Is it Safe to Fish Around Brown Bears in Alaska?
Before joining us in Alaska, a lot of potential travelers see the pictures of us fishing around bears and get cold feet. I’ll admit that the first time I fished around them at Brooks Falls it freaked me out for a while. Then it became kind of normal – not quite easy, but not nearly as stressful.
We’ve now been back several times and fished around quite a few of the big brown Alaskan bears. I don’t ever want to be too comfortable around them, but now I know that by taking certain precautions and giving them a wide berth, it’s worth the trip.
Then people started forwarding me videos of the Seattle Kraken’s mascot getting chased:
My first takeaway is that I definitely won’t dress up as a big plush critter when we head to Bristol Bay next summer. But it got me thinking about why I’ve become cautious-yet-comfortable in bear country. I’m certainly not an expert in bear attack prevention, but at least I haven’t been mauled or eaten by one (it only takes one time to be miserable, though). For me, it comes down to several basic rules:
Don’t surprise the bears – make noise as you approach
Don’t run from the bears or otherwise turn your back to them
Don’t get between the bears and their food source
Don’t leave open food (to include other scented items like toothpaste) where they can smell them
Don’t get between the bears and their other family members, particularly the cubs
Most importantly, in my opinion, is that if you’re not experienced in bear country and bear behavior, enter only with someone who is. The guides we’ve fished with up there, many of whom are from Alaska and/or Alaska Natives, have thousands of hours in and around the bears. They know when a bear is exhibiting signs of aggression. They know how to react when a bear charges, whether it turns out to be faux aggression or otherwise. They’ll carry the right tool for the job, whether that be bear spray or a firearm, and they’ll do so safely and confidently.
They’ll never let you forget that a bear is bigger than you, stronger than you, faster than you and likely meaner than you if crossed. In this instance, you shouldn’t show fear, but you should exercise extreme caution. Many of the Alaskan bears have been around a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean they are tame or in any way domesticated.
I stress to you that fishing around the bears makes it more interesting, more picturesque and more memorable. You need to get to Alaska sooner rather than later – it is, in my opinion, “America’s Africa” in terms of wildlife – but always understand that you are a visitor.
If you’d like more advice from people who truly are experts, or who are more experienced than I am, check out the following links:
Two Decades of Fly Fishing and the Alaskan Brown Bear | A Photographer's Journey
How to see Katmai's famous brown bears up close—and stay safe
One of the Foremost Experts in Human-Bear Conflict Has Something to Tell You About Bear Safety
I Fought Off a Brown Bear with My Fishing Rod, and Other Close Calls While Living in Remote Alaska
Bear protection while fly fishing wild waters. The Video that changed my mind.
