Keeping the kids off the furniture in Seward, Alaska.

Photo courtesy of Reddit.

Courtesy of Seward City News:

On Sunday afternoon, just before 3pm, an adolescent black bear walked into the Breeze Inn, located near the Boat Harbor in Seward. The bear entered the lobby through the back door, which was propped open while housekeeping and maintenance was being done on the nearby hotel rooms. The bear then walked down the long hallway, past meeting rooms and entered the main lobby of the hotel, where it wandered around, smelling the stuffed bear that is prominently displayed, according to Carly Coats, who works at the Breeze Inn’s front desk.

Verschueren stated that the bear had been “chased [into the hotel] by people trying to take photographs.” When trying to get the bear to exit the hotel, a similar obstacle made it difficult to get the bear to leave the premises. The front parking lot was full of people eager to take the bear’s photo, many of them standing on their cars. The bear is presumed to be the same one that had been wandering around the Seward Harbor earlier in the day, and had also been spotted at the nearby Chevron Station.

So clearly the bear, like any local celebrity, was simply trying to avoid the paparazzi.

Funny thing though is that this bear apparently attracted far more photographers than now show up to take pictures of a certain former half term governor.

I'm just saying.

Mother of young woman killed by bear asks for our help.

We have had an unprecedented number of bear attacks in Alaska this year, two of them fatal.

One of the fatal ones involved a young biologist named Erin K. Johnson who was killed by a black bear while collecting geological samples near the Pogo Mine at the time of the attack.

Erin's mother is a fan of IM, and she reached out to me last night asking if I would post a link to a memorial fund established in her daughter's name.

I said of course I would.

Just click here to visit the Erin K. Johnson Memorial Fund.

The money will go toward science education and youth outdoor activities, which seem like very worthy causes to me. 

I can only imagine this mother's immense grief at losing her daughter, and hope that at least with donations from kind strangers some good can be done in her child's name.

Thank you for reading this and for any support that you feel you can provide.

First bear fatality of the year in Anchorage. Let's hope it's also the last.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch: 

A 16-year-old runner in a Bird Ridge mountain race was killed by a black bear he apparently encountered while descending the trail Sunday, Alaska State Troopers and the race director said. 

A Chugach State Park ranger shot the bear in the face, but it ran away. Rangers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game were still looking for the animal Sunday night on the slopeduring overlooking Turnagain Arm southeast of Anchorage. 

The teenager, who has not been identified, was a participant in the juniors division of the Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb, said race director Brad Precosky. The close-knit Alaska mountain running community is in shock at the fatal mauling, he said. 

"This is the worst thing that could happen," he said.

I feel so bad for this young man, that is a terrible way to go.

And I feel just as bad for his parents, this must have just devastated them.

As Alaskans we learn to coexist with our ursine neighbors, but we also learn to take great precautions to keep ourselves safe if ever we encounter one.

This young man was alone and unprepared which made him especially vulnerable.

I would urge all of my fellow Alaskans to walk the trails in groups, make plenty of noise, and perhaps even carry a can of bear spray just as a little added precaution.

Fortunately my handful of bear encounters have been relatively peaceful, but I still remember the feeling of spine tingling fear that accompanied each of them.

I have taken to hiking early in the morning up around Glen Alps, and though I have not seen a bear there in over twenty years, I am still constantly on alert.

I think now for my next hikes that will shift to high alert.

In May eight people learned the hard way that Alaskan moose are dangerous.

Big nope right here.

Courtesy of ADN: 

A moose attack in an Eagle River neighborhood, which sent a woman to the hospital with serious injuries, was just one of eight run-ins with Anchorage's most visible urban animal resulting in injuries in May, officials said. 

The woman was either jogging with or walking her dogs in the Eaglewood subdivision on May 22 when she got too close to a cow moose and its two calves, said Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist Dave Battle. 

"She didn't have time. … The moose attacked her, and came back twice, which is why she was injured so badly," said Eaglewood operations manager Mark McAllister. 

Anecdotally, eight moose encounters resulting in injuries is a lot, said Fish and Game public information officer Ken Marsh. There may have been more encounters, but many go unreported, as is often the case with wildlife incidents, Marsh said.

Eight does seem a little high, though aggressive moose encounters are certainly not rare in Anchorage. 

I have lived here for 57 years, and thankfully my few run ins with our giant ungulates have been relatively minor.

I was once chased back to my car after accidentally walking through an open gate which panicked the ungodly large bull moose chewing on leaves from a tree in back yard and sent it hurtling in my direction with antlers set on "skewer."

Another close call was during my paper route days when I accidentally hit a newborn calf with a carelessly tossed rolled up newspaper while distracted by its large and intimidating mother.

Fortunately she accepted my profuse apology which was delivered in hushed tones as I slowly backed away from the yard.

There have been a few others on bike trails, hiking trips, and once even on horseback, but they were less urine inducing, and not really worth mentioning.

However in Anchorage there have been some really unfortunate encounters, some quite fatal, which should serve to remind us all that just because they appear tame and even check both ways before crossing the highway, does NOT mean they are even remotely domesticated. 

Black bear visits downtown Anchorage. Sure why not?

Believe it or not this happens with some frequency.

Not typically downtown, but all around Anchorage proper.

Quite a few years back we had an unfortunate incident where a local radio station was giving updates on a visiting bear's location.

People started showing up to get a look at the bear and things got so dicey that the cops had to shoot the bear.

Huge public outcry, and ever since then folks have shown a little more restraint.

I have to admit that I found this video over on Palin's Facebook page, which I think marks the very first time I have borrowed anything from there without mocking it or making fun of her for posting it.

Good chance it will be the last time too.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decide to step in stop Alaskans from slaughtering all of the damn animals.

Courtesy of The Register-Guard:

Alaska has long allowed authorities and hunters to kill bears and wolves on national wildlife refuges as part of what it called an “intensive predator management” program. Approved methods included shooting wolves and their pups in dens, using bait to hunt bears, killing mother bears with their cubs — and one made famous by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin: gunning down wildlife from helicopters. 

That’s now about to change. In defiance of several Alaska officials, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved regulations that ban nearly all predator hunting on national wildlife refuges that is not approved by the federal government and “based on sound science and in response to a conservation concern.” The new regs specifically prohibit hunting bear cubs as well as bear hunting using traps, snares or helicopters, among other methods. 

Alaska’s predator hunting has been a flash point in a growing battle between state and federal officials over who has authority over federal lands. Alaska officials, who criticized the ban as federal overreach, say their program increases moose and caribou populations that attract hunters and serve as a food source for rural Alaskans. But in a column for the Huffington Post on Wednesday, Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe denounced it as unethical and based on flawed science about predator-prey relationships. 

“Over the past several years, the Alaska Board of Game has unleashed a withering attack on bears and wolves that is wholly at odds with America’s long tradition of ethical, sportsmanlike, fair-chase hunting,” Ashe wrote. “We have a long history of cooperative management with the states, including Alaska, and we have deep respect and admiration for our state agency professional colleagues. But there comes a time when the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service must stand up for the authorities and principles that underpin our work and say ‘no.’”

You know we have been mismanaging our wildlife for a long time, and favoring trophy hunters over the welfare of our indigenous animals for far too long.

We have also received warning after warning from biologists and we have ignored them all.

So I certainly do not blame the feds for stepping in.

However ultimately it will only serve to create even more anger and hostility toward the federal government from some of our sovereign citizen types who unfortunately populate a whole lot of the voting precincts not contained within the Anchorage area.

In other words watch for more crazies to be sent to Juneau from places like Wasilla, Fairbanks, and Ketchikan.

You know I think the animals in Alaska are getting a little TOO comfortable with people.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

A moose calf was born in the parking lot of an Anchorage Lowe's hardware store on Tuesday, to the delight of shoppers. 

"I just seen a brand new baby moose 15 minutes old born in a Lowes parking lot!!!" one onlooker posted on Facebook, along with several photos of the cow moose and newborn.

You know first we have a mama bear blocking traffic up the street from my house with her unruly cubs, and now we have moose mothers just birthing calves right on the edge of town.

It is like a damn critter day care around here.

Traffic jam Alaska style.

Just up the street from my house.

This is why we can't have nice things in Alaska.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

A moose with an appetite for music surprised a Denali National Park and Preserve employee last week at her home in Interior Alaska. 

On May 4, Britta Schroeder was drifting off to sleep when her wind chimes began to ring. It’s windy in Healy, the Interior Alaska community just north of the park, so at first she didn’t think much of it, Schroeder said. 

But “it continued on and on,” Schroeder said. Once her dog’s ears perked up, she realized an animal must be outside her door. 

She peeked outside and saw the moose, which a co-worker told Schroeder is likely a female. Schroeder opened her door just a crack -- so that her dog wouldn’t get outside -- to take video.

You know that moose has a good ear for music. That was actually a little pleasant.

Of course she kind of broke the chimes, but what do you expect? She's a moose.

You know I don't think you can actually live in Alaska for too long without having at least one or two moose stories to share.

I have a few such as the day I was delivering newspapers and hit a baby moose while standing uncomfortably close to its mother.

Or the time that I accidentally blocked the only exit out of a fenced back yard and in response was charged by a bull moose which chased me all the way back to my car.

Or the time I put my name on the list to help a non-profit organization harvest the meat from a moose that had been struck by a car. Yeah, that was a bad night.

For the most part however the moose and the people live in some harmony, though there are certainly times of the year when you want to give them a wide berth. 

Man mauled by bear Denali highway. Well Alaskans NOW it is officially spring.

Courtesy of ADN: 

A man was flown to a hospital Friday after being mauled by a bear near the Denali Highway, the Alaska State Troopers said Sunday. 

Troopers were not releasing details such as the man's name or the severity of his injuries as of Sunday afternoon, according to troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain. 

The man and at least one companion were in an area near Mile 68 of the Denali Highway on Friday when the attack happened. The circumstances of the mauling were not clear Sunday, but DeSpain said they may have been hunting. 

I have a rule about going into the woods in the spring.

I don't.

Spring time is when these monsters emerge from hibernation cranky and hungry, and if they are females possibly with cubs.

As a rule I tend to stay out of thickly wooded areas. And if I do hike I tend to go to well used trails in open areas where there is good visibility and other hikers, often with their dogs, nearby.

Now there are some folks who argue that they are safe because they never go into the woods without a fire arm.

I have a name for these people, "future bear scat."

Often those people are extra careless because they ignorantly believe that their rifles or handguns have magical properties that will protect them.

That is wrong, and in fact if you read about bear attacks in Alaska the recurring theme is that the people fired their weapons, sometimes multiple times, and it seemed to have no effect.

If you have any doubts as to the power and ferocity of these magnificent animals take a moment to watch what I think is the most realistic bear attack I have ever seen in a movie.

President Obama on his Alaska trip, "I've got to come back here once I'm done being President."

You have not seen the last of me Alaska.

Okay so I don't want any credit for being clairvoyant or anything but I predicted yesterday that Alaska was going to get under Obama's skin, and it seems that it has done exactly that:

Right off the bat, I’ll note that I’ve got to come back here once I’m done being President. 

You just can’t see Alaska in three days. 

Well that's the understatement of the year.

Look I know that for many of the people in the lower forty eight Alaska's reputation has been forever besmirched by Sarah Palin. (Why do you think we all worked so hard to distance ourselves from her?)

But Alaska is truly a unique place, whose beauty transcends ideology or political differences.

Sure we have perhaps more than our fair share of lunatics and stupid people, but this is a VERY big state. Fd you don't want to see them, trust me you won't see them.

But if instead you want to meet the nicest, most giving people anywhere, well you really cannot avoid meeting them.

Because they are everywhere.

And the scenery?

Yeah, well you would be hard pressed top beat our scenery.

So of course President Obama is coming back. How could he not?

And just like he will not be able to forget us, we also will not be able to forget him.

Sadly for him however the portion of his trip that will be forever ingrained in our memories is the time the fish jizzed on his boots.

Because THAT was too damn funny!

President Obama interviews the great Sir David Attenborough at the White House. A very pleasant way to end our day.

 Courtesy of the BBC:

In an extraordinary meeting of minds, President Barack Obama has interviewed Sir David Attenborough at the White House. 

During the meeting, the two men discussed the future of the planet, their passion for nature and what can be done to protect it. Excerpts can be viewed below. 

The interview was recorded in May on Sir David's 89th birthday.

As you can see my headline was not backwards, the President is actually conducting this interview because as he says he has been a huge admirer of his work for a long time.

And he is certainly not alone.

I am also a huge fan of Sir. David Attenborough and his amazing body of work.

If you watch the video, which is a touch over forty eight minutes long, you can almost hear the conservative heads in the background exploding as Attenborough and the President address the impact that man made climate change has had on our planet over and over again. 

Our friend Dennis Zaki has a new, very informative page about all things Alaska.

So Dennis has been working on this rather incredible website for awhile now and late last night he decided to launch it publicly.

It is called Alaska Trekker, and it is chock full of interesting facts, amazing original photos and video of the Alaska outdoors, and even information on travel to and within the state.

Dennis did this purely out of frustration that there wasn't already a page that had all of the things that people are looking for when they are thinking of making a visit to our fair state.

Personally I am just happy that now people will get to see some of the amazing pictures that Dennis has been sharing with me for years.  The guy is really good!

Anyhow if you have a moment head on over and leave a comment. I know he will appreciate it.

Anchorage Mayor, the OTHER Dan Sullivan, vetoes ordinance to protect local moose population.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed a recently approved ban on metal palisade fences Tuesday, referring to it as “government intrusion.” 

The ban, approved by the Anchorage Assembly in a 6-5 vote last week, was essentially a moose-protection measure. South Anchorage's Jennifer Johnston proposed it at the request of constituents who were alarmed by reports and photos of moose gored on sharp pales. 

“While the ordinance is well-intentioned, the cost/benefit analysis does not warrant this level of government intrusion,” Sullivan wrote in his veto message. 

Biologists have estimated that between two and four moose a year are gored on the fences, an incidence that Sullivan referred to as “very, very low.” The fence ban was supported by Anchorage area state wildlife biologist Jessy Coltrane, who testified at the Assembly hearing last week and said the moose gorings were both traumatic and preventable. 

In his veto message, Sullivan wrote that the total financial impact to property owners outweighed the benefits of “saving a few moose.”

We talk so much about the Dan Sullivan running against Mark Begich for his Senate seat, that we often forget about another equally unlikeable Dan Sullivan who is the current Mayor of Anchorage, and who is also running with Sean Parnell as a potential Lt. Governor. 

By the way one thing that almost all Anchorage citizens agree with is that they love having wildlife in their city. It is just one of those things that makes us especially unique.

And I can tell you right now that to most of us there is virtually NO financial burden that would outweigh the benefits of "saving a few moose."

I see this yet another black mark against the Parnell/Sullivan ticket. As if they needed any more of those.

Guess who just woke up.

Picture taken yesterday morning in Denali.

Courtesy of the Fairbanks Newsminer: 

Bears that wake up hungry after a long winter’s nap aren’t as big a problem in Fairbanks as they are in other bear-infested cities like Anchorage and Juneau but state wildlife officials say it’s still a good idea for Interior residents to do some spring cleaning around their homes to dissuade any ursine intruders. 

“We haven’t had as many problems in Fairbanks as Anchorage,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game spokeswoman Cathie Harms said of Alaska’s largest city 360 miles to the south, where it’s not uncommon for bears to be shot each spring for getting into garbage, tearing down bird feeders or ravaging neighborhood chicken coops. 

“With that many bears in urban areas and bird feeders being such an attractant it’s a pretty big deal,” she said. 

The department issued a press release on Tuesday noting that Gov. Sean Parnell has declared April “Bear Awareness Month” and reminding Alaska residents to take down bird feeders, clean up garbage, and store pet and livestock foods indoors or in bear-resistant containers. The release “was written from an Anchorage perspective” but applies to the Fairbanks area, too, said Harms.

As a lifelong Alaskan living in Anchorage, I have a few hard and fast rules in the spring.

Biologist learns the hard way that even baby moose can be dangerous. Update!

If that had been a full grown moose this poor guy would be a stain on the snow right about now.

Though I have read about many fatal encounters, I have been lucky enough to only have a handful of close calls in my life and no actual stomping.

The closest I came was accidentally blocking the only exit of a back yard and being charged by a bull moose and then chased all the way back to my car.

Update: I originally was told this was Alaska, but it turns out to be in Maine. 

How wolves change rivers.

This is an incredible story of the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, after being hunted to extinction in the area, and how their return dramatically changed the landscape.

Viewing this should be made mandatory for everybody who suggests that wolf populations be controlled by man or who feel that there is no harm in over hunting.

We have done so much damage in our clumsy attempts to manage predator populations in the past, and it is in the best interests of the planet, and all of its inhabitants, for us to do a much, much better job going forward.

Wild Alaska Grizzly Bear suffers heart attack and dies while running uphill, all caught on camera.

I have to say that during my many years in Alaska I have heard some very wild bear stories, but this one may be the strangest.  And the fact that it was caught on camera simply makes this almost too bizarre to believe.

There is a lot of talking at the beginning but the action starts around the 1:17 mark.

This is in Kodiak, Alaska for those who are curious.

You know not everybody has what it takes to pursue a career in wildlife photography in Alaska.

I dedicate this post to my buddy Dennis Zaki who was once stalked by a pack of wolves all the way back to his car while out taking pictures of moose.

The legacy of Sarah Palin lingers still in the Last Frontier.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:

Less than two years after his appointment as director of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Wildlife Conservation, Corey Rossi has resigned, effective immediately. Dale Rabe, deputy director, has been appointed acting director. 

An email from Fish and Game Commissioner Cora Campbell cited “personal reasons” for Rossi’s resignation. However, he was recently charged with 12 counts of illegal bear hunting as a licensed assistant guide in 2008. 

State wildlife biologists who couldn’t wait to share the news with their peers were calling one another Thursday evening, shortly after Commissioner Campbell’s email announcing Rossi’s resignation was sent to state offices. 

Rossi was arguably the least popular director since statehood, both publicly and internally. He had been appointed to Fish and Game in December 2008 by then-Gov. Sarah Palin, a high-level position specifically created for Rossi, a proponent of “intensive management,” better known as predator control. Rossi listed Palin’s parents as references in his application for assistant commissioner.

We fought hard against this appointment when it happened but we were terribly outnumbered.

We knew what to expect from a Sarah Palin appointee on predator control and we were not disappointed:

Wildlife biologists working under Rossi have been reluctant to criticize him or his pet projects publicly because retribution was swift and harsh.

Big surprise there, right? Well now this bastard has been caught breaking the law and so that is one more Sarah Palin appointee to bite the dust.

Sadly there are so many yet to go.