Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
March 2005

Wildlife Veterinarian Kimberlee Beckmen
Medical examiner, surgeon and researcher

Like any veterinarian, Kimberlee Beckmen sees a lot of animals. But for Beckmen, the wildlife veterinarian for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, it's not dogs and cats, but bears, moose, birds and other wild animals.

Unlike most vets, a number of Beckmen's patients have already expired. Beckmen is frequently called upon to determine the cause of death of different birds and mammals, or to investigate parasites and unusual tissue found in harvested game animals.

“A lot of ...   Wildlife Vet ArticleContinued

A Look at the Black Bears of Kuiu Island
Piecing Together Bear Puzzle

A project involving bear hunters, antibiotics and barbed wire has provided revealing insights into one of the world's densest populations of black bears, on Kuiu Island in Southeast Alaska.

Bear researcher Lily Peacock found that Kuiu Island, about 40 miles west of Petersburg, has three to five bears per square mile. Peacock also found that surprisingly high numbers of bears coexist seasonally on salmon streams on the island. She counted 115 different bears using a one-mile stretch of ...   Kuiu Bears ArticleContinued

Gaining Confidence through Fly Fishing
An Interview with Cecilia “Pudge” Kleinkauf

“At my age you start to look back over your life and think about what you wish you could change - I have few regrets; one is that I didn't learn to fly fish earlier.”
-- Cecilia “Pudge” Kleinkauf


Cecilia “Pudge” Kleinkauf learned to fly fish at 40; since then she has grown more passionate about sportfishing.

“Pudge” is an inspiring, dynamic woman. I get the feeling that when she sets her hook into something, she is unstoppable in pursuit of her goal. She's full of ...   “Pudge” Kleinkauf ArticleContinued