Kenai Fjords National Park - Bear Activity Update (U.S. National Park Service)

Report Bear Encounters
If you have an encounter with a bear, report it to a park ranger as soon as possible or email the Kenai Fjords Bear Management team. This will alert others and enable park staff to respond to the situation if necessary. Please include your current contact information in your email so we can reach you if we need additional information.

Date	Location	Activity
9/18/09	Exit Glacier	Black bears are still active on the Harding Icefield Trail. They have not been observed as often on the lower trails.
9/18/09	Coast	No unusual activity.
9/7/09	Exit Glacier	Black bears are more active again on all the trails in the area including the Harding Icefield Trail and around the Nature Center. Please talk loudly while hiking, keep your food and gear with you, and give bears plenty of space. Check at the Nature Center for daily bear activity.
9/7/09	Coast	No unusual activity to report.
8/31/09	Exit Glacier	A black bear was observed by the Nature Center pursuing a moose.
8/31/09	Coast	No unusual activity to report.
8/18/09	Exit Glacier	Bears have been observed less frequently around the Nature Center lately. Black bears are still active on the Harding Icefield Trail. Announce your presence with a loud "Hey Bear!", especially in areas with thick vegetation. A brown bear has been observed on Chugach National Forest land, just across Resurrection River from Exit Glacier. As fall approaches, bears are trying to pack on as much weight as possible. Keep all your food under your control and keep a clean camp. Do not leave packs along the trails.
8/18/09	Coast	No unusual activity to report. Be extra cautious when hiking in salmon berry patches and around salmon streams. These are popular foraging areas for bears. Announce your presence with a loud "Hey Bear!". Remember to stow gear close to your camp and properly store food in an NPS food locker or Bear Resistant Food Container.
8/4/09	Exit Glacier	The salmon berries, a favorite food for bears, are ripe on the Harding Icefield Trail. Please make noise as you hike up the trail so you do not surprise a grazing bear. Black bears are still active around the trails. A brown bear was observed near the entrance sign recently. Remember to keep your packs and coats with you while you hike and make noise.
8/4/09	Coast	No unusual bear activity to report.
7/23/09	Exit Glacier	Black and brown bears continue to be very active on all the trails. Be alert when hiking and make noise. If you see a bear, do not run. Stay calm, talk to the bear. If the bear is indifferent to you, increase your distance.
7/23/09	Coast	Several black bears have been identified around the Pedersen area. Please do not approach bears via kayak or on foot. Give them space. No unusual bear activity elsewhere to report. Help us keep it this way. Stow gear close to camp area and properly store food in an NPS food locker or Bear Resistant Food Container. Report any bear issues to NPS field rangers or to NPS staff upon your return to Seward.
7/9/09	Exit Glacier	Black bears are observed often on all the trails. A female brown bear with a cub has been active around the lower trails and the Harding Icefield Trail. Avoid surprise encounters! Make noise while you hike. If you encounter a bear, remain calm, do not run, and talk to the bear in a calm voice. Increase your distance. Do not approach bears.
7/9/09	Coast	No unusual activity to report.
7/1/09	Exit Glacier	A female brown bear with a cub and a solitary brown bear have been observed on the lower trails and outwash plain by the glacier. They have also been active in the Marmot Meadows area of the Harding Icefield Trail. Black bears continue to be active on all the trails. Although they are more accustom to being around humans, they can still be stressed by close encounters. Make noise while you are walking along the trails to avoid surprise encounters. While hiking the Harding Icefield Trail, give a loud "Hey Bear!", "YO Bear!", etc. frequently. If you see a bear, stay calm and do NOT run. Identify yourself as human and give the bear space. You may need to back away and allow the bear to pass. Report any brown bear sightings to a Ranger or the Nature Center.
7/1/09	Coast	No unusual bear activity to report. The food locker in Abra Cove is no longer covered with snow.
6/25/09	Exit Glacier	Bears are active on the trails and around the nature center. If you encounter a bear on or near the trail, stop, increase your distance to the bear, and back down the trail if necessary. Wait until the bear moves on to pass. Please give bears space.
6/25/09	Coast	No unusual bear activity to report. Help us keep it this way. Stow gear close to camp area and properly store food in an NPS food locker or Bear Resistant Food Container.
6/11/09	Exit Glacier	Both brown and black bears continue to be observed frequently on the trails. Remember to make noise and keep food and gear with you.
6/11/09	Coast	No unusual bear activity reported.
6/4/09	Exit Glacier	A female brown bear with two cubs has been seen close to Marmot Meadows on the Harding Icefield Trail. Please make noise while hiking, stay in groups, keep all gear and food with you, and report brown bear sightings to a ranger. Black bears have been frequently observed on all the trails. Please give them space; do not approach.
6/4/09	Coast	The food locker at Abra Cove is still under snow. Other food lockers in Aialik Bay should be available for use. No unusual bear activity to report.
5/25/09	Exit Glacier	Bears have been observed on several of the trails including the Harding Icefield Trail. Remember to give bears space and keep your food and food scraps with you.
5/25/09	Coast	Several feet of snow are still on many beaches. Food storage lockers may be inaccessible. Carrying a Bear Resistant Food Canister for overnight trips is recommended.
5/18/09	Exit Glacier	Bears are regularly being observed foraging on the hills around the nature center. Please remember to keep your food secured and away from bears.
5/18/09	Coast	The bears are awake. Several bears were recently observed along the coast.
5/9/09	Exit Glacier	The first brown bear was observed today. Two visitors watched as it chased a female black bear and her cub along the hillside. Stay alert while hiking and make noise in brushy areas.
5/8/09	Coast	No bears have been reported yet this year, but safe bear practices should still be followed.
5/5/09	Exit Glacier	The road to Exit Glacier is now open. Bear activity has been observed in the area. Please remember to make noise while you hike, ski or snow shoe on the trails.
4/16/09	Exit Glacier	There are still feet of snow in the area, but the bears are waking up. The first black bear was observed today on the Harding Icefield Trail.