey * AK Board of Wildlife Conservation - Should Replace the Board of Game (Consumption) * Impacts by Intensive “Management” (Killing) of Wolves and Bears on Wildlife Viewing and on the Viewing Industry Yellowstone Grizzlies - a “Threatened Species” * Yellowstone grizzlies - Threats to their long term viability - past and present * Smokey & Mirrors: The War Between Science & Pseudoscience in Grizzly Bear Conservation * Why Grizzlies Still Need ESA Protection- Testimony by Dr. Stephen Stringham to the USFWS * How many Yellowstone grizzlies - Is the government relying on flawed census methods. * Federal prediction of continued population growth ignores effects of post-delisting habitat degradation Kenai Peninsula Brown Bears * Bear Viewing on the Kenai Peninsula Potential Opportunities & Problems * Balancing Opportunities for Bear Viewing vs. Bear Hunting & Fishing * Brown Bear Conservation – Investment in Our Future * Making Good Brown Bear Conservation Good Business * Setting Strategic Goals for Conservation of Kenai Peninsula Brown Bears * What Level of Risk to Brown Bears is Acceptable? * Habitat Fragmentation: Is it Putting Kenai Brown Bears at Risk? * Preventive Conservation: Alaska Leads the Way in Grizzly/Brown Bear Conservation Mining Alaskan Coasts * Impacts of Mining Table of website contents * Critical Questions That Should be Asked About ANY Mining: The issue isn't "Yes or no mining" but "Who, what, where, when, how, and how much?" * Mining & Water Quality Needed by Salmon: Why current standards are inadequate. * Non-enforcement of water quality standards - WIDESPREAD FAILURE of regulatory agencies to keep mines from polluting water.

 * Biased press releases shed more heat than light on highly controversial gold and coal mines. * Pre-scoping impact assessment for Pebble Mine * Dinosaur Days & Pebble Gold Mine * Chuitna Coal Mine INNOVATIONS IN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT • Innovations in Wildlife Management / Stewardship Through Mimicking Natural Selection • Trophy Bull Management: An Alternative Strategy • Optimizing Age-Sex Ratios to improve the health and trophy quality of an ungulate (hoofstock) population • Metastrategy for conservation of high-risk wildlife populations: example grizzly bears * Bear Viewing Management BEAR SCIENCE Evolution of Bears (online book) Bears of North American: Ecology, Behavior and Conservation (online book) What Captive Bears Can Teach Us * Overview of how study of captive bears can augment field studies of wild bears and vice versa. * Combined effects of nutrition and adult males on rates of reproduction and recruitment to adulthood in grizzly bears. * Ontogeny During Hibernation * Bear Hand & Foot Prints: How do they differ between bear species? How reliable are conventional cues? * Fur Color – What it Means * Cognitive Ethology of Bears * Ursid Ethogram Project * Habituation of Rehab Bears OTHER WILDLIFE Other Wildlife Moose * Moose Menu * Mothers and Calves * The Moose That Roared Cook Inlet Beluga Whales * Status of the Whales WILDWATCH