The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-11-29
IS. BEAR COUNT IS
 PLACED AT 300
Well Distrib uted Over
 Island = Supply Is Re- garded as Adequate

After closely checking data ac- formulated in a 30-day survey oi the whole of Admiralty Island last summer, it was announced today that the islands population o brown and grizzly bears is approx inately 900, well distributed over the island. The estimates were made by Game Warden Frank lDufresne and his field assistants, H. R. Sarber, representing the Alaska Game Commission, and Forest Examiner Jay P. Williams land Field Assistant T. c. Thomsen of the United States Forest Ser vice.
 The survey started August 10 and was concluded September 10. Sev- enty contacts were made and 50 areas were covered, including the more important salmon streams and valleys back to the foothills and a number of areas inland were also examined.
 Estimate Is Conservative
 The final estimate is regarded as extremely conservative. Previous estimates and conjectures on the Islands bear population have ranged all the way from 250 to 2.000, with one far-feuched guess of 5000 which was later retract- ed.
 Until the survey covered by the ellrrent report was made, however there never had been any effort anywhere in Alaska or elsewhere a2 far as is known, to make an authoritative estimate other than in restricted areas where long resi- dence or association had enabled some individuals to count limited numbers of bears in certain locali- ties.
 The expedition of 1892 was, there fore, without precedent in that a complete and comprehensive sur vey of the entire island was at tempted.
 Moved With Rapidity
 To guard against shifting of bears from one zone to another, and a consequent duplication of count, the field workers moved with rapidity from one area to the next. For instance, the survey of Funter Bay was followed on the next day by a similar check at Hawk Inlet, the day after the lat ter place was finished, work was started at Kootzahoo Inlet. This procedure was followed entirely around the island.
 August and September were sel- ected as the best time of the year for the survey for the reason that the bears are largely congregated along the salmon spawning streams apparently coming from several miles around to satisfy their ap- petite for fresh fish. But 1t was clearly established that not all bears are fish-eaters. Inland areas, lying well up on the mountain sides, were examined and were found to have bears present who weren't lured by the salmon.
 The report of the work said: "On our several penetrations to the higher ranges this Summer we always found evidences of bear feeding, mostly that of very large bears, but in one notable instance mother bear and two cubs roam ing the grassy meadows and berry patches at the 5000 and 4,OOO-foo levels in apparent indifference to the lure of the salmon streams The main bear sign, however, was centered along the fish streams and usually within half mile of the beach.
 Nc Nose Counting
 Popularly termed a census" it was, in fact, not a physical enumeration of the big brutes. The main reliance in the estimates were the highly individual tracks of the animals. These were greatly different in size, varying in shape and had other more or less rec ognizable characterizations which enabled the investigators to dis tinguish them from each other with readiness. No two sets of tracks were found in any locality. Numerous tracks showed BIZ inch es across the hind foot and l2 and l2h inches long. One 1924 inches long was found but the width was not obtained. The largest com plete forepaw measured SlA by 7h inches.