SITKA, ALASKA
Most of the calls are due to the same couple of bears, sub-adult animals likely on their own for the first time.

A bear was reported last week in the Edgecumbe Drive area on Thursday. Trash cans had been emptied in that neighborhood earlier in the day, so the bear did not do much mischief except for chewing an empty fishing cooler.

ADF&G biologist Phil Mooney says he worked with police for several hours to try and drive that particular animal back into the woods on Gavan Hill, but the bear was skittish, and a pair of joggers coming off the Cross Trail caused him to turn back.

Mooney says bear have been reported from one end of town to the other recently – this after a relatively quiet summer. So far, police have received one-third of the calls that they had taken at this same time last year. Mooney believes residents may have become relaxed about keeping attractive garbage out of cans until pick-up day. He says the past weekend may have been a “wake up call” for the community.

The bears are also penetrating farther into town than usual, since the wild berry crop is poor this year, and some of the best berries are ripening in residential areas. Calls over the weekend came from First Street, Sirstad, Katlian, Lake, and Andrews streets, as well as Halibut Point Road. Mooney says a bear has also been frequenting the Fortress of the Bear area, and another sow with two cubs has been seen at Starrigavan. The Starrigavan sow reportedly swiped a dog, but did not seriously injure it.

Mooney says the younger bears are jockeying for position on the salmon streams, waiting for the fish to run. They’re also trying to stay out of the way of larger animals. A good-sized bear was seen in the Cascade Creek bowl along the Harbor Mountain trail over the weekend. Mooney thinks this bear drops into town every couple of weeks looking for easy meals in garbage cans along Darrin Drive.

Mooney is not expecting much improvement in the bears’ natural food supply until the salmon return. He urges residents to take special care with attractive garbage – keeping barbecues clean and fish scraps frozen until pick-up day is always good policy. Mainly, he does not want Sitkans lulled into complacency by the relatively quiet summer. “People tend to forget about bears,” he says, “until they see them standing in their yards.”

KCAW's Emily Bender contributed to this report.
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