Time for a change with Algonquins Park Rangers

Posted by WILDCATWICK on 12/3/2002, 5:29 pm

After reading the previous posts about bear stories I have decided to let my voice be heard!

I believe the Park Rangers need to do a better job of informing overnight campers. I respect and look up to Park Rangers. I can't tell you how many days while sitting in front of the computer I wish I had their job. I don't want to bog down the Registraition process more then necessary. But I believe that handing out a yellow bag for packing out your garbage and telling you to hang your food is short of informing overnighters properly. What do you do if you encounter a bear? What if the bear charges? I still hear too many fairly experienced overnighters, backpackers & trippers say that you should run or play dead if attacked. You should attack back if you are being attacked!

When uniformed campers have encounters, we all lose. They either do the wrong things, the bear becomes in jeopardy, general public can get a negative connotation about the park and it's staff. NO ONE WINS!!!

I would suggest that from here on out they first inform campers that a bear attack is less likly than getting struck by lightning (the goal is to inform them but not to scare them). They need to educate campers of the two types of bears and what to do when an encounter and/or atttack occurs. At the end make them sign all proper forms, hand them their yellow bag and remind them their odds are they will be struck by lightning before they will be attacked by a bear.

Wow! Now that I think of it there is not one mention about storms! I also think they should mention that during storms stay off the water! How many times have you seen someone trying to paddle during a storm? They should also make quick note to stay on low ground, to avoid isolated trees and to look up for dead branches and dead trees nearby for consideration of campsite.

I beleive the Park Rangers are there to Protect and Preserve the wildlife and nature of Algonquin. They take humans into consideration so much as to monitor how many people enter the interior in a season and at any given point. They need to also protect and preserve us as part of that enviroment by giving people better information. They can't control ignorant people but they can minimize their damage by informing.

These changes would obviously be an executive descision on how to process and register campers & interior trippers but they need to be done.

Please let me know what your opinions are on this matter. Should they use an instructional form and make all members of the party read and sign it before they get their pass? Thanks in advance for all comments.

One foot forward starts your journey!