It’s that time of year. The bears around Bristol Bay are waking up, according to Neil Barten, the area wildlife management biologist for Fish and Game in Dillingham.
“We’ve been flying around a lot the last two or three weeks,” he said. “We’ve seen a handful of bears, so they’re starting to come out.”
In the last week, Barten has seen a few far up the Mulchatna and Nushagak rivers. With bear activity increasing, he says that it’s time to clear the yard of anything that could be an invitation for a hungry animal.
“This is the time of the year that I always encourage people to get rid of their bird feeders,” Barten said. “Anything like that with fat in it they really go after, whether it’s old fish or that kind of thing.”
For bear hunters, Barten said it’s the early edge of the hunting season.
In a week or so, however, hunters’ opportunities will increase as more bears come out of hibernation.
