Alaska’s wake up call for anglers — and the bears

A cool spring and early summer are frustrating Alaskans, who have yet to enjoy a day with temps much higher than 70 degrees (unlike the triple-digit heat in Los Angeles that would instantly melt any baked Alaska).

But the bears, both brown and black, seem to be enjoying the long chill. They have been active in Anchorage and on the Russian and Kenai rivers 100 miles to the south, which opened to anglers June 11.

But don’t blame da bears, particularly in their ever-bold behavior along the rivers. State wildlife officials are blaming anglers for leaving salmon carcasses behind, in effect chumming the waters for grizzlies. The sequence usually goes like this:

1. Bears are drawn to the rivers by fishermen’s leftovers and begin developing a tolerance of people.
2. Anglers and bears meet. Angers flee, leaving stringers of fresh fish behind.
3. Bears dine on fresh sushi and make a mental note to return soon.

Wildlife biologists are issuing warnings and are threatening to start issuing tickets, which start at $125, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

They are also offering this surprising tip to humans who encounter bears: If anglers crowd together when a bear approaches, the animal is likely to back down. There are no records of grizzlies attacking groups of a half-dozen or more.

– Chris Erskine, Los Angeles Times deputy Travel editor

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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 5, 2008 at 10:00 am by Chris Erskine and is filed under Alaska. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.