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One of the most awe inspiring animals to see in Alaska is the Alaskan brown bear and Chichagof Island is a great place to find them as this island has one of the highest concentration of brown bears in the world at one to two bears per square mile.
Alaskan "Brown bears" typically live along the southern coast of Alaska where they have access to seasonally abundant spawning salmon. Fishing these glacier fed rivers can at times mean sharing the rivers and the salmon with local bears. The coastal areas also provide a rich array of vegetation they can use as food as well as a milder climate. This allows them to grow larger and live in higher densities than their "grizzly" cousins.
A brown bear boar can weigh well over a thousand pounds and in the fall consume nearly a 100 pounds of salmon each day.
Despite their enormous size, brown bears are extremely fast, having been clocked at speeds of 30 miles per hour. They can be dangerous to humans, particularly if surprised or if a person gets between a mother bear and her cubs.
For more information on brown bears or any other critter found in Utah and even in Alaska, check out our Utah Field Guide on our outdoors page at KSLTV.com
