The effect of the river area and salmon

( Oncorhynchus nerka)
availability on the variation of the proportion of
bears (Ursus arctos) and their hunting
techniques
Discussion

In the flow and pool areas, a fluctuating trend in which mean proportion of bears approached 20% as

total annual salmon escapement increased was observed. In the rapids, ripples, and falls the mean

proportions were not converging to an equal distribution pattern of 20% as salmon escapement increased.

Instead, there was a fluctuating pattern between the proportions of 5%-35% (Fig. 1). The hunting

techniques of sit and wait and dash and grab had a general constant mean proportion while begging and

stand and wait showed an increase in mean proportion of bears as annual salmon escapement increased.

Also, a sharp decrease in the mean proportion was observed for snorkeling (Fig. 2).

The ideal free distribution theory (IFD) predicts the distribution of animals in patches that compete

for resources (Fretwell and Lucas 1970). If all competitors can move without cost between patches, have

equal ability to acquire food, and have detailed enough information of their competitors’ distribution and

the food resources available to them, each competitor is expected to go to a patch providing it with the

highest energy intake (Smith 1982). Under continues input conditions where a resource is consumed right

after it is inserted into the patch (Parker and Sutherland 1986), the IFD predicts that the number of

competitors in each patch would be proportional to the resource input rate (Hakoyama 2003). This

prediction almost held true for the river areas in this study. First, the fluctuation of yearly mean proportion

of bears with respect to annual salmon escapement showed a sine shape variation for all areas (except

rapids and falls that are bell shape curves). For example, the mean proportion for pools started at 26%,

then increased to 28%, followed by decreasing to 18%, and then increased again to 32%, and ended up

to 20% for the years 2016,2017,2018,2019, and 2020 respectively, which simulates a sine shape variation

(Fig1).

On the other hand, in the flow and pool areas, equal distribution in the mean proportion of bears was

observed as salmon escapement increased. However, for other areas it was hard to derive such a
conclusion as the extent of the variation per year are more scattered specifically for falls and rapids.

Alternative factors such as social dominance can be affecting the mean proportion of Brown bears in

river areas. It was found that in each small stream occupied by a socially dominant bear, subdominant

bears would directly be displaced either aggressively or by avoidance. Additionally, to minimize social

interactions, the subdominant bears use a smaller fraction of each stream and carry their prey to a further

location for consumption (Gende and Quinn 2004). Bear size also influences fishing locations as bigger

bears can fish in waist-deep rushing water that can carry smaller bears away (Luque and Stokes 1976).

The pairs of total mean proportion of (active, passive) hunting techniques per year as cumulatively

derived from the graph (Fig. 2, parts a, b, c, d, and e) was as follows:

{(45,32),(32,23),(25,35),(28,33),(41,34)}. This trend did not show any meaningful relation between the

fluctuation of hunting techniques per annual salmon escapement. Thus, the proportion of bears utilizing

hunting techniques did not change from active to passive when the salmon availability increased.

Classification of hunting techniques was difficult because of using still pictures. Additionally, various

factors (for instance no distinction made between the behaviour of male or female bears) not considered

in this study could be a source of error. In previous studies, it was found that females with cubs were

highly intolerant of other bears (Egbert and Stokes 1976) which in turn can affect the location selection

of adolescent males and females for the means of reducing disturbance. Age of bears is an important

factor affecting hunting techniques. A study on the fishing behaviour of Alaska brown bears showed that

bears used 9 to 28 techniques and old bears used fewer techniques when compared to the younger (Luque

and Stokes 1976).

While had the greatest mean proportion, the undetermined hunting technique was a source of error as it

could include any of the other five hunting techniques that were undetected.

For determining how variation in salmon availability affects hunting behaviours, the mean proportion

of bears in each area and changes in hunting techniques from active to passive, both when salmon

availability was high, was examined. An equal distribution pattern was only seen in the areas of pools
and flows. Additionally, there was no relationship observed between the transition of hunting techniques

from active to passive.

References

Egbert, A. L., and A. Stokes. 1976. The social behaviour of brown bears on an Alaskan salmon stream.
Bears: Their Biology and Management 4:41-56.

Fretwell, S. D., and H. L., Lucas Jr. 1969. On territorial behaviour and other factors influencing habitat
distribution in birds. Acta Biotheoretica 19:16-36.

Gende, S. M., and T. P., Quinn. 2004. The relative importance of prey density and social dominance in
determining energy intake by bears feeding on pacific salmon. Canadian Journal of Zoology 82:75-85.

Hakoyama, H. 2003. The ideal free distribution when the resource is variable. Behavioural ecology
14:109-115.

Luque, M. H., and A. W., Stokes. 1976. Fishing behaviour of Alaska brown bears. Their biology and
management 3:71-78.

Parker, G. A., and W. J. Sutherland. 1986. Ideal free distributions when individuals differ in competitive
ability: phenotype limited ideal free models. Animal behaviour 34:1222-1242.

Smith, J. M., 1982. Evolution and the theory of games. Cambridge university press, Cambridge, UK.