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“I lost 13 chickens, an adult sheep, a damaged chicken coop, two damaged fences that need to be repaired,” wrote Kim Zello, who posted on social media that her coop had been damaged in a recent bear attack.
The map shows only 8 of the 11 bear attacks reported in the Butte and Palmer areas, which killed over 100 chickens and 1 sheep, as Don Dyer traced them.
“I lost 13 chickens, an adult sheep, a damaged chicken coop, two damaged fences that need to be repaired,” wrote Kim Zello, who posted on social media that her coop had been damaged in a recent bear attack.
The map shows only 8 of the 11 bear attacks reported in the Butte and Palmer areas, which killed over 100 chickens and 1 sheep, as Don Dyer traced them.
Over the past two weeks, residents of Palmer and Butte, especially near the Matanuska River, have reported attacks by brown bears or grizzlies on chicken coops.
“To date, more than 100 chickens have been killed,” said Palmer resident Don Dyer, who tracks bear attacks and sightings.
“Right now, we don’t know if it’s a brown bear or a black bear, but based on the information we have, it’s probably a brown bear,” said ADF&G biologist Tim Peltier.
He also reached out to the public for help, saying the department is actively looking for the animal.
“We would like to get a better description of the bear, perhaps a photograph if possible, and we would like to have a better idea of ​​where the bear is,” he said.
“We heard reports of an attack and we reinforced the doors and windows of the chicken coop and installed plywood to make it stronger,” said Marisa Van Til, “but the next morning we heard a chicken under the window and when we looked around we saw remains everywhere” .
“I lost 13 chickens, an adult sheep, a damaged chicken coop, two damaged fences that need repair,” wrote Kim Zello, who also posted photos on her social media accounts showing what was left of the damage.
“The bear is very smart and well trained in this behavior. I was told that I was the eighth or ninth place to be raided,” she added.
Dyer, who has lived in the area since 2009, said when he first moved in, neighbors told him it had been 10 years since the last bear attack was reported.
“It’s a bit unusual that a bear hasn’t attacked for so long,” he said.
Peltier agrees that bear attacks like this are rare, but also warns the bears to go in search of food.
“At this time of the year, bears are more active and trying to put on as much weight as possible in preparation for hibernation. However, events like what happened to us earlier this week are very rare,” he said.
One of the things Dyer noticed was that the bear seemed to ignore the goats, sheep, and pigs because the bear had the opportunity to take some of his livestock, but they were still intact.
“There was an attack nearby and we were on the path of three attacks on the banks of the River Butte. It was an act of God that (the bears) didn’t find the farm because we were on the lee side of the river,” he said.
Dyer is even more vigilant because he owns a poultry farm and is ready to deliver Thanksgiving turkeys.
“People guard the bear. We hope Fish and Game can find the bear so we can bring our animals home,” Van Til said.
Although most reports indicate that bears prefer chickens, there have been at least one report of bear attacks on livestock because the bear appeared to have killed a sheep. Van Til won’t take risks.
“We had to relocate our goats and now we have no livestock outside,” she said, adding that the area around her house is clean but there is a forest nearby where her children play and explore. “We can’t let them go to the forest. It’s frustrating.”
Another thing that Dale and others noticed about this particular bear is the bear’s aversion to light.
“We have installed extra lights to help,” he said, noting that he also moved his car to block access to doorways and other areas where bears could approach his animals.
“Met this bear elsewhere, the bear didn’t like the light, and the moving lights terrified her. According to my neighbors, the bear didn’t worry too much because of the dog’s barking. Mostly it was stopped by their moving lights,” Zelow Say.
Some reports claimed it was a sow and a calf, but Dale and others who tracked the bear believe the attack was the work of a single bear.
There are black and brown bears in the valley, and they usually do not cause problems. Bears can cover many areas in a short amount of time, so hopefully this bear is gone, but given the damage it has done in such a short amount of time, that might not be the case. It’s always good to stay alert and stay alert, especially if we’re falling.
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife website, early ripening berries can often be found on low riverbeds and river ledges, and can also be picked in high mountain burns and pits during the summer and early fall. In some areas they also focus on freshwater salmon fishing.
In autumn, brown and black bears are most often found in large rivers in search of salmon, as well as between land and river or stream forests in search of roots, late berries and fruits.
Meanwhile, the ADF&G website states that because bears hunt the same wild food in the same places year after year, bear attractants such as bedding, bird food, or fish droppings may be attracted to communities or campsites, unless bear attractants such as bedding, bird food or fish droppings are considered.
“Bears love pet food, livestock feed, meat scraps, and fish. Store them in a safe place. When pets have eaten, be sure to bring pet food that they haven’t eaten. Keep livestock food out of the reach of bears “Grills can also be powerful attractants. Keeping them protected and degreasing the grill after each meal will help deter bears.”
ADF&G website also suggests closing and locking all doors and windows bears could climb through, including garage doors. The ADF&G website also suggests closing and locking all doors and windows bears could climb through, including garage doors. Веб-сайт ADF&G также предлагает закрыть и запереть все двери и окна, через которые могут пролезть медведи, включая двери гаража. The ADF&G website also suggests closing and locking all doors and windows that bears can climb through, including garage doors. ADF&G 网站还建议关闭并锁定所有熊可以爬过的门窗，包括车库门。 ADF&G Веб-сайт ADF&G также рекомендует закрыть и запереть все окна и двери, через которые могут пролезть медведи, включая гаражные ворота. The ADF&G website also recommends closing and locking all windows and doors that bears can climb through, including garage doors. Also keep an eye on pets as they will attract bears.
“I advise people to save bedding, dog food or livestock feed and don’t leave bird feeders outside. Make noise when you’re outside and before you let your dog out to keep bears out of the area. Many people use electric fences to keep bears from attacking them.Electric fences can be very effective at protecting chicken coops and other livestock if they are strong enough and properly installed,” Peltier said.
Meanwhile, Dale and the others hope that the Alaska Wildlife Force and the ADF&G will capture the bear.
“They are still six weeks away from hibernation and it will take a long time to be vigilant. Now the bear is getting used to the chickens, so I think that eventually it will have to be euthanized.”
Peltier reminded people that if someone shoots a bear under the DLP law, they must go to the police and file a complaint within 15 days.
In the case of brown bears, a person only needs a hunting license and a token to take the animal. For black bears, only a hunting license and a hunting card are required. Hunters are required to bring in the hide and skull of the bear to the local Fish & Game office for sealing. Hunters are required to bring in the hide and skull of the bear to the local Fish & Game office for sealing. Охотники должны принести шкуру и череп медведя в местный офис Fish & Game для запечатывания. Hunters must bring the bear skin and skull to the local Fish & Game office for sealing. Hunters must take the bear’s skin and skull to the local fishing and hunting department for sealing. According to the rules of the hunt, a sow is not allowed to bear cubs, so it is important to know if an animal has cubs before taking a bear.
Please contact Fish & Game at (907) 746-6300 to report sightings or damage caused by the animal. Please contact Fish & Game at (907) 746-6300 to report sightings or damage caused by the animal. Пожалуйста, свяжитесь с Fish & Game по телефону (907) 746-6300, чтобы сообщить о наблюдениях или ущербе, нанесенном животным. Please contact Fish & Game at (907) 746-6300 to report sightings or animal damage.请致电(907) 746-6300 联系Fish & Game，报告目击事件或动物造成的损害。请致电(907) 746-6300 联系Fish & Game，报告目击事件或动物造成的损害。 Пожалуйста, свяжитесь с Fish & Game по телефону (907) 746-6300, чтобы сообщить о наблюдениях или повреждениях, причиненных животными. Please contact Fish & Game at (907) 746-6300 to report sightings or damage caused by animals. If a bear is on your property causing damage after business hours, contact the Wildlife Police at (907) 352-5401.
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