Tag Archives: Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bear zoo

Grizzly wants in

One of the viewing platforms we use in the fall has a ramp that is covered with a metal cage. For some reason the juvenile grizzlies use this as a back rub and are curious that we are in the cage and they are free. This is like being in at “zoo” except we are the ones in a cage.

 

 

Grizzly Bear Relaxing 1 of 2

Grizzly Bear or Dog

Viewing grizzly bears in the fall after August 25 we travel up the Glendale River and use viewing stands overlooking the river and the entrance to a man-made spawning channel. The bears in the area have accepted our presence to the point that they will lie on the beach to dry in the sun or for a short nap. This can also be a break from fishing, which allows the food to settle down / digest and make room for more.

 

 

A Classic Grizzly Pose

Grizzly with salmon

This may be the photo of choice for our guests but it is also an interesting photo that reveals much information. First is that this bear is not very hungry because the fish is hanging from its mouth and not moving so it has been dead awhile and not yet eaten. Second is that there are likely allot of salmon in the area and this grizzly is not worried about eating fast and trying to catch another. Third that this is not a bear with cubs or they would be close trying for the salmon. Forth that there are other grizzlies close that have this bears attention and they may be a challenge causing it to move off the river. Fifth that the white water indicates that there has been a recent rain causing the river to rise and run a little faster than normal. But our guests are more interested in getting a good photo than the background information until they are explaining the photo to a friend back home.

 

 

The triplets again

Grizzly bear family

These are the same cubs of yesterdays post but three months has passed and we are now up the river looking down from the viewing platform mentioned in the August 13th post.  The mother has a little darker coat, which we have noticed seems to come after eating salmon for a month or more. They are sitting on a bank above the river watching a sub-adult grizzly fishing and soon move down to join the hunt. Other younger grizzlies will give a mother room on the river because they are a force you do not want to “upset”.

 

 

Mother with triplets

Mother grizzly with cubs

If you look closely you will see the third cub following mother along the shore of the Glendale River estuary. In the spring until August 25th we cruise along the shore of the Glendale estuary as well as up the river as the tide rises in search of grizzlies. It is always interesting to watch the mother walk into the water and swim for a short distance because the cubs will climb over almost anything on shore to avoid going into the water. They are good swimmers at this age but have not learned to enjoy the water however later in the season when they are chasing salmon in the river they seem more at home.

 

 

Mother and cub

Grizzly and cub

The photo from yesterday and today’s post were both taken after August 25th, which is the date we start using the viewing platform on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River. The platform is about 4 by 7 meters (yards) square and 3.5 meters high thus the slightly downward angle to the pictures. The platform, on one side, overlooks a large holding area used by the salmon before they enter a man made spawning channel as well as the natural river on two sides. These two grizzlies are on the third side, which is the road we use to get to the platform they had come up from the holding area and walked along the edge of the stand to move over to the river. Note that the cub is even in step with its mother.

 

 

Where does this Grizzly fish?

Boss grizzly bear

The answer to “Where does this Grizzly fish?” is anywhere it wants. When the large males grizzlies come to the fishing ponds on the Glendale River in the fall they are dominant. Other grizzlies move out of their way and even off the river. As a guide it is nice for the guests to see the large males but it will limit the number of bears that appear on that day so it is even nicer when these bears move on to another area of the river. Once they move the mothers and cubs come to fish and this is more entertaining than one large grizzly.

 

 

Intersting Grizzly Encounter

Grizzly bear coming

Spring grizzly bear tours from the Lodge require an hour and quarter boat ride up Knight Inlet to the Glendale River. Arriving in the river estuary we tie to a float and transfer to a flat bottom skiff, which allows us to move along the shore and up the river in shallow water. As the tided rises and we move up river to view grizzlies digging for eatable roots, eating wild rice or sedge grasses. On both banks of the river is sedge grass that is over a meter (yard) high so when you are on the river below the top of the bank a grizzly can approach unseen. On this day the grizzly walked out of the grass it was probably startled by our presence. When we are in the river there is no motor rather it has “one guide power” meaning your guide is in the water pulling the skiff so it is quiet. Startled or not the bear did not stop or change directions but crossed the river about fifteen meters (yards) away as we did not even have time to back down river. The grizzly bears have accepted our presence and we are part of the background.  It is the guests who have the “comfort zone” that we occasionally cross.

 

 

Grizzly Spotter

Grizzly Bear Lookout

The grizzly bear viewing prior to August 25th is in a river estuary of Knight Inlet. The larger male grizzlies are more concerned with our presence than are the sub-adults or the mothers with cubs. The concern does not mean they run for cover just that they more frequently look our way and are very aware of sudden movements and how fast we proceed up river. This grizzly noted our position but remained in the area for over half an hour.

 

Grizzlies and blacktail deer

Grizzly and deer

This is a common sight in the Glendale River estuary of Knight Inlet, which is the main location for the lodge’s grizzly bear tours. The spring sedge grass that both the deer and grizzlies graze is high in protein and keeps the bears going until the salmon arrive in August. Only once in my ten years guiding have I seen a bear attempt to catch a deer and that was after a deer had swum across the bay and the bear assumed it was tired but it wasn’t. On the flat of the beach the deer have an advantage and the energy use does not compare to the possible gain.