FAN FAVORITE: Alaska Bear Attack | In Defense of Life and Property | 1

0:00Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. This episode originally aired in 2023. A listener note. Against the Odds features dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented. But everything is based on research. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game had no role in the production of this podcast.

0:43Bart Pichuel takes a deep breath, letting the freezing air burn his lungs. His legs ache from the effort of hiking uphill through deep snow. As he exhales, his breath clouds in front of him, and he can't help but smile. It's early afternoon on February 6th, 2021, 10 miles outside of Haines, Alaska. Haines is a small community located along Alaska's Inside Passage, a marine waterway that connects the state's southeastern coast to British Columbia and Washington State. It's geographically isolated, to say the least. The primary way to get to Haines is by boat. A ferry runs a couple times a week from Juneau, the state capital, about 90 miles away.

1:32Otherwise, there's one road that winds over a rugged mountain pass into a remote corner of Canada. Haynes calls itself the adventure capital of Alaska. It draws intrepid souls who are happy to trade the perks of big city life for its remoteness and stunning beauty. For Bart, a tall 38-year-old from Poland, it's heaven. His first glimpse of Hanes was from a snowboarding video he saw as a teenager. Instantly, he fell in love. The icy blue waters, the soaring eagles, the snow-covered mountains. All of it drew him. When he announced that one day he would move there, his friends and family scoffed.

2:18But in 2013, at the age of 30, that's exactly what he did. And it's been everything he dreamed it would be. He's happiest where he is right now, in unspoiled backcountry, far from civilization, surrounded by towering hemlock and spruce trees, traversing over pristine snow. Ahead of him, his friend Jeff Moskowitz trudges up the incline. They're planning to follow the ridge above the tree line and then make their way back down. Moskowitz has his skis strapped to his backpack as they hike. Bart's snowboard is tied to his own backpack. Ahead of both men, and out of sight at the moment, is their other friend, Graham Craft.

3:04The three men have been friends for over five years, and logged hundreds of hours in the backcountry, both together and separately. As Bart continues to climb, he spots something brown and furry about 50 feet in front of him. It's a little bigger than a soccer ball. He squints, trying to see what it might be. He can't tell for certain, but he's pretty sure it's a porcupine. Then he stops short. The porcupine is getting bigger and bigger as more of it emerges from the snow. A jolt of adrenaline surges through him. That's no porcupine. Based on how large it is, it can only be one thing. A coastal brown bear.

3:50Moskowitz must have walked right over its den and woken it up as he hiked just ahead of Bart. The bear fully emerges from under the snow. Coastal brown bears can weigh up to 1 ,500 pounds. This one isn't that big, but to Bart, it still looks massive. The bear wags its head back and forth as it appears to shake off the stupor of hibernation. Then, its eyes focus right on Bart. His mouth goes dry as the bear begins to trundle right toward him. Bart knows he doesn't dare run. Bear's natural instincts tell them to chase fleeing animals, and in short bursts, they can run up to 40 miles per hour, far faster than any human.

4:39And Moskowitz and Kraft are too far away to help. So Bart has to think fast. he has to remember his bear safety training because if he makes one wrong move one mistake this bear could easily kill him

5:05from audible originals I'm Mike Corey and this is against the odds

5:17The town of Haines, Alaska, lies in a region that is one of the densest bear populations in the world. With so many bears, residents have gotten used to them. But over the past few years, climate change has curtailed the bears' natural food sources. And as a result, encounters between bears and humans have more than doubled. This is the story of how bears and humans are struggling to live side by side in a small Alaska town. and the effect a changing environment is having on us both. This is Episode 1, In Defense of Life and Property.

6:01I heard a rumor that the CIA poisoned my granddad. Gordon Banks, the world's number one goalkeeper. It happened in Mexico, supposedly, at the World Cup in 1970. Sounds crazy? I'm an investigative journalist on the hunt for evidence. We needed to do some extraordinary things to counter the Isolians. This is Foul Play, an unbelievable tale of sports, spies and family secrets. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or early and ad-free on Audible.

6:43The End

7:01floodlights. Next to Koch, the local police chief, Heath Scott, blows on his hands to warm them up in the nearly freezing midnight air. It's October 2019. Koch is a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He's flown into Haines from Juneau to look at the growing number of bear encounters the town has been experiencing. The roughly 2 ,000 residents of Haines are used to bears. The small town is surrounded by wilderness, with water on two sides and the dramatic peaks of the Chilkat Range looming behind it. Biologists estimate that there are approximately 300 coastal brown bears in the area.

7:41They're the same species as grizzlies, but even larger thanks to the rich diet that comes from living on the coast. Normally, bears avoid contact with humans, but over the past several months, there's been a dramatic increase in bears wandering into town and damaging property. They've broken boats, damaged ATVs, cracked doors to garages and yurts. Residents are frustrated and on edge. It seems like it's only a matter of time before a bear attacks a human. A cold wind carries a stench from the open pile of trash. Koch wrinkles his nose at the smell. This is not what he imagined working in Alaska would be like.

8:22He thought he'd be spending his days surrounded by pristine nature, watching animals and their natural habitat. Instead, here he is, standing in a trash dump. Koch spent 17 years working as a paramedic in New Jersey before he discovered his passion for wildlife. After spending a summer interning at an Alaska moose reserve, he joined the Department of Fish and Game in 2007. Koch looks over at Scott and points toward the bear, indicating he wants to get closer. Scott nods and the two men begin to creep forward, trying not to alert the bear. Koch has spent the day touring the town with Chief Scott and talking to residents.

9:05It's become clear to him why the bears are coming to town so often, and the answers right here in front of them. Trash. There are laws that require Haines residents to secure what are known as attractants. An attractant is anything that a hungry bear might be drawn to. Livestock, compost piles, especially garbage. But all over town, Koch has seen dumpsters with flimsy plastic lids or rusted out bottoms, allowing bears easy access to the tasty garbage inside. It's no wonder the bears have learned that there's food easily available in Hanes. It's been a poor year for both salmon and berries, key components of the brown bear's diet.

9:49So they're looking for alternate food sources, and Hanes is providing that in abundance. Koch tiptoes forward. This is their fifth bear sighting of the night, but he's not sure if this is a bear they've seen before or a different one. He wants to get close enough to identify it. Koch's foot lands on a stick, and the bear's head rears up. Koch puts his hands on his pepper spray, ready to use it if the bear comes in their direction. Luckily, the bear races off in the opposite direction, leaving a trail of trash scattered in its wake. Koch feels his pulse slow. He walks up to the fresh garbage pit the bear just abandoned, and points to a gap in the electric fence.

10:35This has to be where the bear got in. If the dump would just extend the electric fence to close this gap, it'll block the bear's access to that fresh pit of trash. It'll also keep the other bears from coming here. Scott makes a noncommittal grunt. I've heard that once a trash bear, always a trash bear. Koch has heard that too. It's a common belief that once bears are used to coming into town and lose their fear of people, they'll come back, no matter how secure the attractants are. But Koch doesn't believe it. That's a myth. I really think that if you can get people on board with securing the attractants, I mean truly securing them, the bears will learn that Haynes is no longer an easy source of food, and they'll stop coming.

11:17Scott raises his eyebrows skeptically. I don't know. The bears seem to have lost their fear of humans. I don't think securing attractants is going to be enough. Kott starts to point out that none of the bears they've spotted tonight have let them approach at all. They all seem pretty scared of humans, but he bites his tongue. it won't do any good to antagonize the chief of police. The two of them need to work together if they're going to decrease the number of bear encounters in Haines.

11:50Police chief Heath Scott leans back in his seat and runs his hand impatiently through his slick back blonde hair. His high-back leather chair squeaks loudly. Carl Koch, the biologist from Fish and Game, sits across from him. They're on opposite sides of a wooden U-shaped table. About a dozen town residents sit around the table with them. It's January 2020, and they're at the first meeting of the Haynes Bear Task Force. The bears are now hibernating for the winter, but in the spring, they'll wake up. And before that happens, the task force wants to develop strategies to prevent as many bear encounters as possible.

12:31Everyone agrees that something has to be done, but no one can agree on what. Koch is briefing the task force on his October visit, noting just how many dumpsters he saw overturned by bears around town. It looked like a hurricane had come through. Dumpsters were just flipped everywhere. Scott half listens. He was on that tour with Koch. He doesn't need it described to him. Sometimes, Scott can't believe this is his life. Three and a half years ago, he was in Washington, D.C., working for an agency tasked with protecting all the buildings owned or leased by the District of Columbia. But he and his wife had decided they wanted a slower lifestyle, with more time to spend raising their five children.

13:15So when the job of Haines' police chief had opened up, he applied. Now, instead of spending his days worried about terrorists, he worries about bears. Recently, he's been worrying about bears a lot. Last year, in 2019, his office fielded 179 calls about bear encounters, 100 more than the year before. What was a nuisance is starting to become dangerous. Across the room, Koch is wrapping up his comments. Making certain all dumpsters are secure would go a long way in decreasing the number of bear encounters. Scott leans forward. With all due respect, I'm not sure that will have the impact that we need.

13:58The vast majority of civilians are following the law. It's just not enough given the current environment. Scott knows Koch isn't going to like what he's about to say next. We need to consider strategies to dispatch bears that have crossed from nuisance to safety hazard, even if all they're eating is garbage. No, no, right. Yep. Dispatching a bear is the polite term for killing it. It's illegal in Alaska to kill bears outside of hunting season, unless it's in defense of life and property. Garbage doesn't count as property, but Koch thinks it might be time to revisit that rule. People around the table speak up in agreement.

14:39One resident insists that the bears have gotten lazy. Look at them. They don't even know how to fish for salmon anymore. Koch interjects. There was no salmon for them to hunt. It was a historically bad year for salmon. They're looking for other food sources, and as long as Hanes provides a stable source of food by not securing their trash, the bears will keep coming. People still grumble. One resident says it's ridiculous that they have to live in fear of bears breaking into their homes. Another complains that soon the bears will be going after the chickens and goats that some residents keep on their property.

15:14Koch shakes his head, clearly frustrated. He turns to Scott. At the very least, you and your officers should try hazing the bears. Shoot rubber bullets or beanbags at them. Try to scare them off the garbage. Now it's Scott's turn to shake his head. He's not putting his officers at risk by asking them to antagonize a bear with non-lethal weapons. Before the argument can escalate, the chair adjourns the meeting. As Scott walks out into the cold and overcast day, he feels unsettled. They don't appear any closer to solving the problem, and he worries that it won't be long before a bear hurts someone.

15:58Carl Koch runs his hand over the damaged exterior of a garage wall. He can make out the claw marks in the jagged wood where the bear swiped at it. It's June 2020, five months since the first meeting of the bear task force. Since then, it feels like little progress has been made to curb the bear problem in Haines. Today, Koch is back in Haines to help track down a bear that's made repeated visits to town, causing thousands of dollars in property damage. Nearby, Police Chief Heath Scott talks with the owner of the property. This happened last night? The resident nods. Yeah, a couple nights ago, the bear came and just pushed through the door.

16:39She got into some trash, but last night, she just went straight for the wall. Scott throws a glance at Koch before he asks his next question. And you're sure it was the same bear? Yeah, the noise woke me up both times. I saw a sow with two cubs. Scott thanks the man for his time. As they walk back to Scott's patrol car, he and Koch argue about this latest problem bear. Scott sighs, frustrated. Despite what you think, I don't like killing bears, but this one has become a menace. I've gotten a dozen calls over the past two weeks about her. She needs to be dispatched. Koch knows that Scott's not wrong.

17:19This bear has become what's known as food conditioned. She's been rewarded with food enough times after breaking into garages that now she'll break in even when an attractant isn't present. Back in the 1990s, there were attempts to relocate bears who repeatedly came into town, but it didn't work. The bears had come right back, so killing this bear is the only option. And her cubs will have to be euthanized too, because they're too young to survive on their own. Koch looks around and sees attractants up and down the block. Trees heavy with fruit, open compost piles, trash cans with flimsy plastic lids.

18:00He turns to Scott. How many citations have you issued for people failing to secure attractants? None. I prefer education over punishment. Citation is a form of education. It gets people to really prioritize getting their stuff squared away. The way the law is written, it's really vague as to what adequately securing attractants even means. Who's to say what is and what isn't secured? Koch sighs. He knows that at least some people are trying. Residents of Haines have organized a volunteer group to pick ripe fruit off the trees. He's seen letters to the editor and social media posts urging people to do everything they can to secure their attractants.

18:40But without meaningful enforcement of the laws, Koch feels like it's too little, too late. Especially as the changing climate continues to reduce the bear's natural food sources.

18:56In the darkness of her bedroom, Christina Harder's eyes fly open. She bolts upright. Her fox terrier is barking like crazy. She glances at her clock. It's just after one in the morning in September 2020. She hears wood crack and splinter. Something or someone is breaking through her front door. And then she hears a growl. She knows that sound. Two nights ago, a bear broke into her garage. And now, it's trying to come into her house. Harder flings off the covers and runs to her bedroom door, slamming it shut and locking it. She's nearly 70 and had no idea she could still move that fast. She rushes back and crouches in a corner.

19:47her heart thunders in her ears as the dog's barks become more frantic. Harder hugs her knees to her chin, squeezing her eyes shut, and waits for the bear to come.

20:16Haines Police Chief Heath Scott steps around the debris outside Christine Harder's house. His feet crunch on broken glass and splintered wood. The bear really did a number on this property. It even got into her car before damaging her front door. Scott shakes his head. It's September 2020, and the bear problem in Haines is only getting worse. A few weeks ago, a bear broke into a mini storage facility, tearing through the insulated wall of an outbuilding. 17 bears have been killed over the past few months in defense of life and property. An unprecedented number, and nothing seems to be helping.

21:02Christine Harder opens her damaged front door and walks out, her fox terrier by her side. Her salt and pepper hair is tied up in a bun. She looks shaken, but resolute. She explained over the phone that the bear never managed to get in. She thinks her dog must have scared it off, but she spent a long night worried that the bear would come back. And what about tonight? There's still a chance it could return. Scott asks if there's any attractants in the garage that could have drawn the bear. Harder shrugs. I didn't think so, but it did tear into some fertilizer and eat some scented candles. I didn't know they were attractants.

21:42What about the car? Anything in there? Harder shakes her head. No, the car was completely empty. Scott knots. Carl Koch and the other biologists from Fish and Game keep focusing on securing attractants, but even when citizens do everything right, bears are still damaging their property and terrorizing them. Harder glances nervously up and down the street. I saw the bear wandering around earlier today. What if it comes back tonight? Scott just looks at her. He doesn't have a good answer. Harder rolls her eyes in frustration. Well then, I've had a good life, I suppose. She wheels around and stomps back into her house.

22:26Scott watches her go. He just doesn't know what else he can do to keep the residents of Haynes safe.

22:37Chief Scott sits on the couch in his living room, watching TV, when he hears something outside. His wife sits next to him. She looks at him, alarmed. What is that? It's a little after 8 p.m. on October 9th, 2020. Scott sits up straight and mutes the TV. Their children are in their rooms doing their homework. He hears it again. Something's trying to get into our garage. Stay here. Don't let the kids near the door. Scott stands and hurries to the front door. He opens the door a crack and peers out to see a female bear and her cub pawing at his garage door. Their claws dig into the wood. He recognizes the bear.

23:20His neighbor showed him video footage of this same animal pulverizing his garage door the week before. Scott steps outside, his eyes fixed on the bear. He extends his arms out from his sides and yells, hey, hey, get out of here. Go, get out of here. scram! The bear doesn't even look over at her. She just keeps clawing at his garage door. Scott grits his teeth. This bear clearly has no fear of humans, and she's teaching her cub not to fear them too. As far as he's concerned, this bear is a danger to public safety. Scott goes back inside and sprints to where he stores his.357 revolver, quickly loading it with hollow-point bullets.

24:06A handgun doesn't necessarily have the power to kill a bear through its thick fur and hide, but it's the only gun he has available to him. He hopes the hollow-point bullets, which expand on impact, will hurt the bear enough to make it run off. His wife enters, her eyes wide with fear. What are you doing? I'm going to shoot the bear. His wife skeptically eyes the gun in his hand. Where's your rifle? In my cruiser, on the other side of the bear's. This is the only gun I have. Be careful. Scott runs back to the front door. He steps outside into the cold. The bears have moved on from his barrage and have knocked over his trash can, even though it was fitted with a lid that locked in place.

24:50They've managed to get one of the bags out, strewing garbage everywhere. Scott extends his arm, points his weapon, and shoots. The bullet hits the adult bear in the shoulder, but all it seems to do is irritate her. She rears up and roars. Scott keeps the gun extended, ready to fire again, but the bear scampers away, her cub right behind her.

25:21Scott lets out a breath. He didn't know he was holding. He holsters his gun and starts cleaning up the trash. This is the first time a bear has visited his property, but he knows it probably won't be the last.