The Wild Alaskan Brown Bear

The Alaskan brown bear (Ursis arctos) is one of the largest carnivores/omnivores in the country. Some who live on the Kodiak, Admiralty, Afgonah, and Shuyak Islands are the largest, since they have food supplies available all the time. Inland bears may be 30% smaller because of lack of ready food supplies; they sometimes resort to plant foods. When fishing is not good, they will become omnivores and eat vegetation, along with berries, insects, and other small animals. Some become predatory and hunt large mammals such as moose, elk, and other hoofed animals. Brown bears weigh from 300 to 1500 pounds, depending on food supplies.

Many equate the brown bear with the teddy bear, a child's toy, but they are certainly not lovable. The brown bear ranges in color from light tan to black and, actually, the grizzly bear is a brown bear, distinguished as such because of the grizzled look of its fur and the pronounced hump on the back.

Many bears are loners, coming together to mate from May to July. Males may come together occasionally when their territories overlap. When they do come upon one another, they may range together and be peaceful when food is abundant. Females, after mating, will go to make a place for them to give birth when they hibernate for the winter. Brown bears give birth to from one to four cubs but two is the norm. A nine year old girl from the Yukon shot a record bear on her first hunt in October 2006; it weighed 1800 pounds and was over 11 feet tall.