The Bears

Because of the abundance of Sockeye Salmon, bear encounters are a common occurence.

The Kodiak Brown Bear is the largest of the grizzly bears (URSUS arctos).   Large specimens can reach 1500 LBS.

Kodiak Brown Bears feed almost exclusively on the numerous salmon that spawn in the island rivers.   This sometimes puts them in competition with fishermen.

This bear wanted to share in the thousands of Sockeye Salmon that were holding here at the outlet of Karluk Lake.

He was just a little too friendly.   I slowly backed away to avoid a confrontation.   Though I always carry a .44 Magnum, in seven years fishing in Alaska I have never drawn it on a bear.

The bears were quite photogenic.   My father, Stan Baker was able to get some outstanding shots of this fellow.

Though there weren't very many mosquitos, small biting flies were thick.   These photos show that the fishermen were not the only ones annoyed by these insects.

These bears feed mainly on the salmon, but if they can find some fresh steaks or bacon they will gladly partake.   This makes them a constant nuisance to campsites.

Placing food away from tents and sleeping areas will help avoid confrontations from bears seeking handouts.   I place all the cookware on the coolers to noisily alert me if a bear were to decide to visit in the middle of the night.

We were fortunate on this trip not to lose any of our food to the bears.   Though this has been the exception in my experiences.   Thorough planning will include a few cans of beans in case the steaks are claimed by one the bears.   I am not going to wrestle him for them.

Sometimes you would think you could walk up and pet some of these wild creatures.   Let me assure you, they can be very ferocious.   Though there has never been a fatal bear attack on Kodiak Island. UPDATE:  In the Fall of 1999, a hunter was killed by a Brown Bear on Afognak Island.  This was the first recorded fatal attack on the Kodiak Archipelago in history.

The most dangerous bear is a mother defending her cubs.   Here Dad was able to capture this sow with three young cubs in trail.

The typical brood is two, but a sow with three cubs is quite common.   Cubs usually stay with their mother for two full years. The opportunity to witness these majestic animals is as much a part of the experience as the fishing.