Description

Ursus arctos, or the Brown Bear, is divided into two subspecies in North America—Ursus arctos horribilis, the grizzly, and Ursus arctos middendorffi, the Alaska brown bear or Kodiak bear. Grizzlies are far more widespread, ranging across inland Alaska, through the Canadian West, and down into Idaho and Montana. There is an isolated pocket of grizzlies in Wyoming around Yellowstone, where they were reintroduced after near extinction in the Lower 48. Kodiak bears are found along the Alaska coast. Larger than their inland cousin, they subside on a heavy fish diet, compared to the omnivore grizzly that gets by primarily on plants and scavenged carcasses. Boone & Crocket keeps separate records for Alaska and grizzly bears. These species make for one of the most dangerous hunts in North America. Every year a handful of people are killed or mauled by brown bears, whether they be hunters, hikers and trail runners. Still, brown bears are often pursued with archery tackle, and like all predators, die quickly with proper shot placement. Opportunities to hunt brown bears are plentiful, but costly. Nonresidents of Alaska and western Canada must hire a guide to hunt them. There is no open hunting season for grizzlies in the Lower 48.