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"I lost 13 chickens, one adult ewe sheep, damaged chicken coop, two damaged fences to fix,” wrote Kim Zello, who posted pictures on social media of the damage to her chicken coop from a recent bear attack

The map show just eight of the reported 11 bear attacks in the Butte and Palmer areas that have taken out over 100 chickens and one sheep, as tracked by Don Dyer.

"I lost 13 chickens, one adult ewe sheep, damaged chicken coop, two damaged fences to fix,” wrote Kim Zello, who posted pictures on social media of the damage to her chicken coop from a recent bear attack

The map show just eight of the reported 11 bear attacks in the Butte and Palmer areas that have taken out over 100 chickens and one sheep, as tracked by Don Dyer.

Over the past two weeks, residents who live in the Palmer and Butte, especially close to the Matanuska River areas, have reported attacks to chicken coops by a brown or grizzly bear.

“So far, there’ve been over 100 chickens killed,” says Palmer resident Don Dyer, who has been keeping track of the bear attacks and sightings.

He has so far tracked 11 different attacks as the bear crisscrosses the Matanuska River.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Biologist Tim Peltier says, “At this time, we do not know if it’s a brown bear or a black bear, but most likely a brown bear based on the information we have.”

He also asked for the public’s help, saying that the department has been actively looking for this animal,

“We would like to get a better description of the bear, and possibly photos if that’s possible, and we would like to have a better idea of where the bear is,” he said.

“We heard reports of the attacks, and we fortified our chicken coop doors and windows, putting up plywood to make it sturdy,” says Marissa Van Thiel, “But the next morning we heard 1 of our chickens under a window and when we checked, we saw remains strewn about.”

Van Thiel says they lost 10 chickens from the attack Sunday night.

Others have posted warnings and reports of attacks believed to be by the same bear.

“I lost 13 chickens, one adult ewe sheep, damaged chicken coop, two damaged fences to fix,” wrote Kim Zello, who also posted pictures to her social media account showing the damage left behind.

“This bear is very canny and well-practiced at this behavior. I was told I was the 8th or 9th place to be raided,” she added.

Dyer, who has lived in the area since 2009, says when he first moved, neighbors told him it had been 10 years since the last reports of a bear attack like this.

“It is kind of unusual to have a bear doing this after such a long time of no attacks around here,” he says.

He and others have been keeping watch at night, when the bear seems to attack.

Peltier agrees that bear attacks like this are rare, but also warns that bears are out and looking for food.

“At this time of the year bears are more active and are trying to put on as much weight as possible to prepare for hibernation. In spite of this, incidences like we had earlier this week are very rare,” he said.

Some things Dyer has noticed is that the bear seems to ignore goats, sheep, and pigs as the bear had the opportunity to take out some of his livestock but they remained intact.

“There was an attack nearby and we’re directly in the path of three of the attacks on the Butte side of the river. It’s an act of God that (the bear) didn’t find the farm, because we’re downwind of the river,” he said.

Dyer is even more vigilant because he owns a poultry farm and is getting ready to deliver Thanksgiving turkeys.

“We’ve had nights sleeping with windows open, waiting and expecting action,” he said.

It’s a sentiment that Van Thiel echoes.

“People are sitting on guard duty for the bear. We’re wishing that Fish and Game find the bear so we can bring our animals home,” Van Thiel said.

Though most reports suggest that the bear prefers chickens, there has been at least one reported bear attack to livestock as it seems the bear killed a sheep. Van Thiel isn’t taking chances.

“We’ve had to relocate our goats, and we don’t have any of our livestock outside right now,” she says, adding that the area immediately around her home is clear but there are woods nearby that her children play and explore. “We can’t let them go to the woods. It’s frustrating.”

Another thing Dyer and other have noticed about this particular bear is the aversion the bear has to lights.

“We’ve installed extra lights to help,” he said, noting that he has also moved his vehicles to block access to door openings and other points the bear may get to his animals.”

“From other places that have experienced this bear, the bear does not like lights, and motion lights scared her. According to my neighbor, the bear was not overly concerned about barking dogs. It was primarily their motion lights that deterred her,” said Zello.

Some reports have claimed it was a sow and cub, but Dyer and others who have tracked the bear believe the attacks are the work of just one bear.

There are both black and brown bears in the valley and normally they do not cause any issues. Bears can cover a lot of area in a small amount of time, so hopefully this bear has moved on, but given the damage it has done in such a small amount of time that might not be the case. It is always a good idea to be vigilant, and bear aware, especially as we get into fall.

According the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website, in the summer and early fall seasons, bears can often be found in low elevation river bottoms and fluvial benches for early berries, and in high elevation burns and openings for berries. In some areas they also focus on fresh waters for salmon.

Heading into the fall, brown and black bears are most commonly found on large rivers for salmon and between land and a river or stream forest areas for roots, late berries and fruits.

In the meantime, ADF&G website says that as bears seek out the same wild foods in the same places year after year, leaving out bear attractants, such as garbage, birdseed or fish waste can draw bears into neighborhoods or campsites.

“Bears like pet food, livestock feed, meat scraps and fish. Keep them in a secure place. Be sure to bring uneaten pet food inside when pets are done eating. Store livestock food out of reach of bears. Barbecues can also be powerful attractants. Storing them in a protected place and cleaning grease from grills after each meal helps to discourage bears.”

ADF&G website also suggests closing and locking all doors and windows bears could climb through, including garage doors. Also pay attention to domestic animals as they draw bears.

“I recommended that people secure their trash, and their dog food or livestock feed and not have bird feeders out. Make noise when you are outside and before you let your dogs outside to ward of any bears that may be nearby. A lot of people have used electric fences to prevent bear attacks to their livestock. Electric fences can be very effective at protecting chicken coops and other livestock providing they are of sufficient power and set up correctly,” says Peltier.

In the meantime, Dyer and others hope that Alaska Wildlife Troopers and the ADF & G will be able to catch the bear.

“It’s still six weeks until they start hibernation, and that’s a lot of time to remain vigilant. The bear has habituated to the chickens now, so I think it will ultimately have to be put down.”

Peltier reminds people that if someone shoots the bear under the DLP law, they should contact the troopers within 15 days to file a report.

If it is a brown bear, a person only needs a hunting license and a locking tag to take the animal. For black bears, just a hunting license and a harvest card is required. Hunters are required to bring in the hide and skull of the bear to the local Fish & Game office for sealing. Under the hunting regulations, a sow with cubs is not legal, so it would be important to know if this animal has cubs before you take the bear.

Please contact Fish & Game at (907) 746-6300 to report sightings or damage caused by the animal. If the bear is on your property and causing damage after hours, please contact the wildlife troopers at (907) 352-5401.

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