Discuss: Bear sightings

Posted by Anchorage Daily News

Posted: April 1, 2009 - 5:41 pm

Have you seen any bears around town? Share your stories with location and date of encounter.

- If you have photo sightings, post them to the site.

- For complete coverage of bears in Alaska, visit adn.com/bears. | 2008 sightings forum

Recent sighting photos

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Location: Rodak Trail, Eagle River, 10/18/09 My Wife and I were Hiking along the Trail when we noticed someone was watching us. The watcher was ...

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Location: Lake Clark n/p, 8-24-09 Bear standing, Looking for the fish that just went by

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Location: Eglin AFB, Florida, 08/03/09 Lived in Alaska for 18 years and saw plenty of bears. Moved down to Florida last year and didn't think I ...

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Location: Lake Clark n/p, 8-24-09

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Location: Lake Clark n/p, 8-24-09

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Location: Denali Nat'l Park, 07/17/09

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Location: Towamensing Trails Jim Thorpe, Pa, 8/10/09 The real bear is to the right of Yogi.

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Location: Kodiak, AK, 08/16/09 I was taking my brother-n-law fishing when we saw the bear (I call him Sgt. Bear) eating his catch along the Russ ...

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Location: Cooper River, Kenai Peninsula, July 2009

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Location: Bird Creek, 09/4/09 Dad and I were fishing bird creek with a brown bear.

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Location: Sterling, Alaska, August 25, 2009 3 Cubs wandering around without Mom.

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Location: Russian River, 08/15/09 Two brown bears were sighted on the Russian River.

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Location: Dayville Rd. Valdez, July 28th

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Location: Girdwood, Alaska, 08/09/09

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Location: Russian River, 08/15/09 This is the second bear of two that we saw at the river.

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More bear sighting photos

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45 September 18, 2009 - 11:23am | Hmmmm

It's a record...#13, 14 & 15

Two black bears, possible siblings? grazing in the yard on the Sept. 13th, then one again on the 14th. That makes 15 black bears we've seen this summer. It's a record. Waahoo.

44 August 31, 2009 - 10:50am | Hmmmm

#12 Another Black Bear, same area

This was the fattest black bear we've seen so far...it was in the same area as the one the week before, but definitely a different bear. Very, very well fed. 142nd & Goldenview

42 August 26, 2009 - 9:04am | Hmmmm

Back again...

Just got a call from home....the bear is back again this morning. Looks like he is eating on something by the edge of the woods. 142N & Goldenview

41 August 26, 2009 - 8:44am | Hmmmm

#10 Black Bear

Passed through the back of the yard around 10 pm - 8/25/09.

40 August 6, 2009 - 9:36am | Hmmmm

#9 Black Bear....

Came to visit 8/5/09...snooped around the green house, then left when the dogs started barking. 142nd & Goldenview area.

39 August 4, 2009 - 2:42am | debbiegrits

August 2nd...big black bear

August 2nd...big black bear broke into my shed on N. Juanita Loop in Eagle River in the early morning hours. I keep my garbage locked away behind a heavy wooden door in my barn-like storage building until trash day and he shoved into the door and it popped open, apparently. He dragged 3 bags of garbage outside the building, ripped them open and munched for a bit. Noise scared him off, but he left some greasy tracks on the entry ramp into the building. He was a hefty fellow, for sure. Have to make repairs to keep him out, and took all the bags to the landfill for the time being. I won't put garbage out in that building for quite awhile because I want to end his attraction to the place without him having to be "dispatched" by somebody's bullet. That would be a sad shame, so I'm doing all I can do. Never thought a bear would break into that building, but I guess he showed me.

August 6, 2009 - 4:59pm | VickiJo

Good Job

debbiegrits,

If everyone was as responsible as you are there wouldn't have to be any killings.

38 July 31, 2009 - 8:49am | jerrirose410

bear on Jewel Lake

We haven't actually seen the bear, but have found fresh scat 3 times in the last 1 1/2 weeks along Jewel Lake, around Sundance Apartments.

37 July 29, 2009 - 10:15am | Hmmmm

Nice looking black bear in the yard this morning...good sized. 142nd & Goldenview

August 1, 2009 - 7:35pm | chrisbecker87

bears at 142 and goldenview

Hmmmm,
Haven't seen any black bears yet this year.
Can you call me or send me a text next time they're out. Seem to be in your area quite a bit. Please contact at becker294@yahoo.com for further info if willing. Thanks.

August 26, 2009 - 8:53am | Hmmmm

just noticed your reply....

We do have a lot of bears in the area...but they just pass through. Unless you're right around the corner, I doubt you would get there in time to actually see them.

Our property is along the top of Rabbit Creek valley, on the south side...and we can only assume that their favorite trail down to the creek is somewhere close by.

36 July 16, 2009 - 11:24am | Hmmmm

Not sure about this bear...all we saw were the legs, big black legs...and by the time we got back to the window with the camera, he was gone. 142nd & Golden View

35 July 15, 2009 - 12:45am | whoopiebeans

Lower Huffman

0400 on 7/14. Decent sized black bear. Huffman and Gregory.

34 July 9, 2009 - 12:02pm | Hmmmm

And ANOTHER one....

#6 Black Bear in our yard. This one was medium sized, and looked nice & fat. Geez...three bears in four days!

33 July 8, 2009 - 10:10am | Hmmmm

Saw another black bear in the yard last night...I'm not sure if it was the same one that was there a few days ago or not, as the kids were the ones who saw that one.
The one last night was tall and lanky looking...on the skinny side for a bear of that size.

32 July 6, 2009 - 1:24pm | AKborn86

Black Bear at Ted Stevens International Airport

I just saw the Airport Police chasing a black bear over at the airport around 12:00 pm. Did any one else see it? What they do with it? I thought I heard gun shots but I don't think they would kill it in a high profile area like the airport.

31 July 6, 2009 - 11:51am | ninakpeacock

black bear on the coastal trail

Near mile 1.5 along the coastal trail on Sunday, July 5, around noon, a couple exercisers and myself saw a medium-sized black bear. He looked at us and then headed up an adjacent pathway. One runner stopped and said in 20 years he had never seen a bear on the coastal trail.

July 8, 2009 - 1:22pm | Jen05

Same bear on coastal trail?

We saw a bear on the coastal trial on Sunday morning around 9 AM by Earthquake park. Close to mile 2.0 He looked smaller than the one described as the airport bear - maybe 100 pounds. Maybe they are different? He seemed calm and when he saw us he took off into the woods.

Our neighbors had the airport bear in their backyard on Monday morning and describe him as bigger. Their house boarders the airport greenbelt.

July 7, 2009 - 2:23pm | ninakpeacock

I wonder if

I wonder if this was the same bear they killed on Monday. Sad - he didn't seem to be bothering anyone.

30 July 6, 2009 - 9:11am | Hmmmm

Very large black bear walked through the back part of our yard yesterday afternoon, 7-5-09. 142nd & Goldenview

29 July 5, 2009 - 9:35pm | ladyhawk

Mile 7 Hiland Road, South

Mile 7 Hiland Road, South River Drive, brown bear cruising the neighborhood from Hiland down to South River Drive, North River Drive & towards the river July 2, 3, 4. Going up the mountain in early AM (around 5-6)and going down to the river around 10PM at night. Haven't seen him/her today yet. Dogs in kennel were oblivious - or chose to be :-)

28 July 2, 2009 - 8:28am | Aliciarae

7/1 Sow and 2 cubs spotted

7/1 Sow and 2 cubs spotted twice roaming around the base of flattop.

27 July 2, 2009 - 6:47am | davedmorris

black bear seen 3 times

black bear seen 3 times yesterday in glencaren mobile home park july 1 2009

26 July 1, 2009 - 2:29pm | Hmmmm

Another one

Another black bear in the yard, near 142nd and Goldenview. This makes #3

25 July 1, 2009 - 8:28am | ygoldsmith

Bluebell, off Goldenview

June 28, 11:00 pm - Black bear and 3 cubs in my driveway where Bluebell turns into Spain. They wandered off towards Briarcliffe Circle in Prominence Pointe.

24 June 30, 2009 - 9:59am | mattandcaseyrandall

Bear Break In on 145th

We woke up this morning to find that a bear had pushed in the screens of the windows on the topper to our truck. He/she also left muddy bear prints on both sides of the truck and window glass. It doesn't appear that the bear took anything from the truck....guess they were just being curious or maybe got scared away by something before doing more damage.

23 June 29, 2009 - 7:20pm | mattandcaseyrandall

Healthy Black Bear 145th & Teton

6-28-09 11:00pm. While walking our colicky baby (she loves to move from 10pm-12am) around the neighborhood in her stroller, a nice healthy looking black bear crossed the road in front of us. We know there are bears, both brown and black, in the neighborhood, but we rarely see them. We do see sign often and our dogs let us know something has been through the yard. Some residents in the neighborhood put their garbage out the night before pick up the next morning and unfortunately the bears enjoy this easy food :(

21 June 23, 2009 - 10:14am | natashakorshin

Bears in Turnagain mud flats -- cool, but careful on the road!

I was driving to Seward on Saturday and traffic was almost at a standstill right before Indian. Indeed, there were two brown bears walking out on the mud flats. Dozens of people were standing on the tracks trying to get photos. It was definitely a good photo op. but people, please remember this is a highway. There were elderly folks crossing the road like it was a school zone. The Seward Highway is a dangerous road -- it's not Denali Park!

20 June 23, 2009 - 9:38am | cherry

Big Brown Bear

I was visiting from North Carolina on the way to Homer on the only highway that goes there and there was a huge brown bear on the side of the road eating grass and berries. He was beautiful!!
cherry

19 June 22, 2009 - 9:43am | akmomto3

Tidal Flats by Birdpoint

Saw a fairly large brownie right by Birdpoint on the inlet side of the seward hwy on Friday June 19th at around 9 pm. Digging for Clams as the tide was going out maybe?

16 June 17, 2009 - 11:42am | Hmmmm

Small skinny black bear on 142nd

Visitors to our house said they saw a very small, skinny bear just off the road. If it is the same one I saw a couple weeks ago, it looks to be only about a year old....looks like it's starving.

15 June 16, 2009 - 4:17pm | cartoonist

Jupiter Drive, near Elmore Rd.

A healthy looking Black Bear, seen about 5 p.m. on June 15th, standing on all fours on the neighbor's lawn. I was on my bike, headed directly at the bear when I first noticed it. It seemed calm, so I just did an easy swing away from it and hoped that I didn't trigger a pursuit instinct. I warned neighbors about the bruin as I made my way up the street. Some were notably blase, continuing chores, sunbathing...

14 June 16, 2009 - 4:49am | akcantil

Tank Trail near Pioneer Drive

Large black. Increased amounts of black bear scat along trails near Klutina Dr. trailhead to tank trail, to bridge north of S curve.

13 June 11, 2009 - 3:23pm | Hmmmm

Small one...

Saw a very small young black bear run across DeArmoun by 140th on 6/11/09, in the afternoon.

12 June 1, 2009 - 10:23pm | jogreenern

172nd & goldenview

11pm, bear in yard, 7 month old black lab alerted w/nose, both interested parties from afar.

11 May 26, 2009 - 8:52am | Hmmmm

Second Black Bear

Another black bear in the yard...Saturday, May 23. 142nd & Goldenview area.

10 May 19, 2009 - 10:47pm | yoginijt

One Block North of AK

One Block North of AK Zoo
May 4, '09 - Black bear in our back yard snooping around at dusk.

9 May 17, 2009 - 11:28pm | kajo

Campbell Creek Trail Head

Friday, May 15: While crossing the foot bridge at the Campell Creek Trailhead, I saw 2 black bear cubs and the mother bear. They were on the trail that goes to the left after crossing the bridge.

8 May 13, 2009 - 6:07pm | zieh

Chester Creek bear is back!

Wed. May 13, 2009
Large pile of bear scat in our backyard right next to Chester Creek Near E. 20th and Chester Valley Elementary School!

7 May 10, 2009 - 12:48pm | woodmanp3

off huffman end of Shelburne road

black bear around 1230 pm walking through neighborhoods towards upper hillside

6 May 10, 2009 - 2:38am | carolben

140th and DeArmoun

5/09, 11 p.m., midsize black bear at the stream at 140th and DeArmoun. Very healthy looking, nice coat.

5 May 4, 2009 - 7:19pm | jewleeia

map

Where can I find the map that was on ADN last year that showed the radio collared bear activity? Why hasn't one been updated for this year? It would be really helpful!

May 5, 2009 - 3:41pm | Hmmmm

Map

If you click on adn.com/bears above, it will take you to a page, where you can access the map. I don't know if it is current or just info from last year, though.

4 May 4, 2009 - 7:02pm | Erichiwaann

Bears inside Botanical Gardens

5/4/09 6PM. Spotted a mother black bear and a cub on main trail inside Botanical Gardens.

3 April 30, 2009 - 5:44pm | MntBiker

Campbell Airstrip

Mama blackie and two cubs last weekend. Mama sitting looking at Campbell Creek with her 2 kids playing nearby and a bunch of parents with kids watching her from the ditch. She was 50 feet away and could have easily gotten nervous. Please keep your kids in the car if you're going to watch bear!

2 April 29, 2009 - 5:43pm | Hmmmm

Black Bear 142nd & Goldenview

Usually we don't see our first bear until May...this guy was early. We haven't seen as many moose as usual though, so I'm hoping that means less bears too.

1 March 21, 2009 - 5:42pm | akbosoxma

Small black bear sighting

Rabbit Creek and Evergreen

3/21/09 mid-day