A large Kodiak bear mount has long been a favorite item for children to see at the Oneida Pioneer Museum. Malad third graders were disappointed when they  visited the Museum last Wednesday as part of a field trip to learn that the hide had been taken down just the day before to be cleaned.

Museum Board member Bill Lewis managed to take the hide from the wall where it has been hanging for many years. Board members have commented over the years that the hide needed cleaning, but not knowing how to manage the feat, just left it to gather dust. Bill, however, did a little research and learned that you could clean hides by using compressed air. He purchased a couple of bottles of compressed air and wrangled the hide from its hanging place. Afterwards, his brother, Sid, who is a taxidermist, told him to bring the hide to him. Sid has an air compressor and has had some experience in taking care of hides. They turned the compressor on; and Bill said, “Dust blew like a storm!”

The newly dusted, cleaned bear, is back hanging on the wall of the Museum. Sid and Bill also treated the hide so that dust won’t cling to the hair. It should be clean for many more years. 

The large brown bear, sometimes called Kodiak, was killed on September 12, 1950, at Iliamna, head of Upper Tularic Creek, Alaska by Art Hadfield. From the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, the hide measures 8 feet 1 inch in length. The length of its hind foot is 14 inches, and the estimated weight was 1200 pounds. It was killed with a single shot to the neck with a 30.06. Ralph Hadfield, a younger brother of Art Hadfield, donated the bear to the Museum. The Hadfields were residents of Malad. Sid explained to Bill that this mount is unusual in that the original teeth of the bear are preserved. Now such mounts use fake teeth. 

Kodiak bears are a unique subspecies of the brown or grizzly bear. They live exclusively on the islands in the Kodiak Archipelago and have been isolated from other bears for about 12,000 years. There are about 3,500 Kodiak bears alive today. They are the largest bears in the world. A male can stand over 10 feet tall when on its hind legs and 5 feet when on all four legs. They weigh up to 1,500 pounds. Even though they are known as the world’s largest land carnivore (meat eaters), they are really omnivores (using a variety of foods). They actually spend more time eating grass, plants and berries than meat. Fish are an important part of their diets, but few expend the time or effort necessary to chase and kill mammals.

Members of the Museum board invite all residents to come sometime during the summer to see this and other unique displays at the Oneida Pioneer Museum - and bring your children – they love the bear! A good day to visit would be on opening day, Saturday, May 28. Board members are conducting a bake sale with lots of homemade baked goods, which starts at 12:00 noon and will last until approximately 2:30 p.m. The Museum will be open that day until 5:00 p.m. and again on Monday, Memorial Day, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. For the rest of the summer, the regular hours will be 1:00 to 5:00, Tuesdays through Saturdays, beginning Tuesday, May 31 through Labor Day.

Ongoing is the Friends of the Museum fundraising campaign. The Museum board appreciates the support of Malad residents and former residents. Donations are welcome in any amount and can be mailed to the Oneida Pioneer Museum, P.O. Box 79, Malad City, ID, 83252.