Living with bears in Kodiak

Most everyone has heard of the Kodiak Bear. It lives only in the Kodiak

Archipelago and is the largest of the brown bear.  They arrived originally

from Russia during the last ice age.  When the ice connecting us to the

mainland receded, the bears became stranded.  They have continued to

develop to the point they are considered a separate subspecies

from the grizzly bear.

These bears can weigh between 1500-2000 pounds as an adult male. A

bear that stands 5 feet tall when measured at shoulders can be 10-13 feet

tall on his hind legs.In fact,  8 of the 10 largest bears ever killed have

been in Kodiak.  Needless to say, these bears can be intimidating to mere

humans.  And as the natives, we tend to show respect towards them, if 

only to give him or her the right of way.

The island of Kodiak has around 3000 of these bears, most living in the 

uninhabited 97% of the island. They feast on salmon during the spawning

season and eat berries during the summer months. They are usually very

full and ready to hibernate as winter arrives.  Most people who live here

have stated they have never seen a bear up close.

Unfortunately for those bears that live in the woods around the town (yes,

we have city bear residents), they have a more difficult time building their

body fat. Berries are limited as we tend to enjoy them as jellies and

fishermen are frequently in their hunting grounds as well.  Carlos has

displayed a avid interest in the bears lately, or maybe they just keep

finding him.

After establishing residency of one year, Carlos was able to purchase his

fishing license. Of course he also needed a rod, reel, lures, knife, and 

waders. After the expenditure reach $300 he realized that the first fish

he caught would be very valuable. As of this date, the only fish we have

eaten was given to us.

His first expedition was with another doctor. When they arrived at the 

river and were ready to cast they noticed the bear behind nearby bushes. 

As they waited he wandered out into the river (where they had been 

fishing) and proceeded to catch his dinner.  Carlos and his friend left 

empty handed.

The next week Carlos had a couple of days off work and went to the 

river around 8 am.  He found a 400 pounder by the picnic table so left

for a while.  When he returned another fisherman reported that the bear

sat by the dumpster for a while but then left.  Feeling he would now be

uninterrupted, Carlos stepped out on the wooden deck.  There was a

terrible commotion underneath and out comes the bear.  He was less

than 10 feet away!  He looked straight at and then ran across the river

to the other side.  

Bear appearances, unfortunately, have not been limited this year to the 

rivers.  Just this past week one of the elementary schools had to cancel

outdoor recess due to roaming bear visitors. He also showed up in the

hospital parking lot twice in one day.

 

You can log on to our gallery of photos and see some of the pictures

we've managed to take.  One of them is of the bear that made Carlos

leave his fishing site.  Another is the sign posted in the school parking 

lot.  Some photos are of the black bears we observed on the mainland

during our summer vacation.  To view this site copy and paste: 

       http://gallery.me.com/criokodiak#100325