Tom Smith, a professor of wildlife sciences at Brigham Young University and a member of the National Rifle Association, discusses how effective guns in backcountry locations are in defending against bear attacks. What he says might surprise you. This episode also looks at the Volcanic Legacy Highway that ties Lassen Volcanic National Park and Crater Lake National Park together.
By NPT Staff - July 7th, 2019
:02 Welcome to National Parks Traveler
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
1:48 Introduction to Thomas Smith's discussion on protecting yourself from bear attacks with guns
2:36 Thomas Smith interview
14:34 National Parks Traveler promotion
14:48 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation promotion
15:14 Yankee Freedom promotion
15:49 Thomas Smith interview continues
38:54 RVShare.com promotion
39:28 Friends of Acadia promotion
39:57 North Cascades Institute promotion
40:21 Volcanic Legacy Highway
44:32 Washington's National Park Fund promotion
45:07 Yosemite Conservancy promotion
45:43 Commentary: Close The Parks
51:07 Orange Tree Productions promotion
Add comment
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 315 | Threatened Lands
Across the United States there are hundreds of millions of acres of public lands. Indeed, there are more than 500 million acres of federal lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service, just to name the three largest land managers in federal government.
March 2nd, 2025
Read More
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 314 | NPS Cast Aside
It was just over a week ago, on Valentine’s Day, that the Trump administration wiped 1,000 employees off the National Park Service staff without any apparent strategy other than that they were dispensable staff still on probation and so lacking any real protection for being fired without cause.
February 26th, 2025
Read More
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 313 | National Parks in Crisis
The Trump administration’s determination to reduce the size of government regardless of the cost is having a hard impact on the National Park Service.
Last month the agency was forced to rescind job offers to seasonal workers, saw a hold placed on millions of dollars distributed through the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act to address climate change, been told to prepare a reduction-in-force list of employees, and ordered to "hire no more than one employee for every four" let go.
February 16th, 2025
Read More
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 312 | The Ghost Forest
National parks are home to many iconic trees. Bristlecones pines, Whitebark pines, Sequoias, even mangroves. And, of course, redwoods.
These trees hold many stories. The size alone of redwoods and sequoias are enough to hold your attention. But there are backstories, as well. In the case of redwoods along the Northern California coast, the backstory can be heart-breaking. There are chapters of logging fever, of course, as well as of political machinations, and stories of loss.
February 9th, 2025
Read More
National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 311 | Keeping Cape Lookout Above Water
Rising sea levels, stronger storms, eroding shorelines, and sinking terrain are taking a toll on the fragile ecosystems and historic resources at Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey takes a close look at these threats and predicts how they will impact the national seashore over the coming years.
February 2nd, 2025
Read More
Help support us– the one source for journalism dedicated to our National Parks.
National Parks Traveler is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit.
INN Member
The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.
Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.
Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.
You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.
Comments
Great podcast, it not only addresses guns and bears but includes a lot of information on keeping yourself safe in a backcountry bear encounter. I had not been a big podcast fan but after listening to this one I have gone back and listened to several others from Nat Parks Traveler. Keep up the good work.