How to identify it
Large bear with a prominent shoulder hump, dish-shaped facial profile and long foreclaws; colour ranges from blond to nearly black. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- American black bear · Ursus americanus
- Polar bear · Ursus maritimus
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Brown bear from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Alaska and western or northern Canada in habitats from coast to alpine and tundra. [1]
How it behaves
Generally solitary, but gathers at concentrated food such as salmon streams, sedge flats and carcasses. [2][3]
Omnivorous: plants make up 80-90% of the diet (grasses, sedges, roots, berries), plus salmon, ground squirrels, carrion and newborn moose and caribou. [2][3]
Home ranges usually 200-600 km2 for females and 900-1,800 km2 for males; in mountains, females and young keep to upper slopes while adult males use valley bottoms. [2][3]
Dens in winter; cubs are born in the den in January-February and stay with the mother 2-3 years. [2][3]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Conservation and protection
- THREATENED — Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), U.S.A., conterminous (lower 48) States, except where listed as an experimental population: listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1975-07-28. · ECOS species profile: Grizzly bear
Where legal take is listed
- Northwest Territories — hunting · NWT Summary of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, July 1 2022 - June 30 2023
- Nunavut — hunting · Summary of the Nunavut Hunting Regulations 2021-2022
- Alaska — hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations No. 67 (complete)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Alaska western/northern Canada
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALGrizzly bear identification
Parks Canada · reviewed 2026-09-20
Parks Canada
- BIOLOGICALBrown Bear Species Profile
Alaska Department of Fish and Game · reviewed 2026-09-30
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- BIOLOGICALGrizzly Bear - Hinterland Who's Who
Canadian Wildlife Federation / Environment and Climate Change Canada · reviewed 2026-09-30
Canadian Wildlife Federation / Environment and Climate Change Canada