Cheers to the good folks at Alaska’s Katmai National Park & Preserve for compiling this hilarious list describing the wide variety of grizzly bear fishing tactics employed at Brooks River. Fishing styles are often learned behaviors passed down through the generations and grizzlies often use the same techniques as their mothers.
Katmai is home to the some of the largest grizzly bears in the world. Most adult males typically weigh well over 1000 pounds as the pack on the pounds before winter. A large and dominant male bear will sometimes catch and eat more than 30 fish per day. Whether it they are belly flopping, snorkeling, or pirating, these bears are incredibly effective at catching salmon:
Katmai National Park & Preserve:
How do you catch a fish without a fishing pole? With your bear hands.
We’re here all week, folks. For bears, fishing styles are often learned behaviors. Some bears have mastered many, while others stick to the one that work best for them. At Brooks River in Alaska’s Katmai National Park & Preserve, you can observe many types of fishing styles including:
-The Stand and Wait: Bears stand on top the falls and wait for salmon to jump by. Bears sometimes slip on the falls (usually when someone is looking) so they rarely shift position. Sometimes they misjudge and the fish hits the bear in the face.
-The Sit and Wait: Similar to the stand and wait but sitting followed by, you guessed it, waiting.
-The Snorkeler: Bears look for fish under the water while seeing who can make the most bubbles.
-The Pirate: Arrgggg! It’s Cap’n Bruin Brownbeard the Hungry! Pirating bears plunder already caught fish from other bears. Keep an eye on the horizon. Avast ye scurvy bear!
-The Sharer: Bears do not usually share food with others (bearing is NOT sharing), but some will share the spoils. (Not the Cap’n) This interaction occurs between bears that are highly tolerant of each other. BFFs (bear fish friends!)
-The Belly Flop: A big splash requires big bear air, as the bear springs up out of the water or launches off the side to take a fish by surprise. This can be extremely successful or, well, a flop.
What’s your preferred fishing method?
