ADF&G biologist Phil Mooney, with a sow and cub, in a 2010 file photo. (Photo: ADF&G)

The bears are awake.

Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game biologist Phil Mooney says some joggers spotted a brown bear at about 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Benchlands between Kramer Avenue and Harbor Mountain Road. Mooney also says trash cans were knocked over along Sawmill Creek Road.

He urges residents not to leave bear attractants in their yards.

“Bird feeders, pet food that might be outside, barbecue grills, garbage that might have been buried by the snow,” Mooney said. “Just pick things up and make sure the bears aren’t around to spend a whole lot of time in your yard.”

Other steps include not taking out your trash until trash day, especially if it contains food waste or other smelly items a bear might find interesting.

Mooney said the bears are right on schedule. In recent years, sightings in Sitka have seemed more numerous, and local officials have fielded several calls about sightings, trash cans knocked over, or dead chickens.

Mooney says brown bears, especially sows with cubs, can be defensive, especially when surprised. If you do encounter a brown bear, there are important safety tips to keep in mind:

  • Gather up your group.
  • Do not run.
  • Keep the bear in view and talk to it.
  • Don’t stare. It can be interpreted as a sign of aggression.
  • Wave your arms to make yourself look bigger.
  • Move slowly out of the area.
  • Read the directions on your bear spray now, so you don’t have to then.
  • Keep pets on leash. Dogs have a tendency to run toward bears, and then the bear will chase the dog back to you.

And if the bear charges, and contact appears unavoidable, play dead.

“You want to get down on the ground, lay on your stomach, and cover up the back of your neck with your hands if you can,” Mooney said. “Leave your backpack on. Roll up in a ball and be as quiet as you can.”

Bear sightings can be reported to ADF&G at 747-5449, or to the Sitka police, at 747-3245.

Nearly 800 people also belong to a Facebook group that tracks bears in Sitka. You can find that here.