350 



AliLsku — Our Living Resources 



60 65 70 75 80 85 90 

 Year 



Fig. 1. Annual sport harvest of 

 Kodiak brown bears, 1961-93. 



Female 



■ Male 



70 75 



80 

 Year 



85 90 



Fig. 2. Mean age of Kodiak 

 brown bears harvested by sport 

 hunters, 1969-92. 



30- 



82 84 86 88 90 92 94 

 Year 



Fig. 3. Maximum counts from 

 aerial surveys of brown bears con- 

 centrated along salmon-spawning 

 streams on southwest Kodiak 

 Island, 1982-93. 



For further information: 



Victor G. Barnes, Jr. 



National Biological Service 



Alaska Science Center 



Kodiak Field Station 



Kodiak, AK 99615 



measurements (length plus width) of harvested 

 bears, which generally indicate hear size (Glenn 

 1980), have remained consistent over time. 



Collectively, sport hunting records point to a 

 stable bear population on the Kodiak 

 Archipelago. A comparison of average annual 

 harvest and estimated population size indicates 

 that harvest is at or near the ma.ximum sustain- 

 able level (Miller 1990). and managers should 

 closely monitor additional effects on the bear 

 population arising from increased mortality or 

 other factors. 



Aerial Stream Surveys 



Adjusted maximum counts from stream sur- 

 veys ranged from 47 to 87 bears per survey over 

 the past 12 years, but there has not been any 

 consistent trend in the counts during this period 

 (Fig. 3). The stream survey counts are used as 

 an index to population size, but they are affect- 

 ed by many other factors such as timing of the 

 surveys relative to peak bear concentrations and 

 strength of salmon runs. 



We consider estimates of composition based 

 on the stream surveys more reliable. Annual 

 estimates of the proportion of maternal females 

 have varied little from the overall mean of 24% 

 during this period. Taken together, the count 

 and composition data suggest that the brown 

 bear population in this area remains relatively 

 stable. 



Population Abundance 



Estimates of brown bear density on three 

 study areas on Kodiak Island ranged from 0.29 

 to 0.35 bears/km- (0.75 to 0.91 bears/mi-). 

 Habitats represented by the areas included pre- 

 cipitous mountain terrain, shrub-covered slopes, 

 riparian zones, coastal habitat, and extensive 

 bog and heathland flats. Extrapolating those 

 density estimates to comparable habitats on 

 other geographical areas provided an estimate 

 of 2,842 bears for the Kodiak Archipelago or 

 about 0.23 bears/km- (0.60 bears/mi-). Bear 

 density was highest at Karluk Lake (0.42 

 bears/km- [1.09 bears/mi-]) and lowest on 

 small, isolated islands (0.04 bears/km- [0.10 

 bears/mi-^]). 



Management Considerations 



Available information suggests that the sta- 

 tus of the Kodiak brown bear population is bet- 

 ter now than in some earlier periods. In the early 

 1900"s bears were commercially hunted for 

 their hides or indiscriminately killed as com- 

 petitors of fisherman and ranchers (Troyer 

 1961; Smith et al. 1989). During the 1960's 



bears were killed in a controversial control pro- 

 gram undertaken to reduce conflicts with live- 

 stock on nonheast Kodiak Island (Eide 1965), 

 and excessive sport harvest occurred on parts of 

 southwest Kodiak Island. These events 

 undoubtedly affected bear distribution and 

 abundance in local areas. However, future man- 

 agement of brown bears and their habitat will 

 face new problems, including accelerated tim- 

 ber harvest, construction of cabins on bear habi- 

 tat, and additional hydroelectric development. 

 Added to all these threats is the long-term prob- 

 lem of expanding recreational use. Effective 

 management of the bear population in upcom- 

 ing years will depend on inventory methods that 

 can detect population change in a timely man- 

 ner. 



References 



Barnes, V.G., Jr, R.B. Smith, and L.J. Van Daele. 1988. 

 Density estimates and estimated population of brown 

 bears on Kodiak and adjacent islands. 1987. Report to the 

 Kodiak Brown Bear Research and Habitat Maintenance 

 Trust. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Alaska 

 Dep;irtment of Fish and Game, Kodiak. 34 pp. 



Cowan. I.M. 1972. The status and conservation of bears 

 (Ursidael of the world — 1970. Proceedings of the 

 International Conference on Bear Research and 

 Management 2:343-371. 



Eide, S. 1965. The nature of brown bear predation on cattle, 

 Kodiak Island, Alaska. Proceedings of the Conference of 

 Western Association of State Game and Fish 

 Commissioners 45:1 13-1 18. 



Glenn, L.P. 1980. Morphometric characteristics of brown 

 bears on the central Alaska Peninsula. Proceedings of the 

 International Conference on Bear Research and 

 Management 4:313-319. 



Miller, S.D. 1990. Population management of bears in 

 North America. Proceedings of the International 

 Conference on Bear Research and Management 8:357- 

 373. 



Miller, S.D., E.F Becker, and W.B. Ballard. 1987. Black 

 and brown bear density estimates using modified cap- 

 ture-recapture techniques in Alaska. Proceedings of the 

 International Conference on Bear Research and 

 Management 7:23-35. 



Servheen. C. 1990. The status and conservation of the bears 

 of the world. International Conference on Bear Research 

 and Management Monograph Series 2. 32 pp. 



Smith R.B.. V.G. Barnes. Jr., and L.J. Van Daele. 1989. 

 Brown bear-human conflicts in the Kodiak Archipelago, 

 Alaska. Pages 111-119 in M. Bromley, ed. Bear-people 

 conflict: Proceedings of a Symposium on Management 

 Strategies. Northwest Territories Department of 

 Renewable Resources, Yellowknife. Canada. 



Smith. R.B.. and L.J. Van Daele. 1990. Impacts of hydro- 

 electric development on brown bears, Kodiak Island, 

 Alaska. Proceedings of the International Conference on 

 Bear Research and Management 8:93-103. 



Troyer, W.A. 1961. The brown bear harvest in relation to 

 management on the Kodiak Islands. Transactions of the 

 North American Wildlife and Natural Resources 

 Conference 26:460-468. 



USFWS. 1987. Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, final 

 comprehensive conservation plan, wilderness review and 

 environmental impact statement. U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service. Anchorage, AK. 533 pp. 



