Kodiak bear safety group tells trick-or-treaters to finish by 8 pm and carry air horns

Kodiak trick-or-treaters should finish by 8 pm Saturday and carry a flashlight and an air horn to scare off a bear if one is seen, the Kodiak Interagency Bear Safety Group said in Halloween guidance the Kodiak Police Department posted Thursday.

The group said bears have already been looking for treats "in inappropriate places" around town. It said these town bears have not acted aggressively toward people but will defend themselves if surprised or cornered.

Bears have been a steady problem in Kodiak this year. Bears keep getting into the borough landfill even though Kodiak gave every household a bear-resistant cart, and the landfill is out of compliance with state rules because of it, Alaska News reported Sept. 3. On Oct. 2, Alaska News reported that a resident told the borough assembly a brown bear had its paws on his front door, and that Fish and Game and troopers planned to haze bears out of the landfill.

The group's Halloween advice:

Go trick-or-treating as early as possible. Parents should walk with young children. Older kids should stay in groups, and everyone should make noise.

Never walk through wooded or brushy areas. The group said that is where bears sleep and feel secure. Stay away from dumpsters after dark.

Anyone who sees a bear should tell the people nearby, walk away and not run, then call Kodiak police at 486-8000 as soon as possible to report where the bear is. In an emergency, call 911.

The Kodiak Chamber of Commerce's downtown trick-or-treat guidance gives similar advice: stay together, carry flashlights, make noise, avoid garbage areas and report bears to police.