Jerry,

I cant express how strongly I suscribe to the philosiphy that those with opportunistic intentions will be our undoing, concerning the haul road. These individuals have been lead to bowhunting by the promotion of opportunity not bowhunting itself. Removal of the 1/4 mile closure clearly shows that it is the opportunity that is important, not the method itself. These individuals will not stop what they are doing and have no concern for the results of their actions what so ever. The flock shooting and long distance shooting will continue. I do know individuals that shoot for the femorial artery on purpose, and I also know an individual that has wounded and lost 2 bears withing the 4 yr period, possibly in the same season. This is the type of bowhunting that is being promoted by individuals in organiztions such as the ABA, Fairbanks Advisory Committee and Black Sheep Bowman to name groups I know first handedly fit these past descriptions.

The BOG decision to appeal the 1/4 mile rule sets these opportunistic individuals free to do as they wish. Their actions can never be taken back and will be as written in stone against the method of bowhunting itself.

An increase in the number of bowhunters in the area, will increase both the good and bad without any measures being implemented to promote responsibility or education. Without a doubt ill issues concerning the haul road will be more apperant this year and compounded within the upcoming years with the increase of local population in the interior and increase in bowhunter numbers.

I have yet to see any efforts from the organizations you have listed, to raise the bar of education what so ever, so I do not see any effort from these organizations to protect the FUTURE of bowhunting, only opportunities.

This is not only my view of things, this is the view of many who have experience of the area going back to before these problems began.

The BLM, NPS, and USFWS has been organized with rural residents of the area and subsistence boards for several years, even to the point of having an interagency facility in coldfoot that opened on May 28th 2002. The goals of these organizations is solely to control the area, and the opportunistic individuals are only giving them the tools to do so.