The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a warning of heightened bear activity near the Kenai and Russian River areas in Cooper Landing.
Matt Connors with the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge says a couple of bears have been spotted repeatedly approaching fishermen recently.
Connors: “Some of these bears have been rewarded by getting food from people and/or backpacks and any time they make that association we have to be pretty careful.”
Connors said once bears learn the rewards of approaching people along the river it only gets worse so people fishing should take precautions.
Connors: “Keep it on you keep it close, we say that now with backpacks or coolers or anything like that, keep them within three feet. And then fish on stringers, we’ve kept this as the recommendation for a while, we’re still saying within twelve feet but if I’m out there fishing I’m going to keep it closer than that. I know how it is when you hook into a fish and you’re starting to play it and you look up and suddenly you’re more than twelve feet away from your fish stringer.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also suggests not filleting fish where fishing is ongoing.
Connors: “We would prefer people take them out whole but we understand too that when the limits go to six or even when you’re out there with a group of people, those sockeyes can get pretty heavy so we ask that they use their best judgement. We understand that sometimes people do have to clean them on the rivers and when they do that, just try to get those fish carcasses in a strong current.”
Connors said he has not heard of increased bear encounters with fisher peoples in the lower miles of the Kenai River.