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LiquidFeet

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His [VERY] large body definitely proves he's a determined bear!
This is a captivating photo. And you captured many images just as fascinating. Great photography.

But, are you sure this was a male bear? Was it the size that gave this away? Do female bears not get that big?

I just wanted to check. So many people assume all every animal they see is male so they always use "he." So I've made a commitment to ask about how they know when this happens.
 
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Andy Mink

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From Alaska Division of Fish and Game:
The only sure way to determine if the bear is male or female is to either see the penis sheath or wait long enough to observe urination.

I doubt anyone hung around to take a closer look!:geek::roflmao:
 

Jack skis

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By mistake I once got very close to a bear digging in a trash container that was hung up in the air, but not as it turned out too high for a bear get into it, headfirst. When I glanced up and saw the bear butt the large balls I could see made me pretty sure it was a boar and not a sow. I disagree with the AK Div. of Fish and Game as to the two ways to determine the sex of a bear.
 

Lauren

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This is a captivating photo. And you captured many images just as fascinating. Great photography.

But, are you sure this was a male bear? Was it the size that gave this away? Do female bears not get that big?

I just wanted to check. So many people assume all every animal they see is male so they always use "he." So I've made a commitment to ask about how they know when this happens.
The bears in Katmai are studied year after year, and thus given numbers. They have bear cameras that can be followed online (explore.org). There’s a good size online community that regularly watches the cameras and knows a ton about each bear. Some of the rangers chime in on the conversation, and they can pretty much ID any bear there. I had read a decent amount and followed a couple Facebook groups before going…from those groups I can point out the biggest fan favorites (though rarely 100% sure). But I am sure that this one is 747 (aptly numbered after the jet liner, due his massive size). Thus I am sure that this one is male.

Females don’t tend to get quite as large, but there definitely are a few big ladies out on the river. Other than an occasional glimpse of its under bits, it’s tough to really tell just from looking at them. There’s a lot of overlap between the average male and larger females.
 
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LiquidFeet

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@Lauren, thank you for posting this info. It's interesting that the bears are all identified and recognizable.

I hope others have looked at your link so they can see all your other bear photos. Are those salmon that they are catching in the water?
 

Lauren

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I hope others have looked at your link so they can see all your other bear photos. Are those salmon that they are catching in the water?
I'll be posting a bunch of photos with a trip report soon...working on it :)

Yes...mostly sockeye salmon, but I heard there's also arctic char and trout in the river. I think all of my photos I captured are salmon.
 

Lauren

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From Alaska Division of Fish and Game:
The only sure way to determine if the bear is male or female is to either see the penis sheath or wait long enough to observe urination.
So…male or female? :roflmao:

2C7292BB-525E-4DF3-AD57-B21AA7347E8A.jpeg
 

Andy Mink

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Lauren

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That's just water dripping off. Maybe. Does a female bear squat? Does a boar lift his leg? I've never been privy to the bathroom habits of bears!
Definitely not water dripping off haha. I remember taking this photo and thinking "wait...that bear's peeing...let's give him some privacy..."

What did people do with these questions before Google...? "Male bears will urinate straight down between their hind legs. Females will urinate backward between their hind legs." (Source: nps.gov). So, I would conclude, this one is male.
 
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Jerez

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The bears in Katmai are studied year after year, and thus given numbers. They have bear cameras that can be followed online (explore.org).
That is a lot of fun. Thanks! But I must say a few of those bears look awfully skinny for this time of year. Makes me wonder if they'll survive the winter.
 

Lauren

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That is a lot of fun. Thanks! But I must say a few of those bears look awfully skinny for this time of year. Makes me wonder if they'll survive the winter.
I read today that the bear cameras have been down. They might still be playing highlights from old footage.
 

Daniel

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Photo taken during today's hike from Black Bess Peak, located along Solitude Mountain Resort's Fantasy Ridge / Honeycomb Cliffs. The body of water is Twin Lakes and just over the top of the dam much of Brighton Ski Resort's base facilities can be seen. To the left of the lake is Evergreen Peak and, like Fantasy Ridge, is hike to/climb to terrain at Solitude. The center of the photo features the upper lift station of the Summit Express chairlift and the Summit patrol shack.

9D78AF85-6CE4-4EE9-91B1-E1F87D30814C.jpeg
 

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