A mother bear, or sow, is fiercely protective, especially this time of year when male bears are hungry. The river is cleared and divided; the most productive side of the river, where the salmon runs more abundantly, belongs to the strong males. The other side is mostly used by younger bears and sows with their young.
There are several strategies to catch fish, the most common is the dive and grab with the mouth, but some bears develop a very efficient technique of snorkeling with the current and step at the fish.
