Camera Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qTak9g1axed1Rwzp9
This web camera is in central Kodiak Island along the Dog Salmon River near Frazer Lake within Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The web camera is adjacent to a salmon weir managed by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G). Sections of infrastructure associated with the weir are blackened out in some of the camera views. Bear viewing has taken place in this area since the mid-90s. Permitted air transporters fly visitors into Frazer Lake, walk a 1.25-mile trail, and sit with visitors on designated bear viewing areas, which as grassy knolls adjacent to the management compound. Wildlife viewing occurs in view of the fish weir where bear activity is concentrated. Anglers are also authorized to visit the area and enter the river downstream of the bear viewing areas with a commercial guide.

Discover Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge:
Kodiak NWR was established in 1941 to protect the Kodiak brown bear, salmonids, marine mammals, migratory birds, and all fish and wildlife that call the refuge home. The refuge provides important habitat to hundreds of species of fish, birds, and mammals.
Only six species of land mammals occur naturally within Kodiak NWR. These include the Kodiak brown bear, red fox, river otter, ermine, tundra vole, and little brown bat. Kodiak Archipelago is also host to over 250 species of birds. Kodiak NWR encompasses 1.9 million acres and is known as the island of the great bear.

Discover the Majestic Kodiak Bears:
Kodiak brown bears, a unique subspecies of the brown or grizzly bear, are a magnificent sight exclusive to the Kodiak Archipelago. Isolated from other bear populations for approximately 12,000 years, these bears have evolved distinct characteristics that set them apart.

A Glimpse into the World of Kodiak Bears:

Population and Habitat:
The Kodiak brown bear population is robust, with an estimated population of 3,000 individuals. They thrive in relatively pristine habitats with managed food resources, such as fish populations, contributing to their health and productivity.

Physical Characteristics:
Kodiak bears are one of the largest bears in the world. Adult males, known as boars, can stand over 10 feet tall on their hind legs and weight on average 900 pounds in the late summer. Females, or sows, are generally smaller than their male counterparts and on average weigh 600 pounds in the late summer. The oldest recorded Kodiak bear was a 34-year-old sow, while the oldest boar recorded lived close to 27 years.

Life Cycle and Behavior:
Birth and Growth:
Cubs are born in January or February, weighing less than a pound at birth. They stay with their mothers for about three years, with a significant portion not surviving due to various factors, including predation by adult bears. The average litter size is 2-3 cubs.
Diet and Feeding Habits:
Kodiak brown bears are omnivores. Their diet includes grass, plants, berries, carcasses, and fish, with salmon being a crucial protein component of their diet. They utilize the most nutritious parts of their food to maximize weight gain, such as salmon brains and flesh and the internal organs of mammals.
Denning and Hibernation:
Kodiak brown bears enter their dens in late October, with pregnant sows denning first and males last. Some animals may remain active throughout the winter. The physiology of their hibernation is a subject of interest for NASA and medical researchers, as bears can hibernate for up an average of 5-6 months without losing significant bone mass or muscle tone.

Cultural and Historical Significance:
The following excerpt from Alutiiq Traditions, which was produced by the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, AK:
Taquka’asinaq – The Great Bear
The brown or grizzly bear is the largest land mammal in North America. The Kodiak Archipelago is home to more than 3,000 of these enormous creatures, which have long been a source of food and materials for Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people. Bears were once the only large land mammal available to Kodiak hunters until deer, elk, mountain goats, and reindeer were introduced in the 20th century. In addition to meat and fat, bears provided gut for waterproof clothing, sinew for thread, hair for decorating clothing, bone for tools, teeth for jewelry, and hides for bedding. Inside the warmth of a sod house, people sat on bear hides to sew, make tools, and play games. And in the evening, families wrapped themselves in the plush fur for sleeping.

In classical Alutiiq society, people hunted bears in winter and spring, but not during the salmon season, when their meat tasted strongly of fish. Before the introduction of firearms, Alutiiq hunters harvested bears with bows and arrows, slate spears, snares, and deadfall traps. Some were killed in their dens. Others were taken with traps placed in streams, or ambushed along habitually used trails.

Bear hunting required great caution. Men cleansed themselves in a steam bath before the hunt, wore clean clothes to hide their smell, and never bragged about their kills. A bear might be listening!

Commercial hunting in the 1800s placed a high value on bear hides, equivalent to beaver or otter pelts. By the early 20th century, increasing pressure from Russian and American settlements led to a declining Kodiak brown bear population. At the same time, the world began to take notice of the incredible size and unique natural history of the iconic animals. Inspired by concerned sportsmen and conservationists, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge in 1941 to protect the natural feeding and breeding range of the Kodiak brown bears and other wildlife on Uganik and Kodiak Islands. The Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA) added 50,000 acres of land on Afognak and Ban Islands to Kodiak NWR. Through the 1990s, nearly 275,000 acres of valuable wildlife habitat were reacquired through purchase or donation of fee title, conservation easement and limited development easements.
President Benjamin Harrison established the Afognak Forest and Fish Culture Reserve in Alaska in 1892, principally for the conservation of sockeye salmon. This salmon refuge returned to Alaska Native peoples in 1980. The Afognak and Yes Bay Fish-Cultural Stations operated in Alaska under the banner of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries (a precursor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) from 1906 to 1933, shuttering as cost-saving measures during The Great Depression.

Modern-Day Management:
Today, approximately 180 Kodiak bears are hunted annually under strict regulations. Not all bear hunts are guided, and hunters incur significant fees for bear hunts. Conservation efforts, such as the establishment of the Kodiak NWR, have been crucial in protecting bear populations and their habitats.

Safety and Research:
Human-bear interactions are rare, with only one fatality recorded in the past 75 years. Ongoing research, management, and public education by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and Kodiak NWR works to ensure the continued health and safety of both bears and humans.

Experience the Majesty of Kodiak Brown Bears:
Kodiak brown bears symbolize the wild, untamed beauty of Alaska. Their impressive size, intriguing behavior, and vital role in the ecosystem make them a fascinating subject for wildlife enthusiasts and researchers alike. Whether you're exploring the Kodiak Archipelago or learning from afar, the story of these incredible bears is one of nature's most captivating tales and conservation success stories.