Grizzly
Bear - Alaska
We work with several different outfitters throughout
Alaska.
Brown and grizzly bears are classified as the same
species, Ursus
arctos. Brown bears on Kodiak Island are
classified as a distinct subspecies from those on the mainland because they
are genetically and physically isolated. The term “brown bear” commonly
refers to animals found in coastal areas, and brown bears found inland and
in northern habitats are often called “grizzlies. Like black bears, brown
bears vary widely in color. Brown bears can range from dark brown through
light blond.
Brown bears are larger than black bears and have a more prominent shoulder
hump, less prominent ears, and longer, straighter claws. Both the shoulder
hump and the long claws are adaptations related to feeding. The long claws
are useful in digging for roots or excavating burrows of small mammals. The
musculature and bone structure of the hump are adaptations for digging and
for sprinting to capture moose or caribou for food. Despite their bulk,
bears are surprisingly fast and agile.
A bear’s weight varies with the season. Bears weigh least in the spring or
early summer. They gain weight rapidly during late summer and fall and are
waddling fat just prior to denning. At this time most mature males weigh
between 500 and 900 lbs (180 – 410 kg) with extremely large individuals
weighing as much as 1,400 lbs (640 kg). Females weigh half to three-quarters
as much. Bear hides are prized by hunters but the meat of a brown bear is
generally considered unpalatable and hunters rarely eat it.
Brown bears eat a variety of foods including berries, grasses, sedges,
horsetails, cow parsnips, fish, ground squirrels, and roots of many kinds of
plants. Brown bears are capable predators of newborn moose and caribou, and
can also kill and eat healthy adults of these species. Bears also consume
garbage in human dumps, as well as all types of carrion.
Brown bears are found throughout Alaska except on the islands south of
Frederick Sound in southeastern Alaska, the islands west of Unimak in the
Aleutian Chain, and the islands of the Bering Sea. Except for breeding pairs
and females with offspring, bears are typically solitary creatures and avoid
the company of other bears. Exceptions occur where food sources are
concentrated such as at streams where bears can catch salmon swimming
upstream to spawn.
Contact BC Outfitters for more information.
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