|
Bear aware
By Michelle Warrenchuk
Whalesong Contributor
It’s Saturday
morning, one of the rare sunny days of fall, so you decide to procrastinate
from schoolwork and go hiking on one of the many trails in Juneau.
You arrive at the trailhead for the John Muir Trail in Auke Bay.
Most of Juneau’s trails are within residential areas. Walking
down the trail you notice a small cow patty shaped pile of poop.
Hummm? The content is mixed berries, birdseed, and coils of plastic
bags. Further down the trail is a large patch of moss and skunk
cabbage that has been torn up and scattered about. Humm?? Continuing
down the trail quietly not wanting to disturb the outdoor silence
you round a sharp corner and come face to snout with a 150-pound
black bear!
Some inexperienced people may think that was a surprise
for the hiker to run into a bear, but the truth is there were signs
that a bear was in the area all along. I want to remind you all
that Alaska is bear country and the highest concentration of black
bears is right here in Southeast Alaska. So no matter where you
go, whether you are walking to class or on a trail, you must always
be “bear aware.” If you don’t feel comfortable encountering
a bear on the trail I highly recommend that you stay off the trails
or hike with someone who feels comfortable with bears. Well as comfortable
as one can feel.
Some basic guidelines for bear safety that you always
hear are: never run from a bear, never feed a bear, and never chase
or pet a bear. The last one is a bit little silly, but guess what,
I have witnessed first hand that our species will attempt to pet
wild animals. The bears in Juneau are quite habituated to people
on the trails and in our neighborhoods. So the first thing while
hiking is to always make noise. I like to Yodel, that keep all creatures
a very far distance.
Second look for signs. No not written signs, who ever
reads those! Bear signs, like the small cow patty looking poop.
That was bear poop! In Juneau most bear poop on trails near residential
areas will have birdseed, and garbage, sad but true. Deeper in the
forest, by grandma’s house, you will see black and green piles
of poop. Those are the three basic scat categories of a bear. If
the scat is hard, that means the bear was through a few days ago.
If just firm, Smoky may have been by for breakfast. If the scat
is steaming look behind you!
Another important sign to look for is where bears have
been foraging. Like the ripped up moss and sunk cabbage. When berries
are scarce and salmon are running late, bears will root around the
forest floor for grubs and roots. Turned over rocks are another
sign to watch for.
So you have taken all the precautions and you are yodeling
down the trail and you do see a bear sitting beside the trail. What
do you do? Stand your ground and never run or turn your back on
the bear. First wave your hands in the air and loudly say, “HEY
BEAR, HEY BEAR, I WANT TO GO PAST YOU BEAR!” Mr./Mrs. Bear
does not want to move, depending on the situation you can back away
and return the way you came. But if you are trying to get back to
the trailhead and this is the only way down you may want bang two
sticks together, or clap your hands. Most likely these things will
get Smoky off the trail so you can return home safely.
As I mentioned earlier you should always be “bear
aware” living in Juneau. Even at your home, whether home is
an apartment downtown or student housing. Chances are that if you
live in student housing you will have a very good chance of seeing
bears because they pass though that corridor quite often, more so
if your roommate has left the trash outside the door. Don’t
be a dummy and run face to snout with a bear, be aware that they
are out there! Alaska is bear country and they are our closest most
permanent neighbors whether we like it or not.
Back to issue contents /
Homepage
|
|
