Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
May 2008

Mountain Goat Black Bear Collar Swap
Black Bear Takes Mountain Goat Tracking Collar

By Riley Woodford

In a bizarre twist, a black bear north of Juneau has managed to equip itself with a GPS tracking collar that biologists originally put on a mountain goat.

“I've never heard of anything like this happening,” said Kevin White, a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

White is researching mountain goats in Southeast Alaska between Berners Bay and Skagway.

Using helicopters to access the steep terrain above Lynn Canal, he's equipped about 90 goats ...   GoatBear Collar Swap ArticleContinued

The Life of a Biologist in Interior Alaska

By James Fronty Parker

I'm perched in the open door of a Hughes 500 helicopter, pouring water from a 30-gallon bucket filled with fingerling rainbow trout. The rotors are whipping up the water of Craig Lake, but the fish seem to make the 20-foot fall just fine. Over the helmet intercom the pilot asks if the fish are off okay. I peer out the door and report that a few are flopping on the skid plate. The next thing I know we're at a 30-degree angle and the fish slide off into the water. The only thing keeping me from ...   Interior Biologist ArticleContinued

ASK A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
Do Bears Really Eat Honey

By Elizabeth Manning

Have you ever wondered what bears do when they hibernate, how wood frogs freeze solid or how far caribou migrate? Email your questions concerning wildlife to ADF&G educator ( Jen Curl jen.curl@alaska.gov ) and she will try to find an answer from an expert.

Response from Elizabeth Manning, Wildlife Education and Outreach Specialist, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Question from Ms. Kurtz’s Fourth Grade Class, Airport Heights Elementary, Anchorage Q: Do bears eat honey? ...   Bears Eat Honey Article Continued

Participate in Murrelet Watch

By Kristen Romanoff

Marbled murrelets are considered to be a rare bird throughout much of its range. But in Southeast Alaska, they are the most abundant seabird on the water. Considered the epicenter for marbled murrelets, Southeast Alaska's population of marbled murrelets is shrinking. In fact, the U.S. Geological Survey reports a 71% decline since the early 1990's.

For the past four years, Alaska Department of Fish and Game non-game biologist, Matt Kirchhoff has been researching murrelets to better understand ...   Murrelet Watch ArticleContinued

Crab Pate - Molded Dip

By Tina Cunning

Tina Cunning shared this favorite recipe.

“It's extraordinarily addictive,” she said. “It's wonderful to make ahead of time. You can make it, put it in the fridge and serve it three days later. You can carry it in the mold and flip it over when you serve it. We take it to recitals, parties and potlucks and people absolutely love it.”

“It's a modified recipe from the back of an unflavored gelatin packet,” she said. She experimented with the basic recipe, added a few ingredients ...   Crab Pate ArticleContinued