I went out fishing during our most recent stay in Alaska at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge in Lake Clark National Park. One afternoon I went out with a guide and another couple to fish. We fished a bend in the creek a short ATV ride from the lodge. We parked the ATV and waded across to the inner bend. As always, near the Alaskan coast, we need to be mindful of the tides. High tide will raise the creek to an impassable level, and we could get stuck for a few hours on the opposite side from the ATV and lodge if we lose track of time.

The Fishing Spot

We fished from the shore near an exposed gravel bar. The far side of this bend has a high, steep bank where the water is eroding into the earth. At low tide, the salmon seek refuge in deep pools to wait for rising tides to propel them upstream. Our location was not great as it did not afford much access to a deep pool. There was one pool on the far bank’s outer edge, and three men on the opposite shore were fishing it. The area was pretty open and free of downed trees or other snags.

The three older men who were fishing from the high bank were staying at a nearby lodge. That lodge did not formally open this season due to COVID. However, these guys had been annual guests, so the owner allowed them to come to the lodge for a few days for their regular fishing trip. They did not have a guide with them as the lodge owner had not hired any for the season, so he just dropped them off at the creek. The lodge owner had asked at our lodge if there were any guides to spare, but extra labor is not a luxury in such remote places.

The men had spread out along the high bank to fish. They’d caught one salmon, which they’d placed into their fish box. A fish box is an aluminum container designed to keep fish and bears apart and is built to withstand a bear’s efforts to open it. The US Forest Service provides the following criteria: (a) resist a direct force of 200-pounds; and (b) contain no cracks, external hinges, gaps, etc., by which a bear can force the container open using claws or teeth.

A Boar Joins the Party

Soon a boar (an adult male bear) that we’d seen in the area before approached our fishing area.  Since bears are always patrolling the creeks looking for an easy meal, it is important to keep an eye out for them whenever fishing in bear country.  Bears are hardwired to react to the splashing of a fish in distress. Every hooked fish needs to be reeled in quickly to avoid catching the interest of a nearby bear. If a bear comes by, you usually have to quit fishing and give it space to pass. The bear will often walk on by.

There is a well-worn path through some trees along the bank from where the men were fishing. People and bears use the path.  And this is the route the boar chose. Each fisherman had a bear spray canister on their person. They pulled in their lines and backed away from the path to allow the bear space to pass. However, they left their fish box unattended near the bank along the path.  All of my group members pulled our lines in, too, as we watched with concern from the opposite shore.

The bear saw the fish box and walked right over to it. The fish smell caught the bear’s attention, and they are naturally curious about new objects. The bear approached the box. Fish boxes have locks so that they will not open if a bear starts tossing them around. Regrettably, this box was not locked.  None of the responsible parties attempted to haze the bear away or spray him with bear spray (a capsaicin based aerosol). The bear investigated the box, nosing it thoroughly before pawing at it and lifting it. He rolled it a couple of times, and the lid came off. He stuck his head and voila! a silver salmon.

Lessons Learned

It is vital to bears survival not to learn to associate human activity with food. “A fed bear is a dead bear” is a common phrase used by wildlife managers. Bears that learn to obtain food from humans quickly become problem bears. A little bear spray is a small annoyance for their long term survival. After rolling the box over, the bear sauntered away with the fish back down the path the way he came. Bears will usually seek a quiet place, not too far, to eat their catch in peace.

The guys just stood by, unconcerned that a bear had successfully got a food reward from their fish box. Their laissez-faire attitude is troubling. Their behavior is likely to cost that bear his life. The next day, I heard the bear went after another fish box belonging to a different fishing party, unaware of the previous day’s troubles. You’d think after as many trips as these guys have made up here that they’d be more knowledgeable about fishing with bears.

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The post A Fed Bear appeared first on Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham.

It’s all about the timing. Life in coastal Alaska is dictated by the tides – for both human and non-human animals. On the shore of Lake Clark National Park, the annual silver salmon run has just begun.  A few days ago, there were a few fish in the rivers, but now, the salmon are coming in numbers making their runs with the tides.

High Going Low

For the salmon, it’s best to swim in with the high tide, when the surge of incoming water pushes them along, and the water is too deep for the bears to fish.  When the tide starts to recede, the salmon have to run up to a deep pool to await the next flush of tidal water or be swept back out to the ocean where they’ll assemble for the next high tide.   This is the gauntlet.  Bears will gather at the river mouth as the tide recedes, waiting for the right moment.  When the outgoing tide is still high, although they see the hoards of salmon swimming past, occasionally splashing at the surface, they know their chances of catching those fish are slim.  It takes a lot of effort to move their massive bodies through that rushing water.  I’ve struggled across fast-flowing streams in hip waders. Every time I picked up a foot in the shin-deep water, the river threatens to sweep it out from under me. It takes deliberate concentration.  I’ve then watched a bear fjord the same waterway like it was nothing but a puddle.  They push their powerful bodies through the rushing water with comparative ease, but the energy expended to try to fish in high water is not worth it. So they wait.

The Time is Right

When the time is right, every bear is fishing their own spot along the river.  There were so many bears this year (due to decreased human pressure/fewer visitors or just natural variation, I don’t know), that I didn’t know who to watch! 

There were bears catching salmon all around me.  A bear affectionately called Ol’ Sow was by far the most successful, coming up with a silver after almost every attempt.  She ate four (probably 40-50 pounds of fish!) before she stopped. 

In all, on this morning, I watched six bears (and six cubs, three sows having twins) catch and devour seventeen salmon! I’ve never seen such prolific, successful fishing.

Game On: Fishing Bears

It takes a lot of skill, speed, and agility to catch a fish in the water.  You can see here how much energy is expended to chase one down.

The fishing was so hot that this bear took the fish she was eating with her to pursue the next!  Using her foot as a plate.

What happens when two bears go after the same fish?  Stay tuned.

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The post Fishing Bears appeared first on Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham.