Bear Fishing Behavior: Here's How They Catch Their Prey

Bears become rapacious when fish enter the scene!

In particular, they are considered to love salmon! So, how do you think bears catch fish?

Bears have many unique techniques rolled up their sleeve, or should we say fur?

There are eight species of bears in the world, all subdivided into many subspecies with a couple of main subspecies of grizzly bears. Brown bears are often confused with grizzly bears though grizzly and brown bears are of the same species.

One easy way to identify them is their location; grizzly bears live inland while brown bears live along the coasts.

The subspecies of grizzly bears inhabiting Alaska is called the Kodiak bear, one of the largest living terrestrial mammals. Their opponent in size is its relative, polar bears, who are imperceptibly bigger.

After understanding all the ins and outs of a bear eating fish, be sure to check out our facts about the dog mouth and goat hair.

Are bears good at fishing?

Brown bears and salmon are two sides of a coin, as these fish act as a prime source of nutrition for the brown bears of Alaska. So, yes, not only brown bears but all bears, including black bears and the grizzly bear, are good at fishing.

They implement great skills when catching fish. Bears are omnivorous, meaning that they eat a variety of fish species, such as salmon, along with other foods like honey, nuts, larvae grubs, ants, insects, tree seeds, and much more.

One of the favorite fishing spots for the brown bears of Alaska is the Brooks river which flows through the local national park in the region. It is a nice bear-watching spot for humans, as many bears fish at Brooks Falls in late June and July during the sockeye salmon migration.

How does a bear catch a fish?

Brown bears use their teeth and paws to catch fish, their food. They have long, big teeth called the canines. A bear catching fish is an art all on its own.

Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska is one of the premier brown bear watch areas in the world. Katmai's bears that inhabit the park are estimated to be at a population of about 2,200. The black bear is the smallest, yet most common bear species found in America and they are good swimmers.

Smaller bears cannot compete for the best fishing spots when there are more dominant bears. Other bears that are not skilled at fishing also eat less fish when strong, brown bears in the park eat about 30 fish per day.

Adult males eat cubs or kill them off like many other animals, while the bond between mothers and cubs is strong. Most bears when young, rely on their mother for food and survival.

In summers, brown bears slow down as they can't move faster than 3 mph (4.8 kph) without running a fever. In winter, bears hibernate but do not sleep the whole time. They simply don't need to meet any basic needs. In Alaska however, bears use body fat to sustain themselves for a year's worth of hibernation.

Do grizzly bears catch salmon?

Of course, grizzly bears love eating salmon! They rigorously wait in a standing position, ready to catch the salmon and other fish that they need for their diet.

The fish in small streams are easy to catch for adult grizzlies. When salmon are plentiful, bears seem to thrive and produce more cubs. Salmon fish are plentiful in July and are a feast for eating when bears emerge from hibernation.

Females teach cubs the techniques of bear fishing so that they can hunt their own salmon. Dominance struggles take place when standing and hunting for fish. The strong males try to take females’ catches. Standing patiently, the bear waits for the salmon. Bear fishing is absolutely a fascinating process.

Bear Fishing Techniques

Some techniques that many bears implement when catching fish are the chase and grab technique, the sit and wait, snorkeling, stealing, begging, and diving.

The stand and wait bear fishing technique is employed by adult bears who can defend their fishing spot.

Bears frequently chase fish and attempt to pin them to the river bottom with their paws. Brown bears also snorkel. They watch for fish to swim to them or look for dead fish. It is common in the fall when many dead and dying salmon are in rivers.

Another famous hunt technique is when bears sit and wait for the fish to come swimming towards them. When they are able to sense the fish approaching them, with one swift motion they will catch the fish and begin their feast.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for bear fishing then why not take a look at ant antenna, or black bear facts.