A Kenai Brown Bear (photo by Daniel Ogden)The Anchorage Daily News features a report this morning about a harrowing brown bear encounter in Soldotna - a town about 150 (road) miles south of the big city. Evidently local fishing guide, Greg Brush, was charged by an old, starving bear without any warning. Brush, alone but for his two dogs, was able to grab his handgun and fire a few rounds, killing the charging 900 pounder with a "lucky" shot . The bear collapsed and slid past Brush on its chin. The article goes on to mention that the number of bear-human interactions on the Kenai Peninsula is increasing. And compares the Kenai bruins to their Kodiak cousins who, as I have witnessed first hand, are much less interested in human encounters. While the debate over the best management practices for the omnivorous beasts will certainly continue, the conversations that I have had with Alaskans living rural communities is mixed. Some say that the bears are a nuisance and should be removed, while others recognize that they are part of Alaska's unique landscape and thus people should adapt their habits. Me, I'm not concerned at all about crossing a bear - Rebel is quite the bear dog (yeah right).
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