| Bear Viewing Association To watch, to wonder, and to conserve [email protected] Ph/Fax (907) 260-9059 (Office) 39200 Alma Ave. Soldotna, AK 99669 |
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Fishing Bears
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Salmon school for days or weeks at the mouth of Wolverine Creek,
waiting for the Creek water to be deep enough for them to swim
upstream without becoming stranded or caught by a bear. Yet,
when fish do run, bears are usually waiting. You can imagine the
fish whispering to each other "You first." "No, you first."
The first few salmon to run are usually taken by bears. While the
bears feed, more salmon race upstream, trying to reach spawning
habitat where they can mate, and .... die of starvation. Sockeye
salmon don't feed after they leave the ocean and enter fresh-
water. Although there might be enough food along the way for a
few fish, there isn't enough for thousands. So rather than waste
time looking for food, they just concentrate on staying together --
safety in numbers -- as they swim towards the spawning beds.
Coho salmon, that run later, do feed in freshwater -- for there is
now a food source, sockeye eggs. When a bear is detected,
salmon in the Creek race back downstream to the relative safety of
the Lake. But that doesn't always work, as shown below.
waiting for the Creek water to be deep enough for them to swim
upstream without becoming stranded or caught by a bear. Yet,
when fish do run, bears are usually waiting. You can imagine the
fish whispering to each other "You first." "No, you first."
The first few salmon to run are usually taken by bears. While the
bears feed, more salmon race upstream, trying to reach spawning
habitat where they can mate, and .... die of starvation. Sockeye
salmon don't feed after they leave the ocean and enter fresh-
water. Although there might be enough food along the way for a
few fish, there isn't enough for thousands. So rather than waste
time looking for food, they just concentrate on staying together --
safety in numbers -- as they swim towards the spawning beds.
Coho salmon, that run later, do feed in freshwater -- for there is
now a food source, sockeye eggs. When a bear is detected,
salmon in the Creek race back downstream to the relative safety of
the Lake. But that doesn't always work, as shown below.
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To learn more about opportunities for viewing,
scenery, other kinds of recreation, artistic creativity or
lodging in the vicinity of Wolverine Creek, click on one
of the following links. Local landscapes, sculpted by
volcanoes and glaciers, are spectacular.
scenery, other kinds of recreation, artistic creativity or
lodging in the vicinity of Wolverine Creek, click on one
of the following links. Local landscapes, sculpted by
volcanoes and glaciers, are spectacular.
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