Fairbanks, Alaska

From the Juneau Empire of June 3, 2007

Fairbanks man shoots grizzly

Another grizzly bear has been shot outside Fairbanks. It was the third killed in defense of property in eight days.

A Fairbanks man shot the grizzly early Thursday off of Farmers Loop road north of the city. His property borders Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.

Don Young, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist, said the bear and a sibling approached the man at his backyard farm.

"They were kind of nosing around where the guy had a cow and some geese," Young said. "He yelled at them and shot a couple shots in the dirt and they kind of ran off and split up, but one came back and he ended up shooting it."

State wildlife troopers will investigate the shooting, Young said.

He estimated the bear weighed about 200 pounds and was 3 or 4 years old.

Two grizzlies were killed near here May 24. One was shot in Salcha, south of Fairbanks, after it got into a pig pen. The other was killed at Mile 13 Elliott Highway when it walked into a yard and confronted a barking dog.

"This early in season, the end of May, three (shootings) around Fairbanks is definitely on the high side," Young said.

The bear killed Thursday was shot in the same area where two grizzly siblings were reported last spring. One of those bears was shot and killed when it approached a horse corral.