The man pretended to play dead during the attack and the bear ran away, a wildlife biologist said. He sustained injuries to his head and arms but troopers said he was in stable condition Monday.

The Haines Borough Assembly’s Commerce Committee began chipping away at a plan to address the borough’s bear problem at a meeting Tuesday. Proposals ranged from stronger enforcement of bear-attractant laws, to the development of education and grant programs to help people secure their attractants, to a complete overhaul of the community’s solid waste management system.

Two bears were shot in the Haines Borough this past weekend, both by homeowners defending chickens. Although bear-related calls to the police dipped after last week’s record-setting snowfall, the recent activity suggests this year’s Bearpocalypse is not yet over.

Two brown bears were killed in Haines last week, bringing the total killed outside hunting season in management unit 1D this year to 26. Bear calls to police have increased by about 600% compared to past years.

This year has seen a dramatic increase in bear activity with bear-related calls up by 600%, according to police chief Heath Scott. As many as 22 bears have been shot in defense of property this year.

Some biologists think the trend is related to the reduced hunting pressure from Outside hunters this year.

According to Haines Borough Police Chief Heath Scott, the department received 182 bear-related calls in 2019. That is more than double the number of bear-related calls they received the previous year. Said Fish and Game bear biologist Anthony Crupi, “With really low returns of pink salmon and coho salmon this year, bears are really searching out any opportunities they can find” .