V O L U M E 3, I S S U E

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1 Bear Tracts V O L U M E 3, I S S U E 2 Winter Solstice WINTER 20111/2012 Winter has come to the Chilkoot River Valley. The bears have headed for their winter dens to hibernate. It was a busy summer along the river. Visitors, from all over the world, once again came to view the bears fishing along the Chilkoot River. The bear highlight of the summer was the sow with four cubs. It is highly unusual for a sow to have four cubs so this family presence was a treat for those who saw the family. The other bear highlight this fall was the sighting of an adult black bear near the Chilkoot Indian Culture Camp. Two black cubs were also seen along the Lutak Road beyond the bridge. Seeing black bears near the Chilkoot River is a rare event. The Foundation presented its annual bear training to local tour guides in May. Rack cards providing guidelines for viewing and fishing around the bears were given to local RV parks and hotels. In July, the Foundation had a booth at the SE Alaska State Fair. In August, the Foundation met with State Parks to discuss management proposals that Parks plans for the Chilkoot River to address concerns about visitor and fisherman safety when the bears are along the river. I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Winter Solstice 1 A Day in the life of a Chilkoot River Bear Monitor 2 Bear Collaring Update 3 Bear Collars 3 BMJ Honor 4 State Parks installed the bear proof recycling container in the campground (article about the container was in the Spring 2011 newsletter). and moved all the the interpretation signs to Deer Rock. Once more, there was a bear monitor along the road to provide information about the bears and viewing etiquette. In 2011, the Chilkoot River weir counted 65,915 sockeye salmon, 3% above the historic average, and within the escapement goal range. The pink salmon run was more than double the historic average. 76,244 pink salmon were counted through the weir in The 18 coho salmon count at the weir was average. Sow with 4 cubs Black Bear near Chilkoot River Director s Spotlight 5 Electric Fence and Critter Gitter Grant 5 Ball Caps and Shirts for sale 6

2 Bear Tracts Winter 2011/2012, Page 2 A Day in the Life of the Chilkoot River Bear Monitor You have the most amazing job in the world. I hear that almost every day of the summer, as I patrol the Chilkoot River Corridor by bicycle, educating anglers, photographers, and bear-viewers about safe, responsible, and ethical behavior in bear country, and trying to mitigate human-bear interactions on one of Alaska s most beautiful, abundant, and popular sport-fishing rivers. We believe that the best way to preserve the gifts of the Chilkoot and to resolve issues is to work cooperatively with the diverse intersts that have a stake in the Chilkoot In some ways, that comment rings true. I spend every day outside in one of the most beautiful places I ve ever been. I get paid to do work I believe in, and I m passionate about it. I spend the majority of my time in the company of brown bears, mink, salmon, harbor seals, eagles, and mergansers. I watch people from thousands of miles away experience their first encounters with coastal brown bears, an iconic symbol of Alaskan wildness. And, after spending the last seven seasons on Alaskan salmon streams, I ve even gotten used to the pungent aroma of rotting salmon and bear scat. At the same time, however, being the Chilkoot River Bear Monitor is the most challenging job I ve ever had, and it can be heartbreaking. Everyone who visits the Chilkoot falls in love with the place. Its stunning beauty, abundant wildlife, and unparalleled sport-fishing and recreational opportunities amaze newcomers and draw people back to the river corridor year after year. Locals fill their freezers with Chilkoot sockeye and teach their children Alaskan traditions. However, we are also loving this place to death, trampling stream banks, degrading native heritage sites, and teaching bears bad habits that endanger people and compromise the bears chances for survival. For those who don t spend entire seasons observing the interactions of bears and humans, it s difficult to see the immense impact our activities have on these bears. Approaching a bear with cubs at close range to get a photograph is a calculated risk that thousands of visitors choose to take each season, despite the potential danger. But this kind of behavior impacts the animals as well. Bears often internalize their stress and ignore the stressor as a means of avoiding conflict. The elevated heart rate and release of stress hormones cost the bears valuable energy needed to survive the winter, and to produce and support cubs. With only five to six months to feed, and only three to four of those months yielding salmon runs, bears cannot afford to lose energy to foolish human behavior. To the individual photographer, this impact may seem minor, but, the Chilkoot bears endure the approaches of hundreds of photographers a day throughout the season, heavy road traffic that impedes their travel between the river and the forest, and are forced to compete with anglers for fishing opportunities. Cumulatively, this is a lot for any animal to deal with, and with dependent cubs, the impact is even greater. Anglers, too, must be mindful of their impact on the Chilkoot bears. This season, two family groups learned that it s easier to feast on angler-caught fish lying on the river banks than to catch fish on their own. Each time a bear stumbled upon somebody s catch, this behavior was reinforced, until bears were intimidating people out of their catch, and cubs were raiding coolers and rooting through tackle boxes for bait. Although salmon is a natural food for bears, this kind of behavior is as serious as allowing bears access to coolers and garbage. Help me by joining the Alaska Chilkoot Bear Foundation The Chilkoot River is an incredible resource for recreation, fishing, and wildlife-viewing. As the Chilkoot Bear Monitor, I am fortunate to spend every day on the river corridor, and to see people experience the place and its wildlife with awe for the first time. With the help of devoted stewards and responsible use, my job could become the most amazing job in the world. Shannon Donahue, Park Specialist Alaska State Parks, Haines District

3 Bear Tracks Winter 2011/2012, Page 3 Bear Collaring Update Bear #235 (Speedy), a female now going on 8 years old, wears a green ear tag in her left ear and a yellow ear tag in her right ear. She traveled alone in 2008 and 2009, and returned with 2 new cubs in The collar release mechanism failed, and it was removed when she was re-collared in September The collar is scheduled for release in the summer of She was seen along the river with her 2 yearling cubs in Bear ID #235 -Female Length: 182 cm (71.7 inches) Neck Girth: 66 cm (26 inches) Skull Size: 14.1 inches length and 7.9 inches wide Weight : ~360 lbs Yearling Cubs: Bear ID #636 -Female Weight : 65 lbs; Bear ID #637 -Male Weight: 77 lbs Bear #443 (BMJ), a female now going on 23 years old, continues to be the most dominant bear on the river. She has been a productive sow, producing 3 cubs in 4 of the last 5 litters, totaling 13 cubs in 12 years. She was collared in September 2010 and the collar was set to release in Fall The collar release mechanism did not release and the collar was removed and a new collar was put on her this fall. She was seen along the river with her 3 yearling cubs in Bear ID #443 -Female Length: 175 cm (69 inches) Neck Girth: 76 cm (30 inches) Skull Size: 13.9 inches length & 8.5 inches wide Weight : ~500 lbs Bear ID #444 -Male Weight: 51 lbs Bear Collars The bear collars, on sows 443 and 235, are made of an armored, yet flexible, plastic which secures a sealed metal housing, containing electronics, sensors and batteries needed to record each bear s location. (Photo 1) The unit includes a VHS transmitter beacon to help locate the bear. A GPS receiver is used to acquire the coordinates of the bear's position. The unit must be physically recovered to obtain the data which is stored in memory. The GPS acquires latitude and longitude positions every minutes during the summer/fall and once a day during the winter/early spring (when the bears are in their dens). The internal sensors also collect temperature and activity data at routine schedules. The collar is equipped with a release mechanism designed to make the collar drop off when the battery life of the GPS is depleted. (Photo 2) The VHF beacon operates on an independent battery and can be used to track the animal and/or collar for 2-3 years. The pulse of the VHF transmitter reports on the performance of the GPS and can be used to determine if the animal is alive, dead or if the collar has released. The GPS antenna is mounted on top of the collar to improve accuracy and success of the locations. It connects to the GPS unit through the high impact plastic housing. The material of the housing is highly resistant but is not impervious to chewing and gnawing. (Photo 3) Photo 1: The metal container inside of the yellow housing Photo 2: The programmable collar release mechanism. Photo 3: Antenna housing on top of collar Figure 1: Diagram of the GPS/VHS system used by the collars. (Telonics Diagram)

4 Bear Tracts Winter 2011/2012, Page 4 ALASKA CHILKOOT BEAR FOUNDATION RESOLUTION NO. 1 HONORING BMJ WHEREAS BMJ, a 22 year old brown bear sow, is the most dominant local brown bear, who has lived and raised 12 to 15 cubs while ranging within and just outside the Chilkoot Valley, in northern Southeast Alaska, and BMJ (Big Mama Jama) b. ca. 1989; on left forepaw broken pinky toe sticks up cubs born yearlings killed (defense of life and property) cubs not known to survive cubs : 2 female and 1 male. Raised for 2.5 years cub 2009 yearling on its own cubs WHEREAS BMJ has tolerated bear watchers, photographers, fishermen and others within the Chilkoot Corridor during the many years she was feeding and teaching her cubs the facts of bear life and society, and WHEREAS BMJ has provided invaluable information to biologists about her movements and other data from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game GPS collars placed around her neck and recovered by the Department, WHEREAS BMJ has exhibited a calm, measured, regal composure while co-existing August 2010 with other species, and THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that BMJ be honored by the Foundation with a special lifetime honorary membership, as evidenced by this Resolution No. 1 signed November 30, 2011 in Haines, Alaska. PAM RANDLES, PRESIDENT August 2010 August 2000 June June September 2010 August 2011

5 Bear Tracts Winter 2011/2012, Page 5 CHILKOOT RIVER CORRIDOR DREAMS I have dreams for Chilkoot as a member of the foundation board of directors. And also dreams fostered from over forty years of our family living adjacent to the rich, diverse and enduring Chilkoot watershed, increasingly heavily utilized by bear watchers, photographers, visitors, fishermen and hunters. Let me tell you of some of those dreams. I see an enlarged parking area for vehicles on the easterly side of the Chilkoot River bridge on the seaward side of the road carefully engineered around existing trees and protective of bear habitat and river. Located nearby are large electric carts (capable of carrying kayaks, equipment and bicycles) for corridor users of the Park road which would be closed part time as administered by the Parks Division. I see Chilkoot Cultural camp at the fabled Lkoot village site transformed from an abandoned looking place to a true cultural center administered by the Chilkoot Tlingits. I see conservation easements for critical bear, salmon and eagle habitats within corridor properties. I see an effective and strong Division of Parks administering the corridor (including the State recreation campgrounds) as the lead state agency, enforcing fair and justified regulations with adequate personnel. I see the Chilkoot Bridge platform enlarged to accommodate bear watchers and photographers. I see a bear and eagle observation platform carefully constructed at the Peace Rock site to avoid conflicts with the Tlingit cultural site, along with some parking areas. Some of these dreams, if carried out, could result in people overusing Chilkoot killing the Chilkoot fish and wildlife golden goose. The Foundation is doing what it can to see that this does not happen. What do you think? Dick Folta Grant Awarded to Purchase Electric Fences and Critter Gitters The Haines town site and surrounding areas of Mud Bay, Lutak Inlet, the Highway corridor and Mosquito Lake are the home to many people and bears. In recent years, each fall our local newspaper has been full of stories about bears getting into human s gardens, sheds, fruit trees, property, and homes. Since bears often return to the same place numerous times, a method of deterring bad bear behavior is needed. Electric fences and noise makers for loan to the public would help fill this need. The ACBF was given a grant by the Chilkat Valley Community Foundation for the purchase of two electric fence set ups and two Critter Gitter noise deterrent machines to be loaned to the public. The equipment will be housed at the Haines Fish and Game office and checked out from there with instructions on use of the equipment. The Critter Gitter uses a passive infrared sensor to detect the body heat of animals within a 40 ft. range. This battery-powered device then produces startling high-pitched sounds (note: sounds are audible to humans) coupled with flashing lights to scare animals away. The sound pattern changes randomly so animals do not get used to it. Features include high/low volume settings. This will save bears, save property, and reduce the number of bears that become habituated to human garbage and staying in residential areas. Tim McDonough

6 Bear Tracts Winter 2011/2012, Page 6 Ball Caps: $20 (Maroon, Khaki, Sage, Charcoal Gray Long Sleeve Shirts: $20 (Black, Navy Blue, Khaki) Short Sleeve Shirts: $18 (Black, Navy Blue, Khaki) Order online or send an to hats@bearfoundation.org Going into Hibernation Reminder Please RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP to the Alaska Chilkoot Bear Foundation. PO BOX 1188 Haines, Alaska phone: Pam Randles info@bearfoundation.org { MAILING LABELS HERE } Bear Tracts is published by ACBF, a volunteer run non-profit organization. We rely on your support and membership to help protect the Chilkoot River watershed for generations to come. Partnerships for Harmony in Nature