Later sunsets and muddy XTRATUFS are sure signs of the spring season.
Just as sure are the Kenai Peninsula bears making themselves known again after a sleepy winter.
“It’s pretty typical to see bears out and about right now, checking things out," said Amber Kraxberger-Linson, Stream Watch volunteer coordinator for the Chugach National Forest. "Nothing really out of the ordinary."
She said she’s hearing reports of bear activity on the central peninsula, including tracks on trails. But she hasn’t heard of any human-bear interactions yet.
"Now is a really good time to just kind of be thinking about tucking away those things that we have up during the winter time, such as bird feeders, in order to take that food attractant away from bears and not to give them a reason to hang out in your yard," she said.
There are also some things she recommends keeping in mind when recreating in the Chugach and across the Kenai Peninsula:
- Avoid surprising bears. Make noise and travel in groups.
- Consider keeping your dogs on a leash. Although not required on all trails, it’s a good idea to keep dogs close so they don’t charge ahead and bring bears back.
- Never run from bears and give them plenty of space.
- And carry your bear spray. Make sure it’s not expired and that it’s easily accessible when you’re out and about.
Bears aren’t the only wildlife to watch out for this time of year. Moose are also stressed and can get aggressive, in part due to a lack of easily available food.
“With the amount of snow that we had last winter, that’s a lot of stress on moose moving from place to place," Kraxberger-Linson said. "I know there were some reports of upset moose on various trails. So it's probably still a good idea just to give them a lot of space.”
She said if you see a moose while hiking and it's not moving away, it might be a good idea to turn around and find another trail.
The Chugach National Forest has resources for staying bear aware on its website. You can find more here.
