Mysterious Brown Bear Appearance and Southeast Bear Research

By Riley Woodford

When a brown bear appeared on Douglas Island in the spring of 2017, bear biologist Anthony Crupi was well prepared to investigate its origin. Douglas is home to black bears, but brown bears are almost unheard of. In 1974 a hunter took a brown bear on Fish Creek, the only other documentation of a brown bear on the island.

Douglas Island is adjacent to mainland Juneau in northern Southeast Alaska, barely separated at the narrowest region by a tidal wetland. Crupi lives on the island and works there in the town of Douglas at the Southeast regional office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The 2017 bear was shot in the early morning hours by a concerned homeowner in a defense of life and property (DLP) incident in the spring. Fish and Game biologists noted on the scene that the bear’s hide was particularly dark. By law, the skull and hide were turned in to Fish and Game. Tom Schumacher and Paul Converse and conducted the sealing. The skull was large, measuring 25 ¼ inches, and the bear weighed about 700 pounds.

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Bear Advisory for The Bartlett River Area

Image via Wikipedia

This notice is to inform visitors of recent bear activity along the Bartlett River upstream of the boardwalk. On September 14, a group of 4 anglers encountered a black bear who obtained one fish that was lying on the river bank. The group attempted to stand their ground by standing next to each other and stomping their feet while making loud noises, but it did not deter the bear from approaching them. One member of the group had bear spray but did not deploy it due to the wind conditions at the time. The bear managed to get one of five fish that were lying on the ground near the group's location. The bear then left the area.

Please remember to follow the posted guidelines and regulations to keep people safe and bears wild.

Anglers are reminded that new NPS regulations prohibit filletting fish on the Bartlett River and require that caught fish be within 6 feet of a person at all times to prevent bears associating people with fish carcasses. 

People fishing or hiking on the Bartlett River are recommended to travel in groups of 2-4 or more, make noise, carry bear spray, and never yield ground, fish, or gear to bears. Please report all bear encounters to the park's Visitor Information Station (907-697-2627) where you can also get the most current information regarding bear activity in Glacier Bay.