Bear attacks continued throughout the weekend, despite reports of bear being shot

As of Monday, there have been 17 known incidents as it seems the bear has been seen up near Maud Road and Lazy Mountain in the Palmer area.

Late last week, word came in that the bear had attacked Polaris Hatchery, killing 21 turkeys, a devastating blow to the farm. Owner Don Dyer has been tracking and mapping the attacks throughout Butte and Palmer for several days, posting, “This bear will tear down 8-foot horse wire fences and is very stealthy. We lost 21 free-range turkeys. It could have been much worse.”

Dyer went on to write that the bear is wily, writing, “This bear is smart. We did an all-night vigil and called it off at 5:45 a.m. The bear hit after that. It took one of the dead turkeys from the previous night.”

Other reports stated that someone shot the bear three to four times with a 10 mm handgun after it had been seen coming out of chicken coop in the Butte off of Bodenburg Loop, though ADF&G cannot confirm if the bear indeed had been hit.

While many residents now believe the bear, having been shot but not reported killed, may be angry, they also remain on alert for the bear. Still others are wondering given the number of bear attacks and sightings reported so far if this was the work of one bear, or if there might be more bears.

Meanwhile, Biologist Tim Peltier of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reminds people that under the defense of life and property law a person can take the bear if it is posing a threat to themselves or their property, with the stipulation that they have not provided attractants such as feed or garbage to entice the bear. He also reminds people to properly handle the bear if they shoot it, writing, “If someone shoots the bear under the DLP law, they should contact the troopers within 15 days to file a report. They will also need to turn over the hide and skull to the department.”

Currently bear hunting for both brown and black bears is open in Unit 14A. There are requirements to remember.

“If it is a brown bear, a person only needs a hunting license and a locking tag to take the animal. For black bears, just a hunting license and a harvest card is required. Hunters are required to bring in the hide and skull of the bear to the local Fish & Game office for sealing. Under the hunting regulations, a sow with cubs is not legal, so it would be important to know if this animal has cubs before you take the bear.”

Residents along Palmer, the Butte, and now Lazy Mountain are reminded to secure their trash, and their dog food or livestock feed and not have bird feeders out.

“Make noise when you are outside and before you let your dogs outside to ward of any bears that may be nearby.”

Peltier also recommends electric fences if possible as a means of protection to their chickens and livestock.

“A lot of people have used electric fences to prevent bear attacks to their livestock. Electric fences can be very effective at protecting chicken coops and other livestock providing they are of sufficient power and set up correctly. We have a lot of information on our website about how to set up and use electric fences and can answer questions people may have on how to do that correctly, as well as how to live with bears,” he wrote.

“That bear just flattened the T-posts, went right through it,” Dyer said. “That’s a pretty substantial animal. Even the moose don’t challenge that fence.”

The Department of Fish and Game is encouraging anyone who encounters the bear during non-office hours to contact Matcom Dispatch at 907-352-5401 to report its location.