As bear deaths rise, carcass disposal becomes an issue

At least twenty-two brown bears have been killed this year outside of hunting season, a new record for the Chilkat Valley.

“We’ve more than doubled what we ever had before,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) biologist Carl Koch said. “I looked back to 1998. Three times (non-hunt bear kills) hit ten, but it was never higher than ten.”

Non-hunt kills could include motor vehicle collisions in addition to bears shot illegally, or in…