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not on a cruise this time but have a bear question


lucy2mb
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Denali isn't even accessible unless you are going to walk in, or snowshoe?

 

There is no answer to your question as wildlife is NOT going to be predictable. I'm actually more concerned about moose, myself. They need to KNOW what to do, frankly.

 

Most bears should be hibernating however.

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I'm actually more concerned about moose, myself..

Lived in Alaska 36 years and I'm way more concerned about moose than a bear. Every bear I've ever encountered has acted reasonably. Every moose I've ever encountered acted like a crazed meth addict looking for his next hit.

So no matter what season, they need to be very aware of their surroundings and take all the proper precautions such as making noise as you go.

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Thank you so much for the information. I had never even thought of a Moose being a problem. Two of our children are going next week and I want them to be safe. Are there a lot of Moose around Fairbanks and the North Pole area? They were wanting to hike in Denali and were planning to drive there from Fairbanks. I would be very happy to tell them if that is out of the question next week.

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Denali isn't even accessible unless you are going to walk in, or snowshoe?

 

There is no answer to your question as wildlife is NOT going to be predictable. I'm actually more concerned about moose, myself. They need to KNOW what to do, frankly.

 

Most bears should be hibernating however.

My son said that there is a trail near the Denali winter welcome center and it is mile hike up a mountain to the good views. I prefer they not go and stay within a more populated area. Is there any place that would be safer that has good views around Fairbanks area or anywhere within and hour or 2 from there?

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if they're old enough to drive, they're old enough to understand 'be bear aware' !

You don't want to startle a bear or moose, so the easiest thing to do is talk loudly as you walk. The wildlife don't want to meet you anymore than you want to meet them.

According to the Denali web site, the park road is only open to Mile 3, so any hiking will be around the park entrance.

The site also has lots of info about safety https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/safety.htm#CP_JUMP_939665

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if they're old enough to drive, they're old enough to understand 'be bear aware' !

You don't want to startle a bear or moose, so the easiest thing to do is talk loudly as you walk. The wildlife don't want to meet you anymore than you want to meet them.

According to the Denali web site, the park road is only open to Mile 3, so any hiking will be around the park entrance.

The site also has lots of info about safety https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/safety.htm#CP_JUMP_939665

Thank you so much for the info about safety. They are 31 and 28. They were only talking about bear until I heard from you all. Our family loved our first trip to Alaska on a cruise this past early May. They are excited about going again but the thought of Moose is scary to me. I will pass the info on to them. Thanks again to you all!

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Most bears haven't hibernated yet. Just getting our first snow in many parts of Alaska and they usually don't turn in until after a good snow blanket develops. Especially on or near the coast they are about since the salmon are still running in the streams and they are feeding. I spend my summers in the middle of bear and moose country, never had a problem with either moose or bear. But I am careful. I particularly pay attention to brown bear and if one has been hanging around, I usually start packing heat. I have mixed emotions about bear spray, it is okay with black bear as it appears to give them a sense that you are aggressive and not afraid. True, make lots of noise when in bear country. It is good to be cautious, here is some more discussion: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2036518&page=2

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Most bears haven't hibernated yet. Just getting our first snow in many parts of Alaska and they usually don't turn in until after a good snow blanket develops. Especially on or near the coast they are about since the salmon are still running in the streams and they are feeding. I spend my summers in the middle of bear and moose country, never had a problem with either moose or bear. But I am careful. I particularly pay attention to brown bear and if one has been hanging around, I usually start packing heat. I have mixed emotions about bear spray, it is okay with black bear as it appears to give them a sense that you are aggressive and not afraid. True, make lots of noise when in bear country. It is good to be cautious, here is some more discussion: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2036518&page=2

Thank you for the link with another discussion about bears. I read it all and I forwarded it to our children. I am praying they will not see any bears or moose.

Thanks again to everyone!

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Yes there are a lot of moose near Fairbanks/North Pole, hiking areas. When I'm walking I always am shaking an empty soda can with a few rocks in it. Makes a lot of noise, but I have also, from a long way off, just avoided getting anywhere near moose. If I see them ahead, I turn back and get out of there. :)

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Lot of discussion here regarding moose, of course, when asked "where is the best place in Alaska to see moose?"---- An honest and not a catty answer to that is "Anchorage". It is true, we have lots of moose here. Big cow and calf hanging around night and day right now by our home here in a midtown Anchorage subdivision. Being we have lots of moose calves here in town, we also have lots of bear, hankering for a choice filet of tender moose calf. Fish and Game counts the number of Anchorage bears in the hundreds, although I have never seen one here. But a couple of years ago our son and family, who live near Upper O'Malley Road on the hillside really had an experience. Their subdivision is not as crowded as down here on the flat where we live but still there are a lot of homes up there. They had just returned home after their neighbor's home had endured a life and death battle between a large brown bear and a large moose. The moose got trapped inside a fenced enclosure surrounding the home, during the battle a dining room wall was partially caved in. Bear won that one. But I can tell you another story in the Wrangells where the bear lost and the moose won.

A person has to be careful regarding the advice one hands out regarding these critters. A couple of years ago a local outdoor columnist wrote an article on bear dangers. In it he talked about how joggers and runners are pretty safe in bear country. Then this happened a just few months ago: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2017/06/18/searchers-looking-for-runner-in-bird-ridge-trail-race-who-reported-being-chased-by-bear/

And this happened before that in the same general locale: http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/04/us/bear-kills-woman-and-her-son-in-alaska.html

Some years ago a fellow was telling me how there were very few deaths from bears in Alaska, maybe a half dozen he said. I said, how come then I knew them all? Okay, so I exaggerate, but I did know four.

 

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Yes there are a lot of moose near Fairbanks/North Pole, hiking areas. When I'm walking I always am shaking an empty soda can with a few rocks in it. Makes a lot of noise, but I have also, from a long way off, just avoided getting anywhere near moose. If I see them ahead, I turn back and get out of there. :)

They are enjoying their trip to Fairbanks. The first night driving in their rental car to the cabin they were staying in, they saw a moose in the road that they said looked like it was 3 times the size of the Ford Focus they were in. They heard a lot of wolves that night. They loved their time in Denali. They spent about 20 minutes with the Kennel dogs and hiked after that. They didn't have a can of rocks but they played music loudly on their iphones. After seeing blood on the trail, a large amount of pee and hearing a bear growl, they decided it was time to head back to their car. Glad that hike took place the first day so I can relax. :D

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Lot of discussion here regarding moose, of course, when asked "where is the best place in Alaska to see moose?"---- An honest and not a catty answer to that is "Anchorage". It is true, we have lots of moose here. Big cow and calf hanging around night and day right now by our home here in a midtown Anchorage subdivision. Being we have lots of moose calves here in town, we also have lots of bear, hankering for a choice filet of tender moose calf. Fish and Game counts the number of Anchorage bears in the hundreds, although I have never seen one here. But a couple of years ago our son and family, who live near Upper O'Malley Road on the hillside really had an experience. Their subdivision is not as crowded as down here on the flat where we live but still there are a lot of homes up there. They had just returned home after their neighbor's home had endured a life and death battle between a large brown bear and a large moose. The moose got trapped inside a fenced enclosure surrounding the home, during the battle a dining room wall was partially caved in. Bear won that one. But I can tell you another story in the Wrangells where the bear lost and the moose won.

 

A person has to be careful regarding the advice one hands out regarding these critters. A couple of years ago a local outdoor columnist wrote an article on bear dangers. In it he talked about how joggers and runners are pretty safe in bear country. Then this happened a just few months ago: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2017/06/18/searchers-looking-for-runner-in-bird-ridge-trail-race-who-reported-being-chased-by-bear/

 

And this happened before that in the same general locale: http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/04/us/bear-kills-woman-and-her-son-in-alaska.html

 

Some years ago a fellow was telling me how there were very few deaths from bears in Alaska, maybe a half dozen he said. I said, how come then I knew them all? Okay, so I exaggerate, but I did know four.

 

 

 

So sad about the people killed by bears!

Having a bear and moose in their yard must have been very scary!

Our son and daughter loved the hiking but that is not for me with the thoughts of seeing a moose or bears. I am glad when they saw the blood, pee and heard the bear growl they decided it was time to leave the trail in Denali yesterday.

Thanks again to everyone for the information about bears and moose. I gave them the information before they left and I know it helped them understand the dangers and what to do.

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Yes there are a lot of moose near Fairbanks/North Pole, hiking areas. When I'm walking I always am shaking an empty soda can with a few rocks in it. Makes a lot of noise, but I have also, from a long way off, just avoided getting anywhere near moose. If I see them ahead, I turn back and get out of there. :)

 

Is this rutting season for Moose/Elk, etc. ?? Is that why more aggressive right now?

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