Bears - Sounds Wild
Bear Sealing

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Bear sealing

On a sunny Monday morning in May, state wildlife biologist Ryan Scott measures a bear skull in a big tent behind the Fish and Game office in Douglas. Two more bears await inspection. These aren't complete bears, just the salted hides and skinned heads of black and brown bears harvested over the weekend. Mid-May is the peak of the bear hunting season in Southeast Alaska, and Scott and his colleagues have been busy sealing bears.

Successful bear hunters in Alaska are required to bring the hide and skull of all bears harvested to a Fish and Game or wildlife enforcement office for sealing. Sealing refers to the seals or tags that are affixed to the skull and hides after a 15 or 20 minute inspection.

Scott writes the skull size on the sealing form and pulls a tooth, which will reveal the age of the bear. He asks about the location of the hunt and methods used. In turn, Scott is asked a host of questions by the hunters. Hunters are curious about bears and bear research, eager to learn the age and size of their bears, and today Scott answers more questions than he asks.

Hunters provide a wealth of information that helps biologists make management decisions. The information offers an indirect measure of population trends and over the years, provides insights into the status of the bear population.