As some of you already know I place a trail camera up river during salmon spawning season to record the wildlife. I have had a trail camera up for over 5 weeks this fall. I must admit that I am disappointed with the results. I expected more bears or hoped there would be more than there was.
I have pondered why for sometime now? I truly do not know exactly why to be honest. My theory is that last years run was a poor run. So this year the bears migrated to other valleys for better streams. Nature self regulates it’s self. Animals will spread out naturally.
Plus I suspect that many bears did not put on enough body fat and so died in their dens during last winter.
In these two videos you will see a bear searching for a salmon and in the other a bear has found one. During normal times the river would have more bears around. So If you grabbed a salmon you hurried off into the forest quickly! WHY? Because if one of those other bears saw you get a salmon most times this would cause them to chase you until you dropped your prize! So when you grabbed a salmon you would always hurry off into the forest where you could eat it in peace! But in the second video thats not what is happening! The bear has grabbed a salmon and begins to eat it out in the open! The only reason why a bear would do something like this is If they felt like they were the only bear around! It felt comfortable enough to do this. Which points to the fact that very few bears were around this fall!
Also,notice in the first video the bear walks across to a pool. A salmon realizes a bear is coming and takes off.
It’s sad to hear that many bears may have died from starvation.
I enjoyed the video. :)
me too Lynette! I pay more attention to these bears than anybody and still do not know exactly what is going on?
Insightful interpretation. Bears are very adaptive, so I like your comment that maybe they moved to better salmon spawning grounds.
I think there is no way they all could of died. So I think a answer is usually a mixture of several reasons!
It’s very sad to think some bears may have died during the winter because they didn’t have enough food in the autumn, Wayne.
Maybe the 2019 run was bad because 2015 was so hot? Was this year’s run better? Climate change doesn’t help at all, when the fish are dealing with overfishing and loss of spawning streams.
It’s a mystery Audrey? This years run wasn’t any better than last year. Which means very few cute cubs next year again!
Enjoyed seeing these, Wayne – thank you!
Sad to think there are fewer bears this year.
Yes,fewer bears everywhere! A friend who swims many streams counting salmon had this to say………….”As for animals, one wolf on Tranquil and the least number of bears seen there this year.
In 33 snorkel surveys, 2 on the Bedwell 1 on the upper Kennedy 1 on Warn bay ck.
Very few bears overall.”
I am not fond of salmon, they can have ALL mine!
I agree Annette! I have lots of salmon in the freezer but usually give them away to friends.
Interesting theories you have Wayne – it is nicer to think that they moved on and not that they died in their dens from not packing on enough fat. Hopefully climate change is not affecting the bears’ habits.
humans are responsible for the low salmon returns and with our numbers growing every second,you can bet we are going to be taking more! Making this scenario even more pronounced!
You hit the nail on the head Wayne. Obviously, humans don’t care and they keep procreating and for what – what kind of world do those kids grow up in? A generation or two from now, what’s left of the environment and Earth as we always knew it, because no one cares – for the most part, humans care only for their electronic devices and have a short attention span.
I wouldn’t want to bring a child into this world for the sake of the child, not my own.
As the population increases so will climate change,extinctions,wars and of course resource depletion.
Nope, a child brought into the world today, by the time they are an adult, the world and its resources will be looking pretty bleak. We just need to look at Alaska’s icebergs, landscape and the starving polar bears.
we will be the ruin of this world!
That’s for sure and you will get no argument from me on that!
I hope that the bears moved to better feeding grounds, but given the state of the environment these days I could easily imagine that the bears starved. Just sad!
Bears are dying from starvation,Orca’s as well and when the Sea Lion’s cannot find any food they leap into Fishermen’s nets and what is our response?…….cull the Lion’s!
As our population keeps increasing,so too will all our ill’s.
Same down here Wayne! They’ve been culling the sea lions here in Oregon as well because they are the reason for greatly reduced salmon runs. I don’t even know what to say to nonsense like that. Unfortunately most humans probably aren’t aware of it or care. The trail videos were great by the way!
It’s a shame how things have unfolded. What we do to other species we are basically doing to ourselves,just at a slower speed.
Glad you enjoyed the two videos Sabine!
It really is a shame! Until people are personally affected in negative ways they probably won’t change their ways. But there’s always hope!
reduce the population to one billion and keep it there.
That’s what we have to do but that ain’t going to be happening any time soon!
Very true!
I so enjoyed the bear videos, Wayne, and very much appreciated your narrative and vast experience with this incredible mammal.
thanks Jet,didn’t get much this year. My furry friends seem to be elsewhere and they never left a forwarding address?
This is interesting ponder. When animals change, or when nature changes, we just don’t know why. Their instincts are far sharper than we can imagine.
the main reason why we do not know whats going on Jennie is that we would have to be there all the time.
We as a species have been domesticated which takes us further away from our instincts.
Well said, Wayne. And true!
I was reading the comments above and agree. Nature is being forgotten because of technology. I have seen so many acres of land torn up for new housing additions, when there are plenty of places for people to live in the city, but they want something new. 4 story houses when they are only a family of 3 people. Nature knows how to take care of itself if people would leave it alone. Thank you Wayne
As our numbers increase, so will our intrusion!
Great to hear from you Sandra!
I am in the north country for the winter Wayne, 9 degrees out this morning. 🙂
thats our temperature too!
what latitude?
Latitude: 46° 13′ 60.00″ N
thats what I thought, your way south of me. We are above the 49th latitude. But I’m in a Temperate weather zone being next to the ocean.
Yes, I am just south of Lake Superior, lots of cold lake effect weather.