1967 KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE KODIAK, ALASKA COVER PHOTO bv Jim Gilbert: A seagull hopefully examines the catch of a subadult brownie near Karluk Lake, Kodiak ~ational Fildlife Refuge.

DATE DUE ') KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

KoDIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE was established in 1941 to preserve the natural habitat of the famed Kodiak bear and other wildlife. U n­ like many refuges that were estab­ KODIAK lished to bring back former habitat destroyed by man, this refuge remains unchanged. Kodiak Island is the largest island in the Gulf of Alaska and is sepa­ rated from the Alaska Peninsula by the 30-miles-wide Shelikof Straits. The island is approximately 103 miles long and 57 miles wide, and contains 3,500 square miles. About 2,780 square miles of its southwest portion and the 60 square miles of Uganik Island constitute the Kodiak Na­ tional Wildlife Refuge. From its location, Kodiak Island is generally thought to own an inhos­ pitable climate. Actually, the weather is mild. Temperatures rarely fall to ) zero in \\"inter and may attain 80° in summer. Precipitation averages 60 inches per year, including 45 inches of snow falling mainly in March. A definite gradual change in the plant life and terrain of Kodiak is seen as one flies over the island, from dense Sitka spruce forest on the mountainous northern part to rolling tundra in the south. At low eleva­ tions one sees green meadows, and thickets of alder, elderberry, salmon­ berry, and willow, and cottonwood trees. Spring and summer wildflow­ ers-lupine, iris, orchids, forget-me­ nots, fireweed-splash mountainsides with their colors. Mammals native to Kodiak Na­ tional Wildlife Refuge, besides the bear, are red fox, land otter, weasel, tundra vole, and little brown bat. Whales, porpoises, seals, and sea lions frequent the estuaries rich in marine foods. Transplanted to Kodiak, mostly after the 1920's, were blacktail deer, snowshoe hare, beaver, muskrat, Kodiak Bear J NATIONAL UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WILDLIFl RtFUG[ FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE w• --••oc,..._ GPO 928 -827 Refuge Leaflet 57-R- July 1967 -·--...... reindeer, mountain goat, mink, red bear, because of poor eyesight, will pecially fond of elderberries that on Kodiak Refuge, with associated squirrel, and marten. . Except for advance upon a human intruder, ripen in August and September. shallows and marshes, make the area mink and marten, these introduc­ stop, then stand erect, resume the ad­ Bears become easy to observe in July important to waterfowl. More than tions have been generally successful. vance, and then hurriedly run away and August, when they congregate 13 million duck use days, 600,000 Recently Dall sheep and moose have when the man is identified. A novice along streams to feed on salmon goose use days, and about 15,000 been brought in. will invariably misinterpret such be­ swarming through riffles and over swan use days are made of these It is of course the bears that es­ havior as a charge, when in fact the falls on their way upstream to spawn waters annually (a use day is presence pecially excite the visitor's curiosity. bear is simply trying to determine and die. The bears catch spawned of one waterfowl for one day) . Biologists estimate 2,400 of these tre­ through nose and ear the nature of and weakened fish by pouncing with Much of the use is during winter. mendous animals inhabit Kodiak the unknown animal he can only forefeet to pin the fish to the stream Most common are erriperor geese, Island. Females may weigh up to dimly discern. Nevertheless, these are bed. A comical sight is that of a mallards, scaups, goldeneyes, bufHe­ 800 pounds, males usually up to large and powerful wild animals. young bear, wildly running up and heads, scoters, oldsquaws, eiders, pin­ 1,200 pounds. Many a story extols the Rare instances of unpredictable be­ down a stream, pouncing here and tails, and harlequin ducks. ferocity and danger of this impres­ havior require respect and good there with fish skittering in all direc­ The bald eagle, national emblem sive beast-tales generally based on judgement. tions, but too clumsy to make a catch. of the United States, resides on the exceptional incidents and gross ex­ Most bears den from December Cubs, weighing less than a pound refuge in such numbers as to be in aggerations. Experienced outdoors­ until April. During the verdant at birth, are born in dens in Febru­ almost continual view of an observer. men find that bears avoid contact spring and early summer they are ary and March. A litter is usually At least 200 pairs nest on shoreline with man, fleeing even when con­ vegetarians, as well as later when three, but may be anywhere from one pinnacles, on cliffs, or in cottonwood fronted inadvertently. An occasional . berries have ripened. They are es- to five. Young bears remain with trees. their mother for 2 years. The distinctive songs of golden­ Bear management requires a crowned sparrows and Lapland long­ Young bald eagles at their nest (W. Troyer) knowledge of bear life history. Ref­ spurs are heard on every hand in uge workers have devised means summer. Other small birds include the rich resources of the vast North the Kodiak bear. One may learn by and mt:thods of trapping, anesthetiz .-....pine grosbeaks, song, fox, and Savan­ Pacific. The 20 canneries on the is­ conversation with the older residents 7 ing, and marking the large animals td Jlah sparrows, Wilson's and yellow land employ several thousand people of the villages the past history of determine basic facts like extent of warblers, violet-green swallows, belt­ to process halibut, clams, herring, these interesting settlements. Russian ·daily and seasonal movements, re­ ed kingfishers, and thrushes. Willow shrimp, Dungeness and king crab, colonization of another day is mani­ productive rates, maximum longevity, and rock ptarmigans are numerous. and salmon. The salmon fishery con­ fested in the proficient use of the etc. Biotelemetry will enable biolo­ The eerie call of the common loon tributes the most to the local econ­ Russian language by older natives, gists to monitor daily and seasonal can be heard from almost every lake. omy and grosses 10 or more million and in the traditional form of wor­ activity, greatly aiding efforts to learn Glaucous and mew gulls, as well as dollars a year. The refuge plays a ship, for each village has a colorful behavioral aspects of this intriguing sandpipers, phalaropes, plovers, and vital part in perpetuating this valu­ Russian Orthodox church that also animal. oyster-catchers are plentiful. Nearly able industry by giving continued serves as the center of village ac­ Kodiak bears are hunted on Ko­ every islet is a gull rookery, and there protection to unique spawning nver tivities. diak Refuge under regulations of the are several kittiwake colonies of thou­ systems and migration routes. Refuge headquarters at Kodiak Alaska Department of Fish and sands of birds. Extensive nesting colo­ Long before the white man ven­ may be reached by morning and Game. An annual take of between nies of tufted puffins and cormorants tured to Kodiak the island was in­ afternoon flights from Anchorage by 150 and 200 animals is permitted. may be found on numerous offshore habited by aborigines called Koniags. Pacific Northern Airlines. Several This harvest borders on the maxi- . islands. Readily discernible to airline travelers modern hotels are available, but sum­ mum that may be killed without Besides bear, hunters may take are the earthen outlines of dwellings mertime accommodations require threatening the population. A system other game species in accordance called barbaras that mark the loca­ reservations. No special permit is of continuous surveys helps detem1ine with State regulations. Fishing, too, tions of former villages. These phe­ necessary to enter the refuge. Several population status and hunting effects. is permitted. Rainbow and Dolly nomenal people, once numbering at local bush pilots and one local airline A long-term record of the age and Varden trout abound in lakes and least 6,000, were destined upon the facility furnish transportation to al­ size makeup of the kill gives a base streams, while salmon and steelhead advent of the Russians in 1763 to be most any part of the area, and com­ for evaluating quantity and quality may be caught during their upstream the subjects of the same sad saga as mercial fishing boats can be chartered of trophies. migrations. Silver salmon weighing the American Indian. Today, only for excursions around the island. Blacktail deer, introduced from up to 10 pounds are caught with 800 people of Koniag ancestry are There are no roads on the refuge. southeastern Alaska in 1924, have lures, and on parts of the refuge left on Kodiak to remind us of a cul­ More detailed information con­ dispersed throughout the island and large king salmon, weighing 20 to 60 ture forever sealed in antiquity. cerning Kodiak Refuge may be se­ are readily observed in winter forag- pounds, also can be taken by the Over half of the natives reside in cured by writing the Refuge Man­ ing along the beaches, particularly angler. four villages on or adjacent to the ager, Kodiak National Wildlife A bear trail high above one of the lakes on the Refuge. Hundreds of Cluring low tide periods, when kelr J \ Because of its strategic location, refuge. They depend primarily on Refuge, Box 825, Kodiak, Alaska ~l. odiak bears traveling over the same trail caused the deep depressions as each is part of their food. is the center of an expanding commercial fishing for a livelihood, 99615. trod in the same footsteps. (Earl Fleming) Eight hundred miles of coastline commercial fishing industry based on while a few act as guides for hunting KODIAK ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ELECTION DISTRICT NO. 13- KODIAK, ALASKA U. S. fi$H AND WILDLifE SERVICE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE 30' 30'

58"00'

45'

30' 30'

15'

p' A C 1 F I C 0 C E A N

57"00'

56"45' 56"45' 0 R.EFUGE FIELD HEADQUARTER.

30'

30'

COMPILED IN THE BRANCH OF ENGINEERING MEAN FROM SURVEYS BY US.G.S., AND NATIONAL SEWARD MERIDIAN DECLINATION PARK SERVICE 40Fo~~~~~~·~o~o;;;;;;;;;;~eoo~~~~~20~o;;;;;;;;;;~'s~oo~~~2000cHAINS Scale 1962 PORTLAND, OREGON AUGUST 1964 5 0 5 tO 15 2:0 25 MILES CONTOUR INTERVAL 200 FEET OATUM IS MEAN SEA LEVEL 6R ALA 358 404 & Wifdfrfe Service udor Road .~ {\_1 ask~ - --=::--99.503_-

KODIAK ~ATIO~AL IVILDLIFE REFUGE NA RRATIVE REPORT Januarv 1 to December 31, 1967 Kodiak, Alaska

Refuge St a ff Richard J. Hensel • Refuge Man age r Vernon D. Berns • • Assistant Refuge Manager Joseph E. Johnson • • Boatman & Maintenanceman Phyllis A. Fredericksen ••• Clerk-Stenographer

Seasonal Emplovees James R. Gi !bert . . . Hldlife /\ide (6/26 - 9/8/67) Teryl G. Grubb . . Wildlife Aide (6/26 - 9/8/67)

U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Fish and Wildlife Service Kodiak, Alaska REFUGE ~ARRATIVE REPORT

Table of Contents

Pa

INTRODUCTION iv

I. GENERAL 1

A. We ther Condit ions 1 B. Habitat Conditions 2 1. Water 2 2. Food and Cover 2

II. WILDLIFE 3

A. Mi ratory IH rds 3 Table 1 4 B. Upland Game Birds 3 c. Bip Game Animals s 1. Rein e r s 2. ~ountain Goat 5 3. \foose 5 4. Sitka Black-tailed er 5 s. Dall ep 6 6. Kodi 0"-'11 Bear 6 a. Hunting 6 T le 2 7 Table 3 9 Table 4 10 b. Population rveys 1 1 Table S 12 Table 6 13 D. Fur Animals, Predators, Rodents and Other 'vfammals 14 1. aver 14 2. Land Otter 14 3. Fox 14 4. ase 1 14 s. Snowshoe Hares 14 6. Tundra Vole 14 E. Ha s, Ea les, Crows, Ravens and 'ia ies 14 1. I s 14 2. Eaf!les 15 Table 7 16 Table 8 17 Tabl 9 18 3. Crows, ens and ies 15 F. Other Birds 19 i i Table of Contents (Cont.) Pflge

G. ~arine ~ammals 19 II. Fish 19 1. Commercial Species 19 Table 10 20 2. Sport Fishery 21 I. Diseases 21

III. REFUGE DEVELOP~ENT AND ~AINTENANCE 21

A. Physical Development 21 B. ~a in tenance 21 C. Collections 22 D. Fires 22

IV. RESOURCES IANAGE~ENT 22

A • Gr a z in~ Le a s e 22 B. Special Use Permits 22 C. Trappinp 22

V. FIELD INVESTIGATIONS 23

A. Kodiak nrown Bear 23 B. Bald Eagles 23 Table 11 24

VI. PUBLIC RELATIONS 23

A. Recreation Uses 23 B. Refuge Visitors 25 c. Refuge Participation 26 D. Hunting 27 E. Violations 27 F. Safety 27

VI T. OTIIER ITE\1S 2R

Photographs Appendix

iii KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

~ARRATIVE REPORT - 1967

I~TRODUCTION

This year witnessed some notable changes in brown bear management and related investigations. The removal of bears by sport hunters surpassed the annual reproductive increment for the third consecutive year. This malady was partly countered by reducin~ the huntinp season and closing a portion of the refuge to hunting during the fall. Additional regulations are contemplated to help breech the rising level of demand on this diminishing resource. After vainful attempts the past several years to use bio­ telemetry techniques, we succeeded in launching a pilot study in 1967. The success of this study gave further incentive to expand these efforts in hopes that eventually phases of wildlife management will be based on scientific fact rather than calculated guess work. Success generallv comes with a price. In this case, ains made in biotelemetry had been paid with a loss of useful information on waterfowl and bald eagles and markin~ time on conservation education and public recreation programs. One day, perhaps, this and other refuges will have the monetary means to advance in all priority areas rather than skimming the surfaces of only a few. In anticipating the new year we hope it will be kind to all.

iv ) 1

I. GENERAL

A. Weather Conditions. The first mnnth of the year be~an with temperatures well below freezinp and winds in excess of 20 knots. What precipitation occurred later in the month was in the form of sleet. February weather was characterized by an almost equal amount of rain an d snow with a few days of intermittant sunshine. This month received 18 inches of snow, nine inches of which fell inside a 24-hour period.

~arch weather consisted largely of clear davs in contrast to a year ago when 51 inches of snow hi~hli p hted the arrival of spring. Temperatures reachin g 50° (F) and moderate winds forced the ice to dissipate from lakes of lower elevation during April.

The pleasant weather of ~ay stirred vepetation to life. Low pressure systems and an occasional occluded front caused June to be generally overcast. Sunshine prevailed through most of July and rain accompanied by hi gh winds prevailed during Au gust. ,J Rain fell most of September while October weather varied from being overcast to clear. Temperatures went below freezin g during clear evenings and davtime temperatures reached as hi gh as 45°(F). Ice formed on sm aller lakes the third week of the month. A li ght snow was reported to have covered foothills and vallev bottoms on October 23. Areas hi gh in elevation received sn~w the last week of September.

~ild temperatures and occasional rainstorms characterized November weather. A record hi gh of 50°(F) was established 19 November. Hi gh winds and temperatures well below freezin g hirhli ghted December weather. Winds reportedly attained velocities in excess of 100 m.p.h. on 3 December. Although the winter of 1967 appeared to have a rather severe beginning, weather this year was fair with a relatively dry spring, summer and late fall. Fleet Weather Central, located on the Kodiak Naval Station near the city of Kodiak, has furnished the followin? weather summary which best represents refuge climatolo gy:

) 2

) Snowfall Precipitation(in.) Temperature (F) Winds (knots) (inches) This ~onth Normal -~ ax. "'iin. "'1ean Mean ~1ax, Gusts Jan. 17.9 3.33 3.69 39° 110 27.4 12. 1 59 NNW Feb. 24. 7 4.16 4.02 41° 14° 28.4 9.6 41 WN ~ ~1ar. 12.9 1. 83 3.12 53° 14° 33.9 10.0 45 N\\T Apr. Trace 3.09 4.41 54° 23° 3 7. 7 10.2 57 WNW May o.o 2.13 3. 81 68° 31° 45.8 8.0 36 NE Jun. o.o 5.67 3.54 65° 38° 48.8 4.0 25 NE Jul. o.o 0.94 4.35 82 ° 43° 58.0 6.0 33 WN W Aug. o.o 8.26 5.92 69° 40 ° 54.0 7.0 35 ESE Sep. o.o 7.84 5.55 65° 34° 48.6 7.9 42 EN E Oct. 3.2 4.85 5.58 61° 17° 39.0 8.0 42 SE Nov. 1.0 6.18 4,93 50° 60 36.0 9.0 74 WN ~ Dec. 13.3 4. 84 4.97 54° 00 29.0 11.0 76 NW

B. Habitat Conditions 1. Water. Water conditions were near no rmal. During the fall, ma jor rivers were hi gh as a resu 1 t of September rain. This, however, was beneficial t o n large extent in that water levels are restored to normal de pths by the onset of freezing weather. Low water leve 1 s ) coup led with freezin g temperatures have an adverse effect on hatching success of certain anadromous fish. Ice be gan to disappear from lakes near sea level the last week of April an d by the third week of May l akes were void of ice. Moderate temperature s and hi gh winds impeded ice from forming in November. A cold snap accounted for the freezin g-over of alpine lakes and skin ice on lakes located less than 800 feet in elevation in mid-October. The majority of lakes had ice by December. 2. Food and Cover. Food conditions were much improved over the past several years. An e arly s p rin g and associated warmer temperature caused an early abundance of perennial p lants for un gulates. The absence o f snow coupled with an ample brouse suppl y accounted for good survival during the crucial months o f farch and Aoril. Berry producing plants had an excellent yield this ye a r particularly in respect to lowbush cranberries and crowberries which are imp ortant t o up l and game birds and bears. Elderberries were also in abundance and appeared in bear dropp ings in an unripened form as early as mid July. 3

II. 1\TILDLIFE A. Migratory Birds. Winter residents composed mostly of scaup, old squaw, seaters, eiders and goldeneve arrived in si~nificant numbers the first half of November. Counts made near the municipal boRt harbor in mid March resulted in a tally of 650 scaup and 300 old squaw. The lar~est aggregate of common eiders (a minimum of 200) was seen March 16 at Kupreanof Strait. On the same date approxi­ mately 300 mallards (winter residents) were located in Terror Bay. These and the other ducks wintering in the Kodiak area departed in earlv April for parts unknown.

Pintails were first seen ~arch 27 near Chiniak Peninsula. Around this time, remnant flocks of brant reese reportedlv passed over the northeast end of Kodiak Island. 1\Teather conditions were apparently such that migrants elected to pass Kodiak in contrast to most vears when mi grants are forced to assemble in nearby bays because of weather.

A solitary brant was observed on 16 fay near the 1issinn Beach highway which is located near the city limits. The presence of this bird enerated much public interest since it was banded, and marked with a green plastic collar. The Refuge ~anager of the Clarence Rhode Refuoe was ac­ cordingly advised because brant were marked by the refuge staff to assist in determining mipration patterns. The goose disappeared 20 May. Nesting activity increased this year. Observations of 34 brood sizes (primarily made at Karluk Lake) sug?ested a 25 percent increase in frequency compared to the past year (Table 1). A moderate accumulation of ducks consistinP mostlv of mallards occurred the third week of August. as evidenced by at least 2,000 mallards occupyinr the terminal ex­ tremities of Uyak and Zachar Bavs. fild weather was believed to account for a gradual exodus of fall miprants that placed hunters at a disadvantage. Hunting pressure, save for a short spell in October, was unusually light this fall.

B. Upland Game Birds. Rock and willow ptar~igan appeared to be abundant th1s vear and nestinp conditions were favorable for excellent chick production. Rock ptarmi~an in covevs from 8 to 30 birds were frequently seen durin~ aerial patrols flown in October.

) 4

Table 1. Summarv of brood size information gathered incidentally at Karluk Lake and elsewhere on the Kodiak Refuge durin ~ the 1967 field season.

No. Observed Total Ave. Range Species with No. of Brood Brood Broods Youn g Size Size Common Mer Ranser 13 77 5.9 2-12 Barrow's Goldeneye 12 63 5.3 2-10 Greater Scaup 1 10 Harlequin 2 14 7.0 6-8 Mallard 4 23 5.7 3-7 Teal 1 4 Whistling Swan 1 5

_) 5

C. Big Game Animals 1. Reindeer. The only information concernin? reindeer th1s year was acquired incidental to aerial censuses of other animals. Fourteen reindeer includin!! five calves were observed in ~ay near Stur?eon La~oon. Seven cows and three calves snent most of the summer near the confluence of Silver. Salmon Creek and Karluk River. A herd of approximately 150 head was seen the last ha1f of August ranginp near Halibut Bav. A reindeer survey is scheduled for .June, 1970. 2. Mountain Goat. The emphasis placed on determinin? distribution and number of poats in 1966 (see 1966 Narrative Report) obviated the pursuit of information this year. However, State Biolo?ist Ballenger tallied 58 goats including 19 kids on 5 September while flving over the llidden Basin draina f! e. Last vear 56 goats were recorded as beinr. in the same area. 3. Moose. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released s1x moose calves near Barabara Cove Lake, Kupreanof Peninsula, on 5 October. These were taken earlier in the summer from the ~atanuska Vallev area and hand raised bv a local farmer for three ~onths before beinP transported to Kodiak Island. A voun9 bull, the lone survivor of the first transplant made last year, was reported to be located adjacent to the Villape Island~, Uganik Bay, during most of September. The moose was said to be in good physical shape, quite tame and attracted to small truck gardens which were meticulouslv prepared by a tolerant citizenry. Assumin~ it chose the most negotiable overland route, the distance covered from the Kupreanof Peninsula release site to the VillaPe Islands area, would amount to about 85 miles covered within a five-month period. · 4. Sitka Black-tailed Deer. Uganik Island cnntinues to support a farge number of deer. A natrol conducted ~arch 13-17, using the M/V KODIAK BEAR, afforded an opportunity to evaluate the deer herd status near the end of another winter. The animals were dispersed alonr. mountainsides of varyin~ elevations and appeared alert and in good condition. A total of 42 deer were counted where~s 114 were observed in the sa~e area at essentially the saMe time last year. An explanation for this disparity lies with the lack of snow cover as opposed to the previous vear when deer were forced to the island periphery to feed alonr beaches and thuslv 6

were in con~tant view 0f observers. This ve c:n move­ ment~ were fortunatelv unrestricted ~ncl ~ni~1ls had been !'1ore dispersed throurhout the inland

5. Dall Sheep. Biolo~ist Lym<~n Nichols, Le<~der of Sheep Studies, Alaska Department of Fish and G<~me, resul'led the protracted task of transplantin~ Dall sheep from Kenai to Kodiak. Sixteen sheep were captured near Green Lake by means of dru~-carryin g darts discharged bv a gunner aboard a helicopter. Three sheen survived the ordeal while others succumbed to adverse dru R effects, tissue damage, or bloat resultinp from beinP subdued. The survivors were taken to Three Saints Bav, Kodiak, 12 August, via a Gruman Goose. Another animal was lost to shock and/or exhaustion while enrnute. The remaining ewe and male lamb were held at the release site for an additional dav prior to liberation. Several davs later the lamb was si~hted feedinr in the alpine area overlooking the bay. Three sheep sirhted in 1966 near Barling Bay p,ave impetus to this transplant, but in view of the outcome, State personnel presently dis­ favor anv additional effort. The last Narrative Report described the disconcerting results of the initi<~l Dall sheep transplant engineered bv the State in 1966. In retrospect, 7 of the 13 sheep were found dead soon <~fter being released. 6. Kodiak Brown Bear a. Hunting. Because bears have an inclination to den Juring the winter, and hides have little value in the ~ummer, hunting is undertaken during spring and fall periods in accordance with State Reru1ations. During 1967, 151 bears were removed from the refupe exc1udin~ 58 bears taken from areas <~djacent to the refuge, or elsewhere within the Kodiak Island Group. These mortalities were mostly accountable to sport hunting (Table 2). Table 2. Summary of brown bear mortalities occurrinQ within the Kodiak Island Group during Spring (S) and Fall (F) seasons of 1967.

Kodiak National Refuge Excludins Kodiak National Refuge

'iortality Sex Sub Sex Sub ~ode ~ale Female Unknown Total \fale Female Unknown Total s F s F s F s F s F s F

Sport Hunting Non-guided 27 1 30 0 1 59 11 10 11 4 36

Guided 39 19 19 7 84 3 4 5 12

Scientific Purposes 1 0 4 0 5

Ref.!ulat ion Violations 2 2 Life & Property Defense 0 0 0 0 4 6 10

Food 1 1

Total ~ortalities 68 20 53 7 3 151 18 14 11 9 6 58 8

After guidin. operations expanded in the late 1950's authorities recognized the need to reduce the hunting season to maintain a harvest quota of 125 bears . The 1960 season of September 16 throu~h .iay 31 was reduced to October 1 throuph fay 31. The ensuing harvest pattern paralleled those of the 1950 ' s in which harvest and population trends indicated bears were maintaininp desirable numbers. Nonresident sportsmen, who emploved puides, ac­ counted for the lar~est segment of the harvest at this time . This situation reversed , however, as the quantity of residents now afield exceeds the number of nonresidents. Table 3 summarizes brown bear mortalities that occurred within the Kodiak Island Group from 1952 throu~h 1967. Refuge personnel are compelled to rely primarily on analyses of harvest statistics since other means are lackin~ to evaluate population sizes. These reveal population trends on the basis of annual chan es in mortality rate, sex ratios, and the size of anim::~ls taken in the hunt (i.e~ larger animals are selectively hunted). This information receives some support by population inventories conducted svstemicallv over salmon streams and certain alpine areas where bears naturallv con­ centrate . Repulation revisions have been based larpely on the consolidated result~ of these methods. Harvest statistics relative to the refupe reflects an annual increase of about 19 nercent durin~ the past three years as compared 1962 - 64 seasons (Table 4). Some of the more ronular hunting areas have absorbed excessive huntin~ pressure as demon­ strated by 73 and 31 bears beinr taken from the Karluk and Red Lake areas resnectivelv durin the -past two and a half hunting seasons. Intense huntinp pressure has made a serious inroad on the availabilitY of animals in these and other areas.

Sex ratios of bears taken from 1950 throu~h 1964 have been relativelY consistent with each annual harvest containinr a preponderance of males. The female segment was at an all time low in 1961, but pro~ressivelY increased until an even sex ratio occurred in 1966 and arain in 1967. The casual observer is apt to conclude that the onlv reason for an even sex ratio is attributed tb a p~ucity of males (trophy -sized animals). This assumption would be without anY basis. Suhadult _) Table 3. Summary of brown bear mort~lities occurrin?- within the Kodiak Island Groun from 1952 throurh 1967.

Refuge Off Refuge NG G DLP SP F EU~1 Totals DLP SP F EU1 Totals

1952 42 70 1 0 33 146 0 6 0 0 4 18

1953 45 101 2 2 32 182 10 0 11 0 0 9 30

1954 29 84 2 9 6 34 164 0 0 10 19

1955 19 63 3 1 9 28 123 16 1 6 0 0 31

1956 23 93 0 0 13 17 146 16 1 8 0 0 7 31

195 7 14 79 0 0 6 13 112 8 1 3 0 0 4 16

1958 14 72 1 1 13 20 121 9 2 17 0 0 4 32

1959 24 106 0 0 14 10 154 10 2 13 0 0 6 31

196 0 34 58 0 2 13 14 121 12 0 15 0 0 7 34

1961 18 69 0 2 3 10 102 19 0 6 0 0 33

1962 20 77 1 0 12 120 22 2 0 0 8 40

1963 19 63 4 1 4 11 102 33 3 50 0 0 9 95

1964 33 56 2 0 0 99 21 4 9 0 0 48

1965 47 76 1 0 2 4 130 67 8 2 0 0 8 85

1966 76 80 6 3 1 12 178 27 8 7 0 8 so

1967 59 S4 0 5 1 7 156 36 12 10 0 0 66 ~G - ~on-?uided hunts ~r - Scientific ournoses G - Guided hunts F - Food DLP- Defense of life or pronertv EU'I - Estif11ate d unknown rn nrt ~ lit v Table 4. A comparison of known brown bear mortalities between two 3-year periods as occurred in districts of the Kodiak I s 1 and Group , 1962 throu~h 1967. Kill Increase 1967 1966 1965 Total from 1965-67 1964 1963 1962 Total District (3 yrs) to 1964-62 (\) (3 yrs)

Red-Sturgeon 18 24 12 54 35 6 7 13 26

Upper Station 4 6 0 18 24 3 7 1 11 Deadman Bay 29 26 11 66 25 16 7 16 39

Old Harbor 8 7 0 15 36 2 2 3 7 Karluk-Dog 31 38 46 115 31 19 24 17 60 Uyak 18 29 16 63 0 25 18 27 70 Little River 9 4 3 16 52 1 2 2 5 Uganik-Terror 31 26 28 85 18 1R 20 20 58

Total (Refuse l 148 160 116 432 23 90 80 99 269 Shearwater 11 9 12 32 0 11 14 10 35 Kupreanof 8 9 21 38 24 10 5 8 23 Chiniak* 14 7 11 32 0 11 31 13 55 Afognak 23 12 32 67 3 3

Total (Off Re fu&el 56 37 76 169 18 35 50 31 116 Total (Kodiak Is. & Afognak) 204 19 7 192 601 20 125 140 130 395

* Mortalities in this district included those resultin~ from intensified nredator program ...... undertaken by Alaska Dent. of Fish and Game. 0 11

and middle-aged animals are being taken by novice hunters because they lack the exnerience to bag elusive males. The size of animals t aken by novice hunters falls far below the standards estRblished by more experienced hunters or renut able guides. Certain p.uides have relaxed quality standa r ds to capitalize on the increasin g volume of nonresidents eager to transform dollars into bear hides. This tends to enlarge the consequences of the continued croppin p, of subadult anima ls. It appeRrs reasonable to assume sex ratios will remain even as lonr as young animals provide the bulk of the harvest. A few reputable guides continue to produce large bears for their clients which indicates lar ~ e males con­ tinue to be available on the refuge. In summary, what remains of one time stationary populations are those consisting of family groups nlus older ma les since middle-aged bears are being removed from the population before attaining maturity. The hide size tren d cannot become much lower (Table 5). This trend supports the sex ratio infer­ ence because the majoritv be a rs me asured are from ') middle-age animals which deflate the avera r e size exhibited by larger males taken bv competent guides. b. Population Surveys. Population surveys were con­ tinued this year using Supercub N723. Four survey s were uniformly conducted in alpine areas of Uvanik drainage. Two survevs were also made in Uyak drainage. A series of fli ghts flown over chosen salmon streams in Karluk, Do g Salmon, Red and Sturgeon watersheds supplemented the inventories made in alpine areas. Counts this year were far less than those obtained several years a go using identical procedures (Table 6). Surveys along alpine areas indicated a serious absence of middle-aged animals. The re­ sults of inventories made along salmon streams paralleled those of alpine areas. In 1962 for example, counts made along the Do g Salmon River area produced 18 to 37 bears whereas this year never exceeded nine bears. Other areas, such RS the Red and Karluk Lake systems exhibited pro­ portionate reductions in numbers. Another discouraping aspect was the exceedinrlY lm,• cub crop of 1966 corroborated this year by a scant representation of yearling animals. Guides, hunters ) Table s. Average size of squared be~r hides taken during spring and fall seasons by hunters using guidesp 1957~1967.

Spring Fall Year Number Average Percent Percent Number Average Percent Percent Represented Size 9' Plus 10' Plus Represented Size 9 ' Plu~ 10 9 Plus 1951 55 8' 8" 42 27 27 9' 1" 30 7 1958 42 9' 6" 60 29 27 9' 60 15 1959 65 8'11" 47 26 39 8'10" 43 5 1" 63 1960 38 9'"""\ 13 16 8'10" 43 18 1961 57 8' 1" 15 12 26 8' 6" 23 15

1962 50 8' 8" 40 10 26 8' 7 0 1963 40 8' 4" 42 15 22 8' 5" 32 5 1964 37 7' 6" 11 0 19 8' 3" 22 11.

1965 52 7' 7" 21 1 27 8' 4" 18 3

1966 43 7'10" 23 4 47 7'11" 17 4 196 7 58 7' 7" 10 0 31 7' 9" 9 3

,...... N Table 6. Composition of bear populations as reflected by aerial surveys made along certain stream and alpine areas of the Kodiak National IJildlife Refu~e from 1962 t h ro u ~h 19 6 7.

1962 196 3 1964 1965 1966 1967 St r. Alp. Str. Alo. Str. Alp. St r. Alp. Str. Alp. St r. Alp.

Total Count TSZ 32:6 74 8 4 76 341 191 514 2 75 99 87 114 Cubs 90 50 60 96 33 30 31 16 3 15 43 Percent of Total 12 15 8 20 9 16 6 5 3 17 37 Sow \-lith cubs 41 28 28 42 13 16 7 10 2 6 19

J.1ean 1i tter size 2.20 1. 82 2.20 2.30 2.53 1. R7 2.07 1. 60 1.5 2.~so 2.26 Yearlings 205 43 217 84 96 45 148 68 16 6 3 Percent of Total 26 13 29 18 28 . 24 2R 25 16 6 2

Sows w/yearlings 95 19 92 41 40 25 71 34 10 3 1 t-fean litter size 2.16 2. 26 2.40 2.10 2.15 1. 80 2.18 2.00 1.6 2.00 Total bears over 3 years in age 45 7 233 4 71 296 212 116 108 61 50 33 51 Percent of Total 61 72 63 62 62 60 21 22 49 37 44 Sows w/young 136 47 120 83 53 41 78 44 12 19 20 Percent of Pro- ducti ve Females 30 20 16 17 22 21 14 16 12 10 17 14

and bush pilots report a correspondingly low number of bears particularly in the Karluk Lake and Uvak and Uganik Bay areas.

D. Fur Animals, Predators, Rodents and Other ~ ammals 1. Beaver. According to State sealing records, 146 beavers were removed from the refuge durin g the first quarter of this year. Trappers took most of these near the village of Old Harbor. Beaver were alledgedly abundant this year. Most houses observed by trappers appeared to be active with one trapper locating only four in­ active houses compared to ten being active. Worth noting was a further expansion of beaver onto refuge lands. Beaver had moved into the Zachar Bay watershed in 1965 where their dispersal carne to a temporary halt. This year, however, we noticed beaver "workings" in the headwaters of Do g Salmon River and were also informed by guides operatin p in Deadman Bav that beaver now occupied this area as well. Their inherent tendency to improve wildlife habitat makes them an important asset to the refuge fauna. 2. Land Otter. Trapper Joe Want pelted 49 otter this year whtle trapping in Terror Bay. Don Slater escaped the civilization woes early l a st spring an d tranped in the 1oser Bay during his vacation and cau ght 16 otter. We estimated 150 otters were taken from the refu pe this year. 3. Fox. Seventeen fox were seen while makin g e arle survey O'ill8 1ay along the shoreline of Aliulik Peninsula. The sightings were made in two hours flvin ? time. Fox trapping receives more attention durin g lulls in otter activity and at least 125 were pelted this year. Fox continue to recover from the low of 1963-64. 4. Weasel. Weasel appeared abundant a gain this year. 5. Snowshoe Hares. Snowshoe hare observations were limited to st gns made in the Karluk Lake vicinity and hares appeared low in number compared to last year and more particularly to what was noted in 1965. 6. Tundra Vole. Voles appeared in moderate numbers. E. Hawks, Eagles, Crows, Ravens and 1agpies

1. Hawks. ~rs. Beverly Horn of Kodiak reported seeing a ) goshawk retrieving a dead varied thrush which apparently 15

died from striking a picture window. Re f u pe nersonnel observed a pair of pyrfalcons harass a pair o~ bald eagles on 28 July near Spiriclon Bay. A photograph of the incident is contained in this report. Pi peon hawks were seen on two occasions near the Gibson Cove orfice building this fall. 2. Ea gles. Bald eagle survevs were made to facilitate a reasonable estimate of population size and productivitv. Service a ircraft N723, piloted by either ~essrs. Berns or Hensel, was used f or this purpose. The location and number of nests found in 1967 compared to the past fnur years, is tabulated in Table 7.

A new record was established insofar as 166 occupied nests were totaled after makinP the initia l survev in ~ay. An occupied nest refers io a nest c o ntainin ~ an incubating adult. In July, 32 !'J ercent or 54 nests were revisited on foot to evaluate nesting success. These data provided a basis for protectin ~ producti on in­ clusive of the total nestinr population. We found from this samp le that 17 ne sts formerly occunied had been abandoned. This indicated about 68 percent o f the nesting pairs were successful in raisin p voun p to the fledgling stage and produced an averaQ e of 1.7 younr per ne st (Table 8). In conclus ion we calculated 200 eagles were produced on the refu ge t his year. During spring , 15 pairs established territories inside the Karluk drainage where an opportunity existed t o study eagles in more detail. Thirteen pairs actually nested and later accounted for rearin 23 younr (Table 9). Nesting success was 87 percent. This term is the ratio of nests with young to nests containinr incubating adults. Standard U. S. Fish and Wildli fe Service leg bands were placed on 56 eagle fled g l~n p, s in July. Thus f a r, 137 eagles have been banded at this refuge and to date onlv one recovery has been ma de. The merit of banding ea ple is indeed questionable. Seasonal Aide Terrv Grubb collected f ood remains from e a ?le nests which will be discussed in the section dealing with fi e ld investi Pa tion s .

3. Crows, Ravens and 1a~pie s. These three s pecies are abundant res1dents w 1ch appear to unde r o little change in numbers from one season to the next. No noteworthy observations have been made t his year.

) Table 7. Location and number of bald eagle nests on t Kodi Re 1963 throu 196 7. '

Occupied sts Unoccunied sts 196 3 196 1965 1966 196 7 1963 1964 1965 1966 196 7

Uganik & Terror 27 17 21 20 27 31 24 21 17 20 Spiridon & Zachar Bavs 21 12 15 14 22 36 17 21 17 12

Uyak Bav 23 10 18 19 17 38 10 25 20 13

Outer Shore of Uvak to Olga B 12 13 12 19 20 3 R 3 6 7

rluk Lake and River 12 9 11 11 18 26 6 7 6 8

Ki1iuda to Kaiugn 14 5 12 9 13 8 7 14 9 7

Kaiugnak to Su1ua Bay 28 11 14 13 33 3 12 6 3 5

Dog Salmon River & De a an B 13 6 12 10 11 11 12 4 3 11 -designated Areas 2 1 7 8 5 0 1 2 2 1

Total 151 84 122 113 166 156 97 102 83 8 Table 8. Productivity of bald eaples at the Kodi ak Refuge from 1963 thru 1967.

No. ~ests Containin? No. Nests ~o. Occupied No. Abandoned Active 1 2 3 Youn g/~ est Year Revisited :-Jests Nests Nests (%) y g v g v g (Ave.)

196 3 76 49 27 63 20 26 3 1. 6

1964 45 22 23 so R 13 1 1.7 1965 35 19 16 54 1.4 1966 . 39 24 15 62 10 14 0 1.6

196 7 54 37 17 68 11 26 0 1.7 Table 9. A summarv of bald ear le ne~tinr ::tctivitv ~t K:lrluk L:1ke , Kodiak Refure from l Q52 th ru 19 n 7.

Pairs _ PRirs Pairs with ~o . n . r e rcen t :~ 0 . bird~ with OCCU;1vin.r unoccunied VOUn 9 nests with success* ner Yea r terri to rv nests nests fledl!ed voun n occupied (act ive) (inactive) fled t1ed nest

1952 1 R

1956 10 1958 10 14 1959 14 10 1960 12 6

1961 14 8 6 5 4 so O . ti ~

1962 16 14 2 1:) 8 57 n. ~) ~

196 3 15 9 6 9 5 56 1. nfJ

1964 14 8 6 11 6 75 1. :? 0 1965 11 13 6

1966 13 9 4 1 :) 7 77 1 . {) ~) 196 7 15 13 2 23 13 'fJ,7 l. 7..,

*Success as used he r e lS (l ratio n r the num ber of nests with voun~ fl ~J.r e cl to t ~ e numb er of acti\·e nests. :r.; 19

F. Other HirJs . A new addition to the refu~e birJ list was made this vear bY Refuge '.1anaper Berns who, on FebruarY 25, observed a northwestern shrike in the ga rden hY the resi­ dence builJin .~ .

G • '1 a r i n e ~ 1a mm a 1 s . S i r n i ri cant o b s e r v a t i on s ma de on ma r i n e mammals th1s Year were incidental to ratrol activities nnd field studies and include: 50 pornoises in rroups of 4-li animals on ~arch 13; 530 hair seals, 740 sea lions on '1aY lR; 175 hair seals, Alitak Peninsul::t on ~1av 21; 7 killer whales movinp in a soutl11vest direction throuf'h lJf'anik Passa~e on Julv ZR; numerous si~htin f's of gra Y whales at Spruce Cane durin .!! .June-Julv; 40 sea lions, Little River Rock on October 28.

The classi c observation concerned a walrus beinn sif'hteJ September R or 9 by 1r. Curtis J. Jeppson of Kocli:1k. ~1r. C:urtis asserted that the animal was \vith a b:-md of se::~ lions beached on Little River Rock. lie confirmed the identity by notinr the mammal had medium size tusks. The ~av onlv other walrus record was established in . 1953 bY. the late Charles -'fadsen who collected a meclium size mG le from Uyak Bay.

H. Fish 1. Commercial Species. This vear ma rked the lowest salmon pack on record anJ despite good intentions runs continue to diminish in quantity (Table 10). The reasons (s) is onlv partially understood, hut increases in fishinr effort and gear ef f iciencY obviouslv effect this decline.

The red salmon research pro~ram conducted bY the State has produced some impressive results at Fraser Lake. This lake was chosen as a study area early in 1950 to test the feasibilitY of establishin~ a red salmon run in a barren lake. Heretofore, anadromous species were unable to penetrate this SYStem owinr to a series of impassable waterfalls. A ladder was constructed con­ current to transplanting adult red salmon and eggs. Additional nlants were made annuallY and in 1967 the fruits of this labor were fullv appreciated because 134,124 red salmon smolt left the lake, and 14,500 adults re-entered the lake to spawn. State nersonnel released an additional 7,334 salmon and transferred 790,000 fertilized eggs again this vear. This stock came from Red Lake and as far as can be determined , the operation has had no adverse effect on salmon in this watershed. Sixtv thousand kin r salmon egQs were also planted in Fraser Lake which mav eventuallY enhance our sport fishery. Table 10. Commercial salmon catch in the Kodiak District from 1959 thru 1967 as compiled by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Year King Red Silver Pink Chum Total 1959 1,837 330,087 14,512 1,967,058 733,784 3,047,278 1960 1,191 362,194 54,213 6, 6 84, 79 8 1,133,412 8,235,808 1961 864 407,979 28,579 3,926,023 518,935 4,882,380 1962 1,095 784,664 53,831 14,115,832 794' 717 15,750,139 1963 286 407,040 57,011 5,480,158 305,061 6,249,556 1964 1,302 477,938 35,567 11,861,785 932,219 13,308, 811 1965 705 283,403 11,433 2,832,723 412,319 3,540,583 1966 566 608,137 64,127 10,591,649 753,815 12,01R,294 1967 1,735 308,404 10,354 187,343 226,217 734,071

N 0 2 1

) 2. Sport Fishery. The followin{T resuMe' is from St<1te Fishery Biologist, Dick ~arriott, who assisted refure personnel with sport fishery nrograms: " ,\erial ob­ servations for steelhead were made on Fraser River (10 fish counted) and at Karluk River (16 fish counted) on ~ay 11. According to the Portage Recreation Cabin LoR, 19 steelheads were taken in April bv subsistence fishermen from Larsen Bay. A drift of the entire Karluk River on July 22 and 23 was made for the purpose of obtaining relative distribution of kin~ salmon. At this time 103 king salmon had been counted above the weir at Karluk Lake. f-rom the weir to Portage cabin, a total of 450 kinps were counted mostly in the pool areas near the mouth of Silver Salmon Creek. From Portage to the Karluk Lagoon, 575 kings were counted in widely spaced deeper areas. From these counts, a minimum total of 1,500 kinps is estimated for the entire river. Unusuallv early hi gh water in Karluk River resulted in 126 steel­ head beinr counted through the BCF weir at Karluk Lake by August 28." I. Diseases. Nothing to report on diseases or related issues.

t I I. REFUGE DEVELOP.1ENT AND '1AINTENANCE A. Physical Development. A lack of funds precluded anv major physical developments on this refuge. ~inor projects in­ cluded the construction and installation of snecimen cabinets in the refuge manager's office, renovating the shower stall in the residence building, constructinr and erectinr new sets of signs on two campground locations at Sniridon Lake, and installing shelves in the library which has been jointlv used w1th the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries.

B. Maintenance~ ~aintenanceman Joe Johnson was busv in Januarv working on frozen waterlines, repairing skiffs and over­ haulinr. the pickup truck wench . During the next three months, , 723 received an annual inspection, and the "-1/V KODIAK BEAR II as well as refuge vehicles required minor maintenance. The exterior of the residence buildinp was repainted in June, and two public recreation cabins were repainted during August. The bunkhouse and shnn buildinrs also were painted at this time. In September Joe Johnson refinished a dory at Karluk Lake and reserviced all out­ board motor equipment. Aircraft N723 underwent a 100-hour inspection during August. Considerable effort was expended on preventive maintenance in respect to vehicles, outboard motors, and 1/V KODIAK BEAR I I.

!, 22

c. Collections and Receipts. Two eagle carcasses \¥"ere salva~ed thls year and forwarded to G~A Tremblay for final disposition. The death of one eagle was obviously attributed to a olinker's bullet. The second bird died of an unknown internal disorder while beinp held captive bv a State Protection Officer.

A series o f salmon eg~s were collected in September from Karluk River and shipped to the Universitv of Idaho. Two bear skins were collected from hunters in violation. These will be used for demonstration purposes after being returned from a tannery. The bear skin salvaged as a result of a defense of proparty incident now adorns the office vestibule. Three fox skins purchased from a Kodiak trapper have been tanneJ and will also serve as visual aides. The following specimens have been collected from bears taken by sporthunters: 9 female reproductive tracts, 13 unpaired testes. 1 baculum. 9 female anJ 7 male skulls.

D. Fires. One fire occurred on the refuge near Terror Bav the end of ~ay. This fire was inadvertently caused bv hunters who distin ~ uished the blaze a fter it consumed about 10 acres of ~ras slana. pleruro l-~1-,(;.k L 1 ice 1+-- ? IV. RESOURCES MANAGE fENT A. Grazing Lease. No changes occurred in the administration of the only active lease held by Daniel Boone Reed of Uganik Bay. B. Special -Use Permits. Fifty permittees were actively on record. The perm1ts renewed included two canneries. one warehouse and 46 privately owned cabins which were used primarily by fishermen and guides. Fees totaling $1.280 were forwarded to the Re gional Office. and to date seven permittees are delinquent in fee payments. Newlv issued permits this vear concerned three privately owned cabins and an ownership change of a tracked vehicle. Two permits ascribed to private cabins were cancelled.

C. Trapping. Six individuals received t rappin ~ permits this year. :n

V. FIELD fNVESTIGATIO~S A. Kodiak Brown Bear. A special report concerninp field 1nvest1gat1ons conducted from the Karluk Subhead~u~rters appears unJer senarate cover. A monograph coverinp brown bear research has been orepared in draft form. Hopeful!~, this will be published in the North American Fauna Series. Tag recoveries totaled ei pht with six bein0 from bears taken inside Karluk drainage stud~ area, one from Aknlura Lake (17 linear miles) and the other from .Jap Ba~ (25 linear miles). Sixty-five identifiable recoveries have been made as a result of tagging or marking 218 individual bears. Two bears were accidental!~ killed this summer bv drug ein r procedures after beinr recaptured near Karluk Lake. B. Bald Ea gles. The followin g excerpt was taken from the field report on bald eag les prepared bv Seasonal Aide Terrv Gruhb: "Food items were collected from 22 nests (Table 11). Salmon occurred in 46 percent of the nests visited. Gull remains, found in 41 percent of the nests, were second in occurrence. This food item was more common in nests located near marine shorelines. Trout (Doll~ Varden) .:t.nd duck (uniJentified) remains were third in fre~uencv of occurrence. The remaininr items - mussel (shell), fox (hair), shrimp (lePs), and kelp - were collected only once.

Food items seemeJ indicative of availabilit~. The hi gh per­ centage of red salmon was coincident to a peak in the Karluk Lake salmon run. The gull remains, of which a large portion was iJentifiable as immature, were noted durinp the latter part of this bird's nesting season. Young were nearlv adult size but unable to fly at that time and woulJ have been easv prey for eagles."

VI. PUBLIC RELATIO~S A. Recreation Uses. The reader is referred to 'IR-6 contained 1n the appendage of this report for an account of public recreation. By order of importance, bear huntinp, sport fishing, deer huntinp, upland rame huntinr, boating, pho­ tography and berry picking were primarv fnrns of recreation activities.

) Table 11. od habits inform::ition collected durinr 196 7 bandinr operation.

Food Ite No. Nests bv :-lest No. I terns % bv :-Jo. tal % by \\'ei,Qht Containinp- currence I ntified currence i t Occurrence

Salmon 10 46 16 38 3412 81

Trout 3 1 3 8 465 11

Gull 9 41 10 24 1 5 3

Duck 3 14 3 8 34 1

'fussel 1 5 1 2 9 Trace

Fox 1 5 1 2 race

Shri 1 5 1 2 ace

Kelp 1 5 2

Uni ntified 2 9 6 1 161 4

Totals used in nercenta calculations are: ( 2 nests e ne ) 22 ests contained food material, 2 food tems identifie , 4196 .rrarPs of material collected. B. Refuge Visitors

Date 1 arne Address R. e present in(' 1-2 6 Nick '1nlutin Karluk, Alaska Guide 2-9 Sterling Eide Kodiak, Alaska ADF&G Research 2-2 0 Dick iariott Kodiak, Alaska AD r &G Research 3-3 Janyce 1etzker Kodiak , ,\ l nska Kodiak Is. Bornu~h 3-8 Neil Brown Suisun Citv, Cal. Inventor - visit 3-16 Loren DeChant Anchnrtlge, Aka . HIS Aircr:tft 4- 11 Yule Chaffin Wnodv Island, Aka. Free 1 an c e w r i t e r 4-lR .1artin Eaton Kodiak , Alaska DF&G Research 4-18 Larry Ed field Kodiak, laska ADF&G Resenrch 5-17 Rav Tremblay Anchnrape, Aka . F~S Enforcement 5-19 David L. Spencer Kenai, Alaska BSFW - Insnecti on 5-31 Theron A. Smith Anchora?e, ka. FW S -Aircraft 6-5 Roger Caras :-Jew York, N.Y . Writer & photoP. 6 -13 '-1 r s • n . 1u r i e Jackson Hole, Wvo . Conservationist 6-13 1ildred Capron Jackson Hole, \~y o. Photo r rClpher 6-20 Ed Bellrin~er Chugiak, Alaska Conservation, Alaskan CnmT"lrtn d 6-29 JohnS. Gottschalk Washin _ton, D.C . Di rector , RSF I' 6-29 Clarence F. Pa ut zke Washin gton, D.C. Commissioner nf Fish f, 1\'i ldl i fc 6-29 Congressman Hansen Washington, D.C. Visit - Inspecti on 6-29 Dick Rod~e rs Washington, D.C . Asst . to Sec ' y CaiJ. 7-5 Bill Poland Kodiak, Alaska Guide-Con~ressm an 7-10 Paul 1artin Olym ia, Wash . FWS - Research 7-10 Jack Lent f e r Anchorage , Aka. ADF&G - Game Uiv . 7-21 Loren Croxton Anchorage, Aka . ADF&G - Game Div. 7-21 Edw. W. Wightman Kodiak, Alaska ADF&G - Enforcement 7-21 Gene Tautfest Kodiak, Alaska ADF&G Enforcement 7-21 AJOR C. Wi lson Kodiak Naval Sta. US1C Security 7-21 LCDR Younp, US~ Kodiak Naval Sta. Securitv - Enf . 7-21 Lvons, B\1 1 USi'J Kodiak aval Sta . Securitv - Enf . 7-21 Park 1unsey Kodiak, Alaska Guide 7-21 Frenchy Lamoureux Anchorape, Aka . Guide 7-21 Bill Pinnell 01 a Bay , Ak a . Guide 7-21 Nick Nekeferoff U?anik Bay , Aka . Guide 7-21 Wm . Baumann , Jr. Terror Bav, Aka . Guide 7-21 Kristjan Helrason Terror Bav; Aka . Guide 7-21 Leonard llelgason Terror Bav, Aka. Guide 8- 1 Wm . Lindsey Portland , Ore on BSF~, Realtv Div. 8-1 R. D. '1 unclinger Portland, Oregon BSFW , Realtv Div. 8-2 Darrell Farmen Anchorare, Aka . Jonas Bros. 9-25 Bob Gober Seattle , Wash. Realtv survev 1 0- 6 Frank Cook Anchora.Qe, Akn. Bonne & Crockett 11-5 Will Trover Kenai, Alaska Ke nai \1oo se Rannc 12-6 Jerry Lawhorn Anchornge , Aka . rws- Aircraft Man y local military and civilian visitors requesting infor­ mation on hunting , fishinp, cabin reservations and the refu P,e in general are not listed. C. Refuge Participation: Jan. 4 - "Sen Otters of Am chitka" wa s shown to 32 b iolo flv students at the Kodiak llirrh School.

Jan. 9-13 - Refu Qe ~anager Hensel attended the Alaska Depart­ ment of Fish and Game Division ~ leetinrs nnd pre­ sented a regulation proposal.

Feb. 7 - Refu~e ~anager Berns was guest speaker at the Kodiak Island Toastmasters Club where he showed slides on Refu ge activities to 32 ~embers.

Feb. 10 - Refuge ~iana g er Hensel met with State biolopic:;ts in Anchorage to discuss bear manapcment po licies and investigations. Feb. 13-16- Hensel and Berns attended the Re ional Traininr Conference at Portland, Oregon.

~ tar. 19-25- Berns acted as chairman at Kodiak for "Nationnl Wildlife Week".

~ar. 25 - "Sea Otters of Amchitka" was sho\\'TI to the Kodi ak Rotary Club.

'1ay 8 - The movie "Out of the North" was shown to the Business English Class at the Kodiak Hi gh School. May 16 - Berns rave a slide l e cture concernin r conservation to 26 Sixth Grade pup ils. Oct. 10 - llensel made a 15-minute presentation on AF RTS television acquaintinp the public with refu~e recreation opportunities. Nov. 2 2 - Berns delivered a slide illustrated lecture on Alaska wildlife to Kodiak 4th Grade students.

Dec. 8 - Berns gave two one-hour l e ctures on wildlife biology to 63 Kodiak Hi gh School students. Dec. 11 - The movie "The Big Four" was shown to the Kodiak Hi gh School Biolopy Class. Dec. 12 - Hensel and Berns appeared on AFRTS TV to present a one-half hour pro g ram dealin g with life history habits of Kodiak brown bears and the use of bio­ telemetry techniques.

Refu ge ~anagers Hensel and Berns were active in Toastmasters throughout the year. They also visited several hunting cam ps to give tips on care and preparation of trophies. 27

"Know Your Alaskan Refuges", an article on the Kodi ak National Wildlife Refuge, written bv llensel and Berns, appeared in the Al aska Sportsman (copy ap pende d). D. Huntinf. All lands comprising the Kodi ak Refuge are open to hun ing in accordance to Alaska Game and Guiding Re gu­ lations contained inside the rear cover of this report. The earlier discussion on the status of refupe bear popu­ lations these past three years gave c ause to ti ghten hunting regulations. The proposal for closing the brown bear hunting season on ~ay 20 in lieu of May 31 is expected to aid in the recovery of brown bear numbers. Durin g the past three vears, 32 percent of the annual harvest was attributable to hunting the last half of 1ay. This recent change should decrease the annual harvest bv about 15 percent, provided of course, the re gulation does not concentrate hunters the followin g fall. This situation is not ex ected to occur because other big game seasons will likely absorb the bulk of hunting pressures. The results of overharvestin g was made mani fest by the absence of bears, particularly subadults, f rom s a lmon streams. This caused the refu ~ e staff to push the panic button and engineer an emergency closure of 520, 000 ac res of refuge land to fall bear hunting. Guides were initially disturbed over the short notice but gave support aft e r recognizin g the over-all objective. The harvest has been the l owe st on record this f all as a result of this re rr ul ation. Further regulations required include (1) having the hunting season on Amook Island current with the season inside the refuge; (2) closing Karluk drainage to fall huntin g ; (3) a permit­ quota system to curb hunter congestion and reduce the bear kill. Hopefully, these may be in effect the next regulatorv year.

E. Violations. ~r. L a wr~nce Thompson and John Cushman of Fatrban,s, Alaska were apprehended after shooting two brown bear cubs. John Cushman is a juvenile so the case was re­ linquished to the Youth and Adult Authoritv. Mr. Thompson's case has been deferred by the State Magistrate Court and to our knowled e is still pending. F. Safety. Safety precautions were frequently discussed among staff members concerning the use of equi pment and handlin r animals. The only accident involved the Refuge Mana per getting clipped by a foot-snare-sprin causin P a serious puncture wound in the heel of the l e ft hand. Fire prevention practices were en gaged throughout the year at this refuge. 28

VII. OTHER ITEMS Mr. Joe Johnson, Boat Operator and Maintenanceman, was detailed to Juneau November 1 thru December 16 to skipper the M/V POLAR BEAR used by the M&E Division and in the interim, decided to transfer to this post early next year. Mr. Johnson will replace the late Karl Alstead who passed awav in October because of cardiac condition. The excellent performance of Mr. Johnson was a noteworthy contribution to refuge functions and his decision to transfer caused the remaining staff considerable regret. The Kodiak Electric Association laid power lines to the new B.C.F. building this summer, where the Refuge Office is located, so we have not been concerned with power outages that plagued us earlier in the year. The B.C.F. reconstructed the access road to accommodate runoff and seepage so ice formations are now held to a minimum. Rewriting the Refuge Leaflet and devisin a wildlife inventorv plan was completed earlier this year. Refuge 1ana )! ers Hensel and Berns made considerable progress in draftin? manuscripts relating to brown bears and fox respectively for publications in appropriate journals. The Refuge Supercub N723 was dama ged beyond repair by 100 m.p.h. winds which buffeted the Kodiak area during the first week of December. A photo of the wrecka e will attest to the destructive forces of local wind conditions. Appreciation and thanks are due .1essrs. Wendell Dodge and Paul tart in, Olympia Field Research Station, Washington for their unremitting assistance in helping us to inaugurate bio­ telemetry studies at this refuge. About 10,400 miles were covered by refuge aircraft, 1,500 miles by skiff, 800 miles by inboard vessel, and about 300 miles on foot by staff members during field activities of the year. The Prince of Iran and King and Queen of Nepal were the leading dignitaries visiting the refuge this year. The Prince bagged two bears this sprinF, and the King and Queen accounted for a bear apiece during a late fall hunt. The information contained in Sections VI I and VII of this reoort was compiled by Refuge ~anager Berns and Clerk-Stenoprapher Mrs. Phyllis Fredericksen. The remainder was prepared bv Refuge Manager Hensel except as indicated in the text. Mrs. Phvllis Fredericksen accomplished the typing.

February 16, 1968 J Approved by: P~f~ Refuge Supervi~~/ Richard J. Hensel ~d~ ~~ Refuge Manager gvrfalcon ~hoto R raphed in the act of hnr s~in~ a bald eagle. Ph~to bv Hen5el Seasonal Aide r.rubb pauses momentarily before enterin~ a bald enPle ne5t to ccllect food remains and band flod ~ ling~. As part of a food habits study, remains were collected f rorn 22 individual nests and 56 fledglings received leg bands in the process. Photo' by Hensel

A five-week-old fledgling poses for a shutterbug. 1\lthouFh harmless in appear~nce, caution r.tust be exercised in handling these birds because of their sh:trp talons and the high inci­ dence of wound tnrcction. Photo bv Gilbert y /

This fox . was caught in a trail set constructed fnr hro ~hears. ~uch tra~~ h1ve nff~et iaw~ and fortunately the ~nimal was released without beinr serinuslv injured. Photn bv llensel .'vlon ropes were no match for the 100 m.p.h. winds th~t l1shed the municipnl boat ha rbor l ~tc this fall. The floats, radio e~uipment, engine and instru~en t~ ~ere ~nlvaged from our aircr,rt which was otherwise dee eu a total loss. Photo bv Rerns luring a limited live-trapping O:"~eration conducted in .Julv and October, 27 brOlolil hcn rs \<.'ere t~ken by steel trap5 or drug-carryiny, dnrts shot from an air ~un. Here, the insi e upper lin area is cleansed bv Assistant Refu~e Mana er Berns preparatorv to being marked usinp a batten· powered tattooinJ machine. This anesthetized male wei~he d ~no nounds. Photo bv Hense 1 \ curiouc; • ncct1sion.

Six enr were instrumentcJ w"t r~Jin tran m'tter inclu in~ t hi c; sex u a 1 mature f em 1 e • Ov e r 100 moveMent recording w re m de from URUSt thru ~ v mber uc;ino receiving equi m nt ounte in the refuge nircra t or by ortablc receivins units. II re , the r :1 d i o n ten n i s be i n P renared for ol erin bv ~~ t. Refuge tann er B rns bef~re bcin attache<.) in the fonn nf a collar. State Research inlo i t 1 g ve v lu le ·st nee uring the 1967 field inve~t i- male w nesthetize fter eing t ken a s t e e 1 t r :1 n • Ph o to b v If e n ~ e 1 The ~/\ KODIAK BEAR was used extensivelv for patrol purposes and pr0vided mobilitv and q11nrters for a research crew "-'Orking· 0n bald eagle. Photo by Grubb

/\ total of 166 nests were occupied bv incu­ b:ltinR eagle~ during the 1967 nesting sea~nn. About 6R percent of the nesting pnir~ were successful in rearinR voung; produced an averape of 1. 7 voung per nest. rhoto bv Gi I bert ~- ! ---

11 11 LASKA • Life On The Last Ftrontier SPORTSMAN 1- AUGUST, 1967 50c

Earl Fleming, with the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, took the inter­ esting picture on this month's cover while on bear survey work in the Ko­ diak National Wildlife Refuge. It is a "sub-adult" brown bear which had previously been trapped, drugged, and an easily visible ribbon tag placed in an ear to permit biologists to keep better track of "who's who" in t he Kodiak bear world. See page 26. tonnage, shipping, ere. As a matter of fact, if when she was bought, towed to Seattle, of her historic past, the Politkofsky, in che Polito/sky should strike a snag and go to and her hull converted into a coal barge. spirit at least, has continued to play a the bottom some day, ninety-nine persons out of one hundred would ask, "What the deuce is Soon the Politkofsky was on her way to part in northwest history. In 1909, at the the Polito/sky?" The boar now serves as a tug, St. Michael at the mouth of the Yukon, opening of Seattle's Alaska-Yukon-Pacific but there was a rime when it was put to other along with the river steamer W . K . Bt"y ­ Exposition, her big bronze whistle was more warlike uses. When you look at the ant, both towed by the ocean-going tug brought out of storage to sound its fa­ as it goes wheezing and floundering take oath that a strong man with a sharp ax Richat"d Holyoke, and in company with miliar note again. Fitted to a source of could make kindling wood out of it in short the Eliza Andenon. At St. Michael the live steam, the whistle responded by re­ order. Long ago, though, if you could have company planned to transfer passengers mote control when President Taft at his seen the Polito/sky you would have thought to the W. K . Bt"yant, which would then White House deck, pressed a telegraph differently. Thirry years back she was in the key made from Alaskan gold. service of the Czar of Russia and carried an paddle up the Yukon to Dawson and the armament of four guns. Fierce-looking men in Klondike. Fifty years later the Politkofsky was long coats paraded her deck, and at least once a The voyage of the Eliza Andet"son is heard from again. In 1959 the new Mari­ INTERLUDE day, before caviar sandwiches and tongue-bit­ a saga in itself, probably best told by time wing of Seattle's Museum of His­ By ing vodka were passed around, the Greek priest prayed for the great Czar, and the Thomas Wiedemann Sr. in his book, tory and Industry was dedicated, and the MARGARET HIESTER WOOD crew never once dreamed that the day would Cheechako Into Sowrdough. She coaled members of the Seattle Historical Society come when their gallant little sidewheeler twice from the Politkofsky at Port Simp­ did up the occasion in proper nautical would be used in rowing logs for an American son and again at Kodiak, with still an­ style. A christening bottle filled with OR THREE YEARS on our small boat sawmill, and carrying prunes, dried apples, flour, beans, pork and other necessities of life ·orher coaling at Unalaska planned. Short­ spruce beer brewed from Captain Van­ Fcruises to Southeast Alaska I had to loggers, who probably do not know the ly after leaving Kodiak the flotilla ran couver's recipe of 1792 was smashed and yearned to meet an Alaskan brown bear, usually known as "brownie." Last year I was positive there would be one ambling along a trail or catching fish in a stream on the islands we visited. At each anchor­ age I happily imagined into "brownie" every dark boulder along the shore, but even with powerful binoculars I failed to see a single massive beast. In June, we on the "ARCADIAN" joined our friends on the "PA WDEE" for our summer cruise to Alaska. We headed for eastern Baranof Island and I was sure brownies would be sitting on the shore of that waterfall-slashed wilderness. Whenever we anchored in a qui y, the others fished while I stalked the shy

brownies with my camera. In Red Bluff SEATTLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Bay waterfalls creased the mountainsides The Politofsky at Port Blakely, Bainbridge Island, 1891. At this time the Russian ship had become a log towboat. and eagles soared. At Warm Springs Bay salmon were jumping, and up in the lake White Czar and have no reverence for the into a gale and the Eliza Andet"son be­ the Politkofsky's whistle sounded again. the trout flashed a challenge. great Russian Empire. The Polito/sky passed came separated from the H olyoke and her Her whistle remained silent, on display Takatz Bay must surely be the perfect into the hands of the United States when Alaska was purchased, and later, when stripped row. After battling the storm for days the at the museum until 1962 when again it bear hideout, I reasoned. We anchored of its armament, it became the properry of the Eliza Anderson made Unalaska, but was heard, this time at the opening of near a rock islet. Our companions jigged Port Blakely Mill Company. It isn't much of a through a misunderstanding the Holyoke Seattle's Century 21 exposition. for halibut and we rowed quietly around gunboat now, you'll admit, but it is doing with the coal-laden Politkofsky had gone This year marks the Centennial of the point to the river mouth. Geese flew civilization a better service in rowing logs chan on. Now with no coal and her engine by destroying commerce and killing men. Alaska's purchase and not only Alaskans, from the grassy edge of the zircon clear plates badly sprung by the storm, the but many people "outside" are celebrat­ Eliza Andenon was abandoned, her pas­ water. By 1897 the Politkofsky's rowing days ing the event. Since Klondike days, Seattle "There's something moving into the were over and she rested on the beach at sengers continuing on to St. Michael on has been known as the Gateway to Alaska, woods! " I excitedly whispered. Port Blakely. This would doubtless have the Bat"anoff, a whaiing ship. and strong ties connect the big city on "Only a deer! " my husband replied. been her last resting place except for the While this drama unfolded, the other Puget Sound with the Great Land. Somewhat later I exclaimed again, Klondike gold rush. During the stampede ships in the expedition were fighting for "There! By the rock!" of 1897 the demand for passage to Alas­ their lives. After battling heavy seas for The Seattle Historical Society has cap­ "No, it's just an otter sliding into the ka and the Yukon was so great that tran­ days, the Holyoke with her wallowing tured the Centennial spirit in fine style, sea for his fish dinner." sportation companies scoured the back­ row finally reached St. Michael. Now the and during this summer and fall, their As we beached the dinghy I wouldn't waters of Puget Sound for anything that Po litkofs ky was tied up in front of the special Alaska Centennial exhibit is on give up, "Well now, there has been a would float. One of the ships salvaged North American Trading and Transpor­ display in two wings of Seattle's Mu­ bear here! See that track?" I triumphantly from retirement was the old steamer and tation Company's station and forgotten. seum of History and Industry. Because of pointed. former mailboat Eliza Andenon. The The neglected old hulk soon sank at the importance of shipping in Alaska's The following day we discovered Kas­ Northwestern Steamship Company soon her moorings but her stout cedar hull re­ past, the Maritime wing holds a special nyku Bay. It offered wonderful bear cover had the old sidewheeler in running con­ mained intact, awash in shallow water interest, and a prominent exhibit is the in high grass and brush on the flats at the dition and by removing all non-essentials until 1915, when it was broken up by a old "Poly's" big bronze whistle. One hun­ foot of Hidden Falls. The old mill houses, they managed to find space for 116 pas­ storm. As wreckage ·washed ashore, her dred years ago its blast echoed across abandoned and rotting, sprouted blue- sengers. copper spikes were pulled and sold as Sitka Harbor when the American Flag berry and salmonberry bushes. \ l J ith all tickets sold, the only problem curios, some finding their way into mu­ went up. Since then many people have W as that a bear behind that chf ~f _ .ining was how to carry enough coal seums but most sold intact or made into heard its note on Puget Sound, and al­ luscious red salmonberries? I quietlis{alk­ for the proposed 2,300-mile voyage from letter openers for the tourist trade. though silent now it seems to be just ed with my pre-focused camera. Peering Seattle to the Klondike. It wasn't long Thus the long career of the Politkofsky waiting for a good head of steam to once through the last clump of covering brush, before someone thought of the old Polit­ ended, in Alaskan waters some 1,000 again announce an important event in only the absolute silence of a fresh track kofsky. The refueling problem was solved miles from where it began. But because Pacific Northwest history. t:,

ALASKA SPORTSMAN • A UGUST, 1967 25 KODIAK NATIONAL \JILDLI~£ REFUGt:

LEGEND

A. CAMPGAOUJ>IO 0 REGA£ATION CA81 t.l 0 REFUGE FIELD HE:AOQU.O.IITER S 0

WILL TROYER Mother brownie and two yearling cubs. The cubs usually stay with the mother for two years. These two youngsters weigh only around 140 pounds. When they are full grown they may weigh up to 1,400 pounds.

The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge By VERNON D. BERNS AND RICHARD J. HENSEL Another in a "Know Your Alaskan Refuges" series

PACIFIC OCEAN HE KODIAK National Wildlife Ref­ try valued at over $10,000,000 on Kodiak. Small islets adjacent to the refuge have T uge, established in 1941, covers two­ Variations in vegetation and terrain rookeries of cormorants, puffins, kitti­ N thirds of Kodiak Island and includes makes a paradise for the nature lover wakes and sea gulls. Whales, porpoises, Uganik Island. This constitutes 1,815,000 and photographer. The Sitka spr~ce forest seals, sea lions and the once nearly ex­ acres dedicated to the preservation of on the northern part recedes into color­ tinct sea otters are often seen offshore. natural habitat for the Kodiak bear, the ful alpine plants as one moves toward Halibut, Dolly Varden, steelhead, and primary objective of the refuge. Sur­ the southern end of Kodiak. Mountain­ salmon are available to the sport fisher­ rounded by refuge boundaries are seven sides are hosts to salmonberries, elder­ man. one-mile-square village sites and the Kar­ berries and alder thickets, all of which help No special permit is required to enter luk Indian Reservation. Most of the ref­ create ideal habitat for the Kodiak bear. the refuge which is open to hunting and uge contains extremely rugged terrain Prior to 1924 the only land mammals fishing in accordance with Alaska Fish with snow-capped mountains rising over were Kodiak bear, land otter, fox, weasel, and Game Regulations. The refuge is 4,000 feet in elevation to heathlands sim­ ground squirrel and meadow mouse. Since accessible only by aircraft or boat as there ilar to that of the Aleutian Islands. Spark- that date there have been introductions of are no roads on the refuge lands. · waters and glacial runoff form num- the Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain us lakes and over 350 streams where goat, reindeer, beaver, muskrat and snow­ The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge some or all five species of the Pacific shoe hare to refuge lands. Bald eagles headquarters are located at Kodiak. De­ PHYLLIS FREDERICKSEN salmon migrate to spawn. The continued can be found along the cliffs of the coastal tailed information my be secured by writ­ refuge protection of these streams help to areas and in cottonwood trees near major ing the Refuge Manager, Box 825, Ko­ account for the commercial fishing indus- streams an.d lakes. diak, Alaska 99615. 26 ALASKA SPORTSMAN • AUGUST, 1967 ALASKA SPORTSMAN • AUGUST, 1967 27 VERNON BERNS O'Malley Lake on Kodiak Island from a bear survey lookout.

Surf at Cliff Point. Much of Kodiak Island is rugged shoreline. .------WILL TROYER

This sow, photographed by Earl Fleming, apparently heard the photographer and reared for a better look. The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge was primarily dedicated t o ~~~ ' I \ preserve the natural habitat of the famed Kodiak brown bear.

ALAS KA SPORT S MA N • AUGUST, 1 96 7 28 A L A S KA SPO RTSMAN • A UGUST, 1967 29 DOROTHY JEAN RAY WI LL TROY ER Ancient battles took place near here between Siberian and American Eskimos, Creeks crowded with spawning salmon "keep the table set" all but nobody knows what these rock paintings mean, or who put them summer for the famed brown bears of Kodiak Island. here. They are the only known Alaskan Eskimo rock paintings. This is a stream flowing into Karluk Lake.

Kittiwake colonies crowd the cliffs. ROCK PAINTINGS ON THE TUKSUK By -DOROTHY JEAN RAY

"THE ANGUTKUK who made those pic­ the colors are the same as in their youth The camps are within sight of the tures said they were never to be though parts of figures have become stately Kigluaik, or Sawtooth, Mountains taken away, bur were to remain there blurred or obliterated. where in the legendary past, human be­ forever." This area of the paintings blends a rich ings, giant eagles, wolves, and other ani­ A medicine man ( angutkuk) had mythological heritage with a long Eskimo mals performed memorable deeds that painted two groups of figures in the dis­ and European history in a setting of great formed a basis for the Messenger Trading tant past on a vertical slab of rock at the beauty. Many hapless tourists tO Nome, Feast. In this ceremony, which is locally water's edge of Tuksuk Channel (river), and even Teller, carry away the impres­ called the Eagle-Wolf dance, one village twelve miles southeast of Teller. They are sion of a monotOnous treeless plain bor­ played host to another for many days of the only Eskimo pictographs in northern dering an equally monotonous sea. There exciting activities. In the old village of Alaska, and can be seen only from a boat are, of course, those who find magic in the Kauwerak on the lower Kuzitrin, these in summer or from the ice in winter. treeless tundra's sweep toward infinity; mythological events were immortalized in but others, who crave speaacular sights, stories, songs, dances and ceremonial ob­ One group of fourteen dancing figures, can find them on the little traveled trails jects. They have not been forgotten; for six to nine inches high, is apparently in­ of this area, particularly from the Tuksuk example, the Sawtooth peaks in the form tact, but the other is partially gone, and to the upper Kuzitrin River. of wooden triangles are still placed on the has only three indistinct figures left. A In the latter nineteenth century the rim of an unusual box drum whose boom­ man shooting a caribou with a bow and Tuksuk Channel was used for fishing and ing note in the old festivities represented arrq:v, and people in a skin boat have fall­ travel by both Teller and Igloo, or Kau­ the beat of the giant eagle's heart. Such e..__.,Ot o deep water. -::_// werak ("sandbar") Eskimos, who lived a drum can usually be seen at the arts and The figures are painted in black graph­ mainly on the Kuzitrin. Nowadays family crafts building in King Island Village ite, with occasional dabs of red ochre. fishing camps of canvas tents occupy the near Nome. Fish egg oil presumably was used as a Tuksuk's entire length during the July In the summer of 1964 during the fixing agent. According to the oldest men and August salmon season. course of anthropological research I was A LAS KA SPORTS MAN • AUGUST, 1967 31 30 ALASKA SPORTSMAN • AUGUST, 1967 Frederick William Beechey, the English explorer, discovered and named both Gramley Harbor and Port Clarence, the only protected deep bay in northwest Alaska. ~"'\tween 1848 and 1854 ships search­ it.b -~or survivors of Sir John Franklin's third expedition spent several winters frozen in the ice near the village of long abandoned Sinramiut on the northern shore of Port Clarence. The sailors, who made periodic forays into the country­ side for information, became acquainted with Eskimos for many miles around. They also purchased fish, birds, and cari­ bou meat from the Igloo people, who were primarily caribou hunters at that time. One day in March 1854, Acting Second Mate W . R. Hobson of the Rat­ tlesnake reported that he could have bought 1500 pounds of meat at "Show-e­ DOROTH Y JEAN RAY yuk" ( Soiyak), a small village on the up­ Nome-Teller Highway is .about ninety miles long and was per Kuzitrin. completed in September, 1966. Photo was taken near Sullivan in 1964. Libbysville, the first non-native village in northwest Alaska, was founded on the northern spit between Port Clarence and line across Bering Strait and Siberia, but Daniel B. Libby, commander of the Gramley Harbor on September 17, 1866. the project was abandoned after the At­ Port Clarence contingent, gave his men Its population of forty men was composed lantic telegraph cable succeeded. Libbys­ advice that is as timely and important of Western Union Telegraph Company ville was vacated on July 2, 1867, and the now as it was then. In the second issue of employees, and its several buildings in­ buildings given to the Eskimos, but when their monthly newspaper, "The Esqui­ cluded a "hotel" for visiting Eskimos. Clarence L. Andrews, the historian, visited maux," he forbade employees to "molest The telegraph company planned to con­ the site of the village in the 1930's, he or take away any relic from any [Eskimo} nect North America and Europe with a could find no trace of it. grave or graveyard, to be enforced." John Kakaruk's ancestors lived here at this old site of the village of Kauwerak, an important caribou camp. ) John and Ruth Kakaruk at the reindeer and fishing camp of lpnuk at the mouth of Canyon Creek. Here the outside world seemed far away-"the whistling taken by boat from Teller to Mary's Igloo We went first to the Kakaruks' fishing heights contrasting dramatically with the of terns and the wind"-but faintly heard was the sound of via the Tuksuk Channel and Imuruk Ba­ camp, Titkaok, near the pictographs, and flat tundra and lake below. No wonder bulldozers bringing road and "progress" here. sin by John E. Kakaruk, owner of a rein­ then south to their July corral, Ipnuk, at the mountains had become a major theme deer herd, and his wife, Ruth. John E., the mouth of Canyon Creek. On our way for the Eskimos' artistic and ceremonial who died in 1965, had spent most of his to Canyon Creek the high banks of the activities. life in this area, and knew every knoll of deep twisting river hid us periodically In the isolation of Ipnuk, one felt that land and every quirk of Imuruk Basin, a from the mountains, but at each turn their the rush of the outside world could not huge lake that can rage as dangerously in snow-streaked peaks increasingly domi­ possibly enter a silence varied only by the a storm as any ocean. nated the landscape, the precipitous whistling of terns and the wind. But we had been there only a short time when we heard the faint, yet persistent, drone of giant earth-moving machines working day Titkaok, fishing site on Tuksuk Channel. and night building the new N ome-Teller DOROT H Y JEAN RAY highway ten miles away. The road was completed in September 1966 and may eventually connect Teller and Nome with Fairbanks, opening up hundreds of miles of inaccessible country. The Bering Sea will then be reached by automobile from anywhere in the United States. This is viewed with mixed feelings. It will give wilderness lovers a chance to visit unusual country, seen usually from an airplane, but there is also worry about the time when roadsides will be strewn with beer bottles, cabins will be looted, and anything that looks like an archeolo­ gical site will be molested. Exploring and commercial expedi~ ;,., ns l. visited the Teller-Igloo area more .} ' 1 .b than any other part of Seward Peninsula because of a good harbor, but they brought few changes until the gold rush at the turn of the century. In September 1827

32 ALASKA SPORTSMAN. AUGUST, 1967 ALASKA SPORTSMAN • AUGUST, 1967 33 Left above: An old store in the ghost town of New Igloo. Left below: Last remnants of an old sod house at Mary's Igloo. Right: The house in the foreground belongs to Eddie's uncle. At this far northern latitude the cottonwood is a "real tree."

This is Tuksuk Channel, looking south to the Kigluaik Mountains. It is easy to understand here why the mountain~ have. ~~come a major theme for Eskimo art and for ceremon1al act1v1t1es. MARY'S IGLOO Photos and Story by ' . REV. LEE H. LUEBKE In another issue he said that they were taken ashore at Teller Reindeer Station after World War II, even though a few not co haggle over purchases from the near the same Sinramiut of forty years families moved to New Igloo in 1923. New Igloo was also abandoned after the Eskimos; were. not co offer two prices; before. ( A few reindeer had been placed war. A few people continue to have part­ ARY's IGLOO is a tiny village site ready, but Eddie's older brother, Peter, Kuzitrin River, some of the most pleasant and were co treat the people fairly and without supervision on the Aleutian time homes in Mary's Igloo. This inland that is a green oasis of water and helped us set up a tent. In a few minutes hours I have ever spent. Wildlife was all offer accommodations in the hotel. Islands in 1891, but they died.) The M village has a pleasantly warm climate in trees located north of the Saw Tooth coffee was brewing and we relaxed, chat­ around us. Ducks sprang from around The Kauwerak Eskimos were so active reindeer station was later known as Teller Mission, and is now Brevig Mission, with summer and a splendid view of the Kig­ (or Kigluaik) Mountains in the Seward ting about everything under the sun. each hidden curve and often splattered in guiding and trading that they seemed about a hundred inhabitants. luaik Mountains, but the presence of al­ Peninsula. I am the Lutheran Pastor at While talking we realized we'd left a lot across the surface with their half grown co be everywhere between Port Clarence The gold rush to Nome in 1898-1900 most supernatural mosquitos detracts con­ Teller and Brevig Mission. Many of the of necessary gear behind in our rush to get young. Cranes flew over us in their vee and St. Michael, telegraph headquarters spilled over into the Teller-Igloo area, siderably from resort living. people in the parish I serve often spoke going. I had nearly every bit of fishing formations. When we grew thirsty we farther to the south. Because of their and mining camps popped up almost Mining is still carried on to a limited highly of Mary's Igloo and its wonders, tackle I owned, but I had forgotten one simply dipped into the crystal clear water importance, William H . Dall, a mem?er overnight: Teller City, Bering City, Sulli­ extent in the area, but Teller is the only especially as compared to our barren tun­ item, my spinning rod! So we decided Ed­ around us. It tasted as good as spring of the St. Michael force, proposed calhng van City, Spooner, and Mary's Igloo. The gold rush village tp survive beyond the dra here at Teller. So I decided to see it die and I would make a quick trip back co water to me and down in that clear water this land mass, "Kaviak Peninsula" (his 1940's. Old Sullivan, across the hills from myself and arranged to do so with a young Teller in the morning and start out right. we could see many kinds of fish . White­ Kauw~ra. k ), latter was about nine airline miles up­ interpretation of the word, stream from old Kauwerak village. Mary Kakaruks' July corral, was revived tem­ Eskimo couple from Teller. Soon it was midnight. I squished a few fish .were everywhere, usually down to­ but it was named, instead, after Wilham ( the mother of William Oquilluk, a well­ porarily as a highway construction camp Our trip co Mary's Igloo began August more mosquitos and crawled into my rein­ ward the bottom. The snub nosed gray­ H. Seward, the man most instrumental known Igloo man) was a warm-hearted, where gleaming trailers nestled in the 12, 1966, from Teller. After the worship deer sleeping bag. Even though I was flat ling were there also as well as schools of in negotiations of purchasing Alaska from generous woman, who saved many. a same valley as weather-beaten cabins, services were concluded that Sunday eve­ on the ground I was most comfortable, the spawning dog salmon flashing about. We Russia in 1867. poorly equipped stampeder from starvmg which still protected old forges and tools ning; Eddie and Betsy Kakaruk, their skin outside kept out the moisture and stopped for coffee and lunch and Eddie Around 1880 Port Clarence became an or freezing in her cabin or "igloo." In of long ago. eight month old daughter, and Irene and I the long hair interior cushioned and and I did our best to convince those sal­ especially busy harbor when a stockpile May 1901 the Nome News reported that The graveled Teller highway passes the headed east for Mary's Igloo. This is a warmed. David told me in the morning mon that our lures were good to eat, but of coal was placed at Point Spencer for the population of Mary's Igloo had western end of the mountains and threads distance of about forty air miles, but by that he believed reindeer sleeping bags the only reward we had were a few steam whaling ships, which also filled reached 200 and was still growing. It had its way over the Bluestone, Tisuk, Feather, boat we covered many more miles than are warmer than "down" bags. bumps. Often I would stand, minutes at barrels with water from nearby streams. a saloon, a general merchandise store, and Sinuk and Penny rivers on its way to that. Eddie's boat, a sixteen footer that he A calm fine morning greeted us and by a time watching those beautiful fish cruis­ For twenty years Port Clarence was a bus,r a roadhouse. Several shootings had al­ Nom~. Along the route are pieces of old built himself, was pushed by a Johnson 8 a.m., Eddie and I had returned from ing about, before I would cast to them. At rendezvous point for whalers and the1r ready taken place, and more businesses mining equipment; yet for the most part, twenty-eight. That evening Grandy Har­ Teller, repacked and set off. We traveled this point the salmon were just beginning supply boats. As many as two dozen s~ips were in the offing. However, the big the hills and the creeks have changed bor was rough. Eddie headed the boat thru the beautiful Tuksuk Channel that their trip in fresh water and were still were said co have anchored at one nme boom that had made Teller a metropolis little. With greater accessibility to the straight into the north wind and we drove connects Grandy H arbor to Salt Lake bright and in good shape. in the harbor. had already collapsed and it was not long area, it is hoped that Mr. Libby's p" · ~f fr ·"'\jlat shore co avoid the rough water. (Imuruk Basin ). We cut across the north­ As we neared the Kuzitrin River we ~ : Port Clarence's attraction as an anchor­ before Mary's Igloo and all the other a hundred years ago will be observ .or 30 p.m. we arrived at the east end west corner of Salt Lake and traveled often surprised pike lying on or near the many more to come, and that only the age was a deciding factor in the landing little villages were drained of their gold of Grandy, taking a whole hour co travel through a maze of back channels, still surface. Their fast escape would occasion­ weather will make changes in the pictO­ of domesticated Siberian reindeer that rush population. the twelve miles. Here at the east end of moving east, avoiding the open water ally throw water in our faces as we graphs on the banks of the Tuksuk, and were ancestors of today's herds. Between Mary's Igloo replaced old Kauwerak as the harbor, Eddie's father David, has his where the wind was building up. It took scared them. This part of the stream was 1892 and 1902, about 1280 reindeer were an Eskimo village, and was bustling until other treasures of long ago. !::. fish camp. The folks were sleeping al- us five hours to reach the mouth of the quite weedy and since time was moving

34 ALASKA SPORTSMAN • AUGUST, 1967 ALASKA SPORTSMAN • AUGU ST, 1967 35 ing, and enjoying the summer. You North Pacific whaling got off to a slow might say this atea is a vacation spot for start this year, due to heavy fog, bad the Eskimos. Many drive their cars from weather generally, and a catch which was Nome to the bridge, about twenty-five or running more to sperm whales, rather so miles up-river from where we were _and than the more profitable finback variety. ~ eason then come down by boat. We si' 1.t • lasts until October. least a dozen camps in just that littl a. 1... _t.\ ne of the major problems facing the At 5 p.m. we moved on after a quick industry is depleted stocks and the lack of Sewra..rd Peninsula.. lunch and coffee. Soon we came to New a conservation agreement among nations Igloo. This is a ghost town to which the whaling in the North Pacific. A proposal people of Mary's Igloo had once moved made at a conservation meeting in Wash­ to escape the annual spring floods. The ington, D.C. last spring called for a reduc­ huge store, schoolhouse and a half dozen tion in the harvest by ten per cent a year houses still stood in fair condition. Betsy until the currently international catch of remarked as we left, "Those houses look 3,000 annually is cut to 1,500. The pro­ better than the ones in Teller." posal was acceptable in theory to all, but At the north end of the Saw Tooth Soviet and Japanese operators balked (Kigluaik) Mountains stands a low iso­ when it came tO signing a formal agree­ I I I I lated, elongated mountain called Mary's ment. Sawtooth Another of the lovely old buildings ' Mountain, at the foot of which is Mary's or , ,' 1 Igloo or Old Igloo. As we approached at historic Fort William H. Seward, now Kigluaik Hts," I I I ,---·' this mountain I suddenly became aware the thriving community of Port Chilkoot , .. -... ~ I I I of the increasing size of the brush. It is being remodeled for modern day use: tlering I \ Road The E & R (Education and Recreation) \ rrom seems that in the space of only a mile or so it changes from a low dwarf growth Hall will provide the first true theater­ Sea ,/ Nome . with a maximum height of eight feet to like home for the Lynn Canal Community ,:' trees that reach twenty-five or more feet Players, with a large stage, professional and with trunks up to a foot in diameter. lighting, 200-seat auditorium, and lobby We arrived at the village about seven. with fireplace, rest rooms, coat room and )" ..~- ..., We were hardly out of the boat when kitchen. ·9'... another huge boat pulled up, loaded with Lumber carriers of the Japanese Ky­ World's first and only variable scope combine all the thirteen people, two dogs and about 1,000 owa Line are beginning tO sound like a to pounds of cargo. This was the _Willie geographic roll call of Southeast Alaska features required by the shooter who wants everything in we decided to do the same, rather than a dozen old ivory pieces. Most of them ·'-~ir seemed to have been carved into hand Angnaboogook family of Nome on r.) andle ports. With the Sitka Maru fish for them. one scope- for big game. bench shooting and varminting. tools of one sort or another rather than way also to go berry picking. Th .e < dy in service, and the Wrangell Maru About 3 p.m. we arrived at a place from Wales originally, as is Betsy, so and the Ketchikan Maru due shortly, the where there had been an Eskimo village. ornamental jewelry which is a later de­ velopment of the art. Betsy even found a fellowship and coffee flowed freely. After Haines Mat·u made her maiden run to the Power range from 4x with wide field of view for close-in No one seemed to be able to give it a fifteen minutes they went on their way to small piece of jade. Lynn Canal community recently. The ves­ hunting ... to 12x for big magnification for varminting, bench name. This was near the mouth of the their rendezvous with the berries. seL capable of carrying about four million Kuzitrin and on the bank of the river it­ While we were there Washington resting or long-range spotting . .. and virtually without Olanna from Nome stopped by to say After a good supper and getting things board feet of lumber, is under charter tO self. By scratching in the bank among unloaded into Eddie's father's house, Ed­ Alaska Pulp Company, Ltd. and is expec­ point-of-impact change as power is changed! the wood foundations of the old sod "Hello." His boat was heavily loaded with his family and camping gear. They would die and I took our rods and fished above ted tO call at Haines about once a month. houses and by looking in the sand of the the village a few hundred yards. We man­ NEW ! Longer "Magnum" eye relief (3" to 3%") shallow beach we were able to find about spend several weeks picking berries, hunt- Keeping water and sewage systems aged to catch one grayling. However we literally solvent in the Arctic's icy climes made necessary by the growing popularity of the many had forgotten to apply mosquito dope and 1s no easy task. For his work in that field new magnums. The town of Teller before breakup. those mosquitos formed clouds in front of of engineering and his solution to such our faces. Since it was late anyway, and problems in the permafrost regions of NEW ! Foolproof parallax-focus sleeve on the objective bell further persuaded by the mosquitos, we Alaska, Amos "Joe" Alter of Juneau gave up for that day. gained nationwide recognition recently for absolute clarity and accuracy at any range- from We returned to the Kakaruk house. It when he was honored as one of the Top 50 yards to infinity. Adjustment has positive stops at each was in good condition, about fifteen by Ten Public Works Men of the Year. Alter extreme to insure against over-adjustment-and a twenty-five feet, divided into a ~uge is chief engineer for the State Department lock-ring that cannot shoot loose. kitchen and two small bedrooms. An e1ght of Health and Welfare, and has made his by ten combination entrance and stora~e home in Alaska for the past twenty years. room of similar size was attached. Edd1e 6 And that's not all! Redfield now offers a variety of reticles wound the elaborate old grandfather clock at no extra charge! and it kept perfect time during our stay. FOR YOUR ALASKA TRIP Peter's (Eddie's brother) sled was parked . .. Now Booking 1967 dead center in the kitchen. Before the INSIDE PASSAGE CRUISES fall freeze-up, Peter will come by boat • Air and Sea Trips To All Alaska with his dogs and stay until near Christ­ • Travel Independently-or With An Es­ EXEBMEIS" corted Tour. EBEB EBEB mas before going back to Teller for sup­ Our Years of Experience and knowledge of 4-PLEX CH PEEP 4PCCH FCH '!'.~::!~. ,. ,... . 00'!"... . - !.!.CC:':! .•,!A II.~~ - - plies via dog sled. Up in a corner of the Alaska will save you time and money. room a moose rack gave evidence of MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS There's a Redfield Scope for every shooting purpose . .. from Peter's marksmanship. There was a }-c~ of WITHUS •.• $34.95. Your dealer or gunsmith will also show you the ·an Crosson Bonnie Cuthell appropriate mounts and the wide choice of reticles available. hooks with a one inch bite that woof e "Headquarters for Alaska Travel" baited with salmon heads and hung at the BON VOYAGE TRAVEL SERVICE RlldfiE~IdGUN SIGHT CO. ends of the fish nets to catch seal. Hang­ THE BON MARCHE, SEATTLE, WASH. ing on a wire loop were a dozen jigs for MAin 4-0606 5800 EAST JEWELL AVENUE, DENVER, COLORADO 80222 ice-fishing pike. They were three to four Write for New 1967 Pocket Catalog FREE

36 ALASKA SPORTSMAN • AUGUST, 1967 Only Mercury makes a 6 -cylinder outboard.

Two of 'em, in fact. Fastest, most powerful, most dependable out­ boards ever built In 1957, Mercury built the first six. The first 100-HP six-the Mere 1000-introduced in 1962, went on to set more performance and endurance records than any other outboard. The two '67 Mere sixes, featuring Mercury's new Thunderbolt proved ignition without breaker points, are the most powerful, most dependable, . quietest, most economical high-horsepower outboards you can buy. Sixes-the '67 Mere llOOSS-110 HP, and Mere 950SS--95 HP-plus 7 other new Meres for '67: 3.9, 6, 9.8, 20, 35, 50 and 65 HP. See your Mercury dealer-or write for '67 catalog to Dept. AS-8, Kiekhaefer Corp., Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Kiekhaefer Corp., Fond du Lac, Wis.,. Kiekhaefer Mercury of Ca nada, Ltd. Kiekhaefer Mercury of Australia Pty. ltd. Subsidiary of Brunswick Corp.

ANOTHER MERCURY FIRST: THUNDERBOLT IGNITION - Now without breaker points and available on 4 new Meres-50 to 110 HP!