My first day back from Katmai Bay brought some interesting news in our little village. Something big had been washed up on the shore when the tide went out. A Walrus carcass had been sighted on the tidal flats. I didn't have a chance or my muck boots with me to go see this site when I first heard about it. Then when I could go explore, high tide had come back in so the carcass was under water. The next day I was told that someone had cut the head off the walrus during the night. It is illegal to hunt walrus. It is illegal to buy or sell the ivory from the tusks. If you find a dead walrus you can report it to the game and fish and you will be given permission to keep the tusks. You get a certification of ownership but you are never allowed to sell or trade them. No one had heard whether or not a claim had been made on the tusks or not.
Yesterday, I caught a flight out to Brooks Camp for a week of duty out there, and as I was getting on the float plane I saw the carcass under the water. It was amazing how big it was but spooky looking at something with no head. Hopefully this winter I will get to see a live one. The trouble now with the carcass is that the bears are going to start to smell it and it will bring the bears into town. I don't think the current is strong enough to pull the body back out into the river.
We still haven't seen a bear at the house or on walks in the area but I did see fresh tracks of one on the hiking trail to work. So they are nearby.
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