Where are the bears?

• Author: Matz, George
• Position: Alaska Life - Directory

Alaskans as well as tourists like seeing brown bears and are willing to pay for the experience. A recent survey of Alaskan voters by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) found that those who sought brown bears on wildlife-watching trips spent an average $688 per trip and were willing to spend another $274 for the experience.

Fortunately for those who want the chance to watch, virtually all of Alaska is bear-watching country. ADF&G's best estimate is that there are 31,700 bears scattered across the state.

Grizzlies, a smaller version of brown bear, can be found on Alaska's coastal and alpine tundra as well as in its boreal forest. The grizzly's population density ranges from one bear per 100 square miles in sparse habitat, such as the Brooks Range, up to 25 bears per 100 square miles in some parts of the Interior.

One of the most reliable ways to observe grizzly bears is to board a Denali National Park (683-9640) tour bus. Particularly in the Sable Pass area of the park, grizzlies can often be seen near the road and even casually walking past a bus that has yielded the right-of-way.

The larger brown bears live in the coastal areas of Alaska, including the islands of Chichagof, Admiralty and Baranof in northern Southeast. Because of the abundance of food like salmon and berries found in this some heavily populated areas such as and Kodiak islands have one bear per square mile.

In several coastal areas of Alaska, large numbers of brown...