The annual hide and horn auction is back at the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous on March 1, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game -- minus the horns.
Grubstake Auction of Anchorage says it's going to try earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for moving the most bear hides ever.
Ron Alleva, Grubstake's auctioneer, said there are presently 117 of these hides -- 98 of them grizzly bears and 19 blacks -- up for auction.
About 60 are left over from last February when a last-minute dispute over who would conduct bidding forced the cancellation of the auction, angering dozens who showed up to bid on bear hides and various antlers and horns in the possession of the state. The animal parts come from animals killed illegally and seized; animals killed by state officials because they have become nuisances or dangers; and animals killed by Alaskans in defense of life and property.
The state last year contracted with the Alaska Trappers Association to conduct the auction only to have Grubstake protest whether the association was a business qualified to conduct such events. The dispute ended up forcing the cancellation of the 2008 auction.
Fish and Game spokesman Bruce Bartley this week notified reporters no disputes loom this year, and the auction is good to go.
Because of the 2008 cancellation, he added, there will be an unusually high volume of hides this year. Thus, he said, the auction itself had to be moved to "a larger venue on Ship Creek Avenue, across from the Ulu Factory and close to the snow sculptures."
There will be a hide viewing there from 9 a.m. until noon on March 1 with the auction to follow from noon to 3 p.m.
But for those averse to going out in the cold, Grubstake has set up bidding on its Web site, www.grubstakeauction. com. Photos of the hides are posted there now for bidders to view.
The quality of the hides to be auctioned varies considerably, but some hold sentimental appeal. The auction regularly attracts people who shot bears in self-defense and decided they want to keep the hide as a remembrance.
Alleva said no minimum bids have been set on the hides.
Grubstake takes a commission for auctioning the hides, but the bulk of the proceeds from the auction go to Fish and Game. Grubstake said it also plans to donate $500 from its commission to a University of Alaska scholarship for wildlife management students.
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