The bear guide involved in Thursday’s bear mauling on Admiralty Island was LaVern Beier, a well-known bear researcher with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
“He’s a field technician for our bear research program, so we have biologists who lead those research efforts and LaVern is the support person. Generally speaking, he’s the go-to person for field activities involving bear research,” Ryan Scott, regional supervisor for ADF&G Division of Wildlife Conservation, said on the phone Monday.
Scott said Beier went on seasonal leave from his ADF&G position starting in early September, which Scott says is normal while Beier conducts his other job as a bear guide.
Beier was finishing a day of guiding Douglas Adkins, a 57-year-old client from Kentucky, when Adkins was mauled by a brown bear in Chaik Bay Thursday night. Alaska Wildlife Trooper Sgt. Aaron Frenzel said as the two were coming out of the woods wearing headlamps, they startled a single bear that got “a hold of the client, causing non-life threatening injuries.” Frenzel described the mauling as “vicious, but short.” The U.S. Coast Guard transported Adkins to Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau early Friday.
As of late Monday morning, Adkins was still in stable condition at BRH, said hospital spokesperson Katie Bausler. She said Adkins will leave the hospital later Monday or Tuesday. Adkins declined requests from the Empire for an interview, and Beier couldn’t be reached for comment.
Sgt. Frenzel interviewed Adkins Friday morning and Scott said ADF&G plans to interview Beier “to learn from what happened and to try to use that into the future.”
“I haven’t been in touch with him. He had some things he needed to get squared away. I’m sure I’ll have an opportunity to speak with him before too long, but he needed to take care of his business requirements,” Scott said.
Scott doesn’t see any issues with Beier being a state bear researcher and a bear hunting guide.
“I think that one complements the other likely. He started as a big game guide years and years ago, and I believe that kind of experience and expertise really helps the department accomplish what we need to do when we go in to do bear research work,” Scott said.
Scott said the bear research program is finishing work in the Yakutat area. Beier’s research duties include organizing and doing the captures, collecting biological data on individual bears, and applying and fitting radio collars.
In 2007, ADF&G information officer Riley Woodford wrote a post on Beier for the department’s Alaska Fish & Wildlife News. It said, at the time, Beier had 35 years of experience snaring, darting and capturing bears, handling almost 800 in his career as an ADF&G researcher.
Scott said, “Interest in harvesting and development projects are a couple big ones that drive our bear research programs.”
When it comes to development, research is done to figure out the impact on bears and their habitat. For bear harvesting, “having a good estimate of the number of bears out there is very important so we understand how to approach it with a management strategy that’s conserving bear populations,” Scott explained.
While Scott said Beier’s work as a bear hunting guide and bear researcher complement each other, he also said Beier keeps the two jobs separate.
“Mr. Beier avoids hunting in any area that he is or has done research in,” he said. “I think that’s very appropriate and shows good judgment.”
“By keeping areas that he is working as a guide separate from areas that bear research programs are occurring, there’s a significant distinction between the two,” Scott added.
Carol Petraborg said that’s a precaution and not a requirement for Beier. Petraborg is the administrative services director for ADF&G. Every year, Beier turns in an Ethics Act disclosure form describing his other job. Petraborg said any state employee who partakes in outside employment or volunteer work has to do the same.
“They just outline what they do and who they work for or who they volunteer for, and then it gets approved or denied by out ethics officer,” she said. Petraborg has been ethics officer since Aug. 1.
She said there’s no conflict of interest or ethics issue with Beier’s dual jobs with bears.
“He’s been doing this for years. When he’s in his seasonal leave without pay status, his part-time activity that he engages in is guiding and outfitting,” she said. “He’s a fish and wildlife technician. I’m sure he assists, but he doesn’t do the actual research or management-type activities for the department.” (Scott said Beier is an ADF&G bear researcher.)
If Beier was in management, Petraborg said there’d likely be more stipulations.
“If he managed an area, he would not be allowed to perform his guide services in that area,” she said.
Petraborg said every Ethics Act disclosure form is assessed on an individual basis and if she had any questions, she’d reach out to the Department of Law.
• Contact reporter Lisa Phu at 523-2246 or lisa.phu@juneauempire.com.
