Brown Bears (Info, Pics and Videos)

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When talking about Kodiak bears nowadays, not too often is mentioned the person who was the pioneer biologist in capturing and tagging those giants. William A. Troyer, usually known as Will Troyer. This remarkable man passed away 2014 at age 89. His legacy lives still strong and he will always be that pioneer, what comes to bear research in Kodiak islands and Alaskan peninsula.

In this article is told about him and also interesting (and funny) descriptions about learning process what it was in the beginning, when he started to study Kodiak bears.


Some quotes: 

"Alaska's original grizzly bear wrangler -- the wildlife biologist who pioneered the live capture and tagging of Kodiak's famous brown bears -- died Sunday at his home in Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula.

Over the years, biologist Will Troyer got up close and personal with more big bears than most people will ever see and lived unscathed to the ripe old age of 89. He died from complications related to surgery for colon cancer."


"Cancer, the state's now No. 1 killer, finally claimed a man who'd cheated death at least three times before.

Once he went over a waterfall in a raft. Twice he went down in small planes. After one of the crashes, he had to be cut out of the wreckage.

"Three times in my life, I knew I was dead,'' he told a reporter in 2005. "I don't count the close calls I've had with bears.'' "


"On the Kodiak refuge, though, he made a big mark. The refuge was already famous for its oversized grizzly bears, but they had been little studied. Troyer changed all that beginning in 1955.

"That winter at our annual United States Fish and Wildlife Service meeting in Juneau, I announced my intent to capture Kodiak bears,'' he wrote in "Into Brown Bear Country.'' "The audience reacted with loud laughter.'' "


"The home-made gas mask was supposed to keep the bear unconscious while the men measured it and clipped on ear tags that would make future identification possible. But the mask didn't work so well.

"As the ether dissipated,'' Troyer wrote, "the bear attempted to stand upright before we had finished. I yelled for more ether as I struggled to remain astride the bear -- cowboy fashion -- while at the same time holding the bucket over its muzzle.''

Troyer eventually decided it best to jump off. The bear got up and staggered away. The biologists hadn't been able weigh it, but they did tag it. About 200 more bears would eventually be tagged, though the work just got crazier as Troyer and his gang tried to find a more efficient means of capture than the culvert trap."


Whole article, worth to read: https://www.adn.com/adventure/article/alaskas-original-grizzly-bear-wrangler-passes-away/2014/09/24/

It´s actually not easy to find photos of Will Troyer.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Anyone interested about Kodiak and Alaskan peninsula bears should find out his books and read articles in which he has been interviewed or in which is told about him and his work. Reply