Kenai Brown Bears

This past season we saw much more bear activity than we have in the past. It wasn't just Jane and I experiencing this but other home owners in the area said the same thing as well. It got to the point that the Alaska State Troopers went door to door informing people to be "bear wise" and not to leave a food source available to the bears. I'm proud to say that the troopers did not have to remind us to be "bear wise" because we always store our garbage in a shed and properly dispose of all fish remains. Yes, we do live in bear country and they will occasionally pass through our property (see dock photo above), but "encounters" are very rare. I always say the bears in our area are shy and they usually hear and see you before you will hear and see them. Most of the time the only way that you'll know a bear was nearby is finding their footprints (photo above).

That being said, this past year from July until the end of September, almost every evening at the Beaver Creek gravel bar anywhere from four to six bears would make their way to the river to feed on spawned out salmon (top two photos). The "Bear Show" was definitely an added bonus for many of our guests. One mid morning Gary Blinn and I were heading out to fish and for the longest time a bear was walking up and down the shoreline either looking to cross the river or trying to find a meal. That was a first for me on the Kenai. My bear sightings have always been during low light hours and I think this bear didn't get the memo that it was nap time.

So, here's a few facts about bears. Brown Bears typically live along the coastal areas of the State where they have access to spawning salmon. Grizzly bears are smaller than brown bears and live in the interior or northern parts of the State. The biggest reason for the size difference is food; more food near the coast, less food in the north and interior. On the Kenai Peninsula brown bears are considered "threatened" because of the development in the region. In 1999 the population of brown bears was estimated at 250-300 (sorry, that's the most recent estimate I could find). Hard to say what it is today but my guess is there are a lot more.

When guests ask me about bears in the area it always opens up the door for me to tell a couple of bear jokes. The jokes are older than dirt but they still get a laugh. In my next post I'll share them with you.