Living in Alaska’s backwoods sooner or later you are going to butt heads with a member of the local bear population, that’s a given.  Over the years we’ve had our share, some scary some down right hilarious at least after the fact. Both of these stories are true and none of the name were changed to protect the stupid.

Bears and Taxes

So what has one to do with the other? Be patient I’ll get you there. You see the first summer Jenny and I moved to our homestead we lived in a small back pack tent while all of our gear was being flown in. Our land was almost a mile from the lake the float plane was landing with our stuff. More often than not the air taxi brought loads in faster than we could haul them back to our place. Anything that attracted bears went to the homestead first; what was left on the beach was shoved under a tarp along with a portable radio playing G. Gordon Liddy shows, with the g-man on watch you would think things would be secure from intruders. As I said earlier we were living in a small tent most of the summer. From the time we arrived at our homestead several of the local black bears scoped out food tent, most nights they would check out our perimeter, and that was the extent of things. If one crossed the line a round over the head would convince him to take his business elsewhere. So when our early warning system (our dogs) alerted us to an intruder I naturally assumed it was one of the little black bears. In July its pretty light all night in our part of the country; so I carried a .38 leaving one hand free to swat ‘skeeters. I crawled out of the tent to convince the latest invader pickin’s would be better elsewhere. Have you ever stepped out of your tent in the middle of the night and be eyeball to eyeball with a seven or eight hundred pound brown bear with nothing more than a .38 in your hand; most police departments don’t even use .38’s any more. Situations like that help you to forget the million or so skeeters chewin’ on you. I asked Jenny if she would mind stepping out of the tent and bring the rifle with her while I kept our guest entertained. I don’t know if it was my John Wayne impersonations or the 7mm round over his nose but he decided he didn’t like our hospitality and went on to find other forms of entertainment while we went back to sleep. Still trying to figure the tax connection? Remember I told you some of our things were still on the beach under a tarp? And g-man was on the radio; well this bear was a democrat. The next day we went the lake to pick up a few loads only to find all of our things neatly rearranged over a ¼ mile of beachfront. The radio was nicely folded while a number of boxes had been unpacked and meticulously disorganized; one being several years worth of tax records. Luckily most were still in their zip lock bags without to many teeth marks.

Bears, brakes, and bungee cords

One of my first real Alaska adventures was to drive an John Deere 450 dozer from the lodge where it was stored for the winter and drive it to Danny Thomas’ (Danny Thomas the gold miner not Danny Thomas the actor) mining claims. The trip was about 25+ miles across tundra and swamps. The first trip out was sort of a accident, Danny usually went out by himself. This time the 450 died about 7 or 8 miles out, I was working for the lodge where Danny staged out of while he was coming and going each summer. I drew the short straw and was flown to a small lake a couple of miles from Danny with a backpack load of parts and tools. It was late in the day when we got the dozer running but Danny was anxious to get going again. Danny was also very sociable, a common trait in bush rats, so he ask me if I would like to ride out with him. Sounded good to me it didn’t make any difference that a plane would be out to pick me up or that I had just started my new job. This was an adventure I could always find another job. For the next several miles Danny entertained me with stories of his claim and its history. Seems that his claims was where the mother lode of all mother lodes was located, he just couldn’t find the exact spot, but it was there the guy who sold it to him said so. Danny told me he always spent the night at a trapper friends cabin a few miles from his mining claims, since we were running 9 or 10 hours late because of the break down I assumed we would pull over for the night then stop by their place at a reasonable hour. Not Danny 3 o’clock that morning we pulled into Lawrence’s camp where Lawrence and Mrs. Lawrence were patiently waiting with two of the biggest dogs I had ever seen. The whole time we unloaded Danny was assuring me they were harmless, the dogs were friendly to. We spent the rest of the night on the cabin floor and woke up at the crack of noon to the smell of fresh pancakes fried in bear grease, another first with many more to come over the years. After breakfast Danny and I headed down trail for the last leg of our journey. Lets fast forward a few miles here. Dannys claims were at the mouth of a small creek that ran into the Susitna River. The last mile of the trail started at an area of muskeg then wound through a heavily treed hillside. In Alaska, especially on shaded hillsides ice can hang on until well into June some years. Something else about Danny, he wasn’t big on fixin’ things until they up died. Well at the top of the hill above the claims there was a dip that was ice and this was late May. Like I said before Danny wasn’t big on fixin’ equipment, the grousers on the dozers tracks had been worn slick since the rock was a boulder. So now were a mile from camp with the dozer and a trailer full of the summers supplies sitting on ice, tacks spinning and nobody goin’ any where. An hour later we walked into camp everything else is still at the top of the hill. Danny did keep a well stocked camp I’ll give him that we had all the equipment need to get things unstuck and down to camp. We decided since Danny knew where everything was he would get things organized while I take one of the Hondas back to get some food and sleeping bags. As luck would have it the only thing that would start was an old 3-wheeler, with no brakes and no front wheel drive for climbing hills, oh well I’m off. The first ½ mile was pretty smooth going it was until I hit the steepest most twisted part of the hill before things started down hill. Did I mention Danny was big on was bungee cords, he believed the more the better. This includes bear guns bungeed to the Hondas rack he figured if it fell off the 3-wheeler what was the point of having it in the first place. Back to the story. I was just making it to the top of a steep curve while one of the local grizzlies was coming around the same curve headin’ down, another first for me. So was trying to stop a 3-wheeler without brake on a hill while reaching behind me trying to take 16 bungee’s off a 12ga on the rack behind me. It’s physically impossible to keep a 3-wheeler from rolling down hill while you undo bungee’s and not take your eyes off the grizzly above you. Luckily for me this bear was well fed and had a since of humor. After a short standoff the bear shook his head and headed back up the hill probably thinking what a bear has to put with now days.

Alls well that ends well, I didn’t get bear ate, we got the dozer back to camp,  my boss flew out to pick me up, and I kept my job for 7 more years.

Now if isn’t a bit irony wolves attack their saviors horses, it must have been one of their weak or lame ones. Notice they decided to let the wolves go so they could feed on the local elk instead of shooting them.This is unbelievable sacrifice the elk that feed people not the predator…..sheesh.
Wolf attacks Forest Service horse

Posted: Monday, June 14, 2010 7:19 am |

JACKSON, Wyo. – U.S. Forest Service officials say a wolf attack in northern Wyoming injured one of the agency’s horses, forcing workers to destroy it.

The attack occurred Thursday at the Blackrock Ranger Station on the Buffalo Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Acting District Ranger Ray Spencer says a wolf either spooked the horse and prompted it to run across a cattle guard, or was actually attacking the horse when the horse ran across it.

Federal officials decided not to try to destroy the wolf because the coming elk migration should soon draw wolves to higher elevations.

It is looking like the people of Unimak Island need to take care of Unimaks wolves themselves. If they are becoming a threat it’s time for the locals to take control, they still have 19 days left in the extended season. It is only a matter of time before there is a repeat of the jogger at Chignik who was killed by habituated wolves or Icy Bay where a child was attacked by wolves in the logging camp. Predators are just  that, predators not cutesy little puppies. When one food source is gone they will hunt out another if they can’t find a new one they starve. The people of Unimak can’t wait for the feds and state to punch it out in court, the ball is in their court.

False Pass residents worried about bold, hungry wolves

Published: June 9th, 2010 01:01 PM
Last Modified: June 10th, 2010 11:17 AM

Residents of False Pass, on the same island as the federal wildlife refuge in which the state wants to shoot wolves it says are depleting a caribou herd, say they’re unnerved by the numbers and boldness of wolves in the area, according to an Alaska Newspapers Inc. story in The Dutch Harbor Fisherman.

Read more here

or here

If he is nothing else Judge Holland is consistent, I can’t recall a single one of Judge Hollands decisions where he ruled  in favor of Alaskans than over predators. Now USFW can fiddle while Rome burns and the wolves of  Unimak feast on new born caribou calves.  The Unimak herd is crashing USFW doesn’t seem to give a damn about  people of Unimak.  The Unimak herd is the only island herd in Alaska and the people of Unimak’s only source of red meat. When will the desk jockeys get it through their heads, ungulates feed people not wolves. The Alaska Board of Game did extend the wolf hunting and trapping seasons so for now at least the locals can do what needs done.

Judge blocks state’s wolf kill on Unimak

UNIMAK ISLAND: Federal agency bound by environment regulations.By MARY PEMBERTONThe Associated PressPublished: June 7th, 2010 11:17 PMLast Modified: June 7th, 2010 11:18 PM

A federal judge on Monday denied the state’s request for a preliminary injunction that would let it kill wolves, a step it said was needed to protect a caribou herd on an Aleutian island that is a subsistence food source for Alaskans there.

U.S. District Judge H. Russel Holland said that while sympathetic to the state’s argument, he had to abide by law when ruling against the state’s request to immediately conduct predator control in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge on Unimak Island. “Somebody’s governmental pride will be bruised here and there is no avoiding that,” Holland said, before ruling in favor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”It is the federal agency’s prerogative to decide what they have decided.”

Read more here….

I you have an extra 50 buck’s burning a hole in your pocket you could put it to a good cause. USSA is raffling off a gun a week starting this month and going through May 2011. They are only issuing 1000 tickets so you better hurry if you want a shot at one of the prizes. I’m not a big on national organizations I favor those closer to home. I go more for the grassroots organizations with local control and people involved however this is one I do support USSA puts a lot into big game hunting and our hunting heritage. So if you have it spend this is going to a good cause.

2010-11 52-Gun Raffle

Sportsmen can now purchase tickets for a weekly drawing that could put brand new firearms or bows in their hands while protecting their hunting rights. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation’s 52-Gun Raffle sponsored by Vance’s Shooters Supplies and Buckeye Outdoors.  Click here to see their current ad.

Only 1,000 3-digit tickets (numbered 000-999) will be sold for $50 each. Winning numbers will be determined by the Ohio Lottery’s Pick 3 drawing on Monday nights. Ticket holders can win more than once.

The raffle will begin June 7, 2010.  To purchase tickets, click here to visit our online store or contact the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation at (614) 888-4868. Out of state participants may purchase tickets via the USSA online store only.

Learn more here

This one hit home with me I didn’t know the guide but I have been there, Wrangell Police  haven’t let out many details yet. Although on another forum someone who said they knew the guide heard that they had just taken a brown bear. If this is what happened I can picture the scene. The hunter just had a dream come true, the guide helped him achieve it they are both happier than a couple of kid in a candy store. The next moment one man is dead anothers lifetime dream has turned to a lifetime nightmare. When I read this when it came my heart went out to both of these men and their families.

After you finish the main article scroll through the reader comments, these are very telling. The liberal mindset really come out and their true agenda is brought to daylight. Nobody knows all the details yet neither of these men deserve some of the anti-hunting hatred some of these commenters are spewing out.

Anchorage Daily News / adn.com

Published: June 1st, 2010 05:29 PM
Last Modified: June 1st, 2010 05:29 PM

A hunting guide from Wasilla was shot and killed late Sunday during a guided brown bear hunt near Wrangell, Alaska State Troopers said in a press release Monday night. The shooting appeared to be an accident; troopers say they have no indication of foul play.

Read more…Anchorage Daily News

Alaska is probably one of the few places where you can view wildlife from your front porch. In the winter moose are a common sight in downtown Anchorage.  Summer bring in the bears, bear’s are so common place in Anchorage the cities web site has a special map for bear activity.   All  human/bear encounters have the potential to go bad as in this Anchorage Daily News article. In this case it was the bear that got the short end but things could have turned the other way had it not been for the ladies dog and her quick thinking husband.

Anchorage Daily News photo

Dog intervenes in grizzly attack, but bear is eventually shot
EAGLE RIVER: Woman hid behind a truck; bruin returns after husband fires warning.
By LISA DEMER
ldemer@adn.com
Published: June 1st, 2010 06:58 AM
Last Modified: June 1st, 2010 06:58 AM

A longtime Alaskan says his dog probably saved his wife’s life after a young grizzly bear charged her Sunday night by their home in the Eagle River canyon, near the nature center.

Michael Weiman, 64, scared the bear off with warning shots, then, when it returned, he shot and killed the bear, Anchorage police said.

Weiman said his wife, Marianne Hamilton, was walking their 10-year-old boxer, Mojabe, on an abandoned airstrip that’s part of their property on Bear Ridge Circle. It’s an area of big lots where homeowners are used to seeing a lot of wildlife, including moose and grizzly bears, he said. They had seen a bigger grizzly earlier in the day on Sunday.

That evening, they were enjoying the sunshine. Around 9 p.m., Hamilton went to walk the dog.

“The dog stopped and wheeled around. Marianne turns around, and here comes a bear,” Weiman said.

It was on the airstrip, in the open. Its ears were back, and it was coming at her, he said. “She kept remarking about the eyes, the eyes. The eyes were big and coming,” Weiman said.

He heard her screaming, grabbed his .44 pistol, ran outside and saw the boxer “intervene and cut the bear off.” Hamilton ran behind a pickup truck. The dog chased the bear across the road.

The bear turned toward the dog, and Weiman fired three shots into the ground next to the bear, each one closer, as he tells the story.

“Over the hill it went,” he said. But as soon as they all got inside, the bear was back.

“The words I said were ‘Hell no,’ and I grabbed my .30-30,” Weiman said.

He fired. “Very swiftly it was done and I’m not sorry,” he said.

He said he’s lived in Alaska 41 years, been a hunter all his life, but never hunted bears. He said he’s a nature lover. That bear, though, was acting dangerously. The grizzly was young and smallish, maybe 150 pounds, but its claws were 3-inches long and razor sharp.

He called 911 and Anchorage police officers came to his home and told him what he needed to do. He skinned the bear and will turn the hide in to the state Department of Fish and Game, which auctions the hides of bears killed in defense of life or property.

Residents of the area are used to seeing bears, most of which never cause a problem. Most people carry a gun or pepper spray when they are out walking in the spring and summer, Weiman said. But on Sunday, winds would have whipped spray into the user’s eyes and the bear could have attacked, he said.

“People get so complacent and they think the bear is a little teddy bear. They aren’t.”

Find Lisa Demer online at adn.com/contact/ldemer or call 257-4390.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/05/31/1301997/dog-intervenes-in-grizzly-attack.html#ixzz0pcAy2ZIn

Hey guys let not forget why we are celebrating this weekend.

I’m taking a day off all the doom & gloom political garbage today. This is for all of us who think we’re to old to do some of things we’ve dreamed about. Yesterday out only neighbor Bud turned 86 he still puts up a thousand square foot garden and gets insulted if I offer to help with his firewood. Bud served with the Alaska Scouts during WWII the scouts were an elite group that fought the Japaneses on Attu  & Kiska Islands. Anyone who knows Bud would understand why he lives the way he does, Bud was raised with the “just do it” attitude. His family moved to Alaska at the height o the Great Depression like most others they didn’t have much money so instead of going to the government with their hand out they came up with a plan. They moved from Illinois to the Seattle are where they worked for a couple of years doing what ever they could to make a living saving every dollar they could. In his spare time his dad went to the local library and got books on boat building and  shaping wood. during that two years Bud and his dad built a boat took the motor from their,  put it in the boat, then carved a prop to power the boat. With the boat finished they loaded family something like six kids from toddle hood to 14yo. They landed in Petersburg, Alaska a few weeks later. When he retired at 65 Bud and his wife filed on the land where he lives now. He cleared all his land for his garden and house at an age most of us are kicking back taking life at a slower pace. His wife passed away a few years ago and he slowed down some but if he doesn’t get in an eight day he thinks he’s getting lazy. Bud told me once “when I get to old to put in a garden an get my own firewood call my boys to come and get I’m to old to be out here”. From the way thing look now it may be a few more years before I have to maake that call.

The ice went out from the lake we use for the local airport so several families with vacation cabin will be out over the weekend to help Bud celebrate life.

http://www.adn.com/2007/12/14/v-gallery2/110641/bear-sightings.html