It’s Fat Bear Week again! Voting starts tomorrow. Which of the Opulent Ursines are your picks on the bracket?

OH THIS IS AWESOME!!!!! 100% support from me.

I actually am finally getting a couple trail cameras for my property in the mountains.

@Forever_Free I tend to indulge in some merch after, and I always gift the park a nice sum for giving me so much joy. :-)

Fat Bears Week! YAS.
Thanks for posting this, @canidmajor. :D

But do we vote for who is plumper? Or for who is cuter? Dilemma, dilemma.

Personally, @raum, I kinda go with the “cuter” thing. But I have to admire Grazer, who has cubs old enough to be emancipated, but are still part of her “gang”. They’re kind of thuggish and have been known to bully the others. Some call it mean, I call it Family Survival!!!
I love them all!

Ok, flag me if I’m off-topic but when does it get to be Fat Penguin Week?

OK. You talked me into it, @canidmajor. I clicked your link and read about the first 4 bears. I’m totally hooked! What a riot!

That 747 is a big bear. He looks like he could take down any rival. The description gives a lot to digest.

I can see that I’m going to follow this all the way through the winners bracket.

So far, I have three for three. I voted Holly in 2019, 747 (AKA Bear Force One) in 2020, and Otis in 2021. Otis is very old, and only has a few teeth, naps a lot, and still manages to bulk up impressively. Every year we worry that he may not appear in the spring. This year I just can’t decide, I love them all! And Jolly (first round) is Holly’s cub.

@janbb Penguins demand equal rights!

Ok, I think I’m voting for 747. He is huge! But I have to think on it some more. They are all very deserving.

I’ve never heard of this, but I’m in. Looking at Holly as my probable first pick.

Thanks, @canidmajor! Welcome relief. I would vote for any of these guys for president, too, over a lot of people I could name.

I try to vote but can’t. Do I have to sign up to vote?

Voting doesn’t open up for another twelve hours or so! You should be able to click the pictures to vote. But it’ll ask for an email though, I think.

Here in Alaska, it’s big. Ever our senior senator was posting about it this evening on social media and, believe me, it has been all over the news. It’s always fun to follow the fun coverage this competition inspires.

@Jeruba Last year, my favorite campaign slogan was “Otis for FBOTUS”…just FYI.

@Mimishu1995 Voting starts at 12 noon Wed Oct 5 Eastern Daylight Time, adjust accordingly to your time and you should be able to vote.

@AlaskaTundrea I love that it’s an international event, now! I likely won’t ever make it to Brooks Falls myself, but if you go, say Hi to all those fabulous bears for me!

And the voting has commenced!

Whoohoo!
Fat bears!

747!

164 & 747!! Go Bears! Go Bears! Go Bears! Go Bears!

Who knew you could get that fat just eating fish?

Lomi-Lomi Salmon

Hundred pounds a DAY!

@canidmajor There’s a web cam of the bears’ feeding area in Katmai – Brooks Falls. If you don’t have it let me know. I’m not on the laptop right now where I have the link bookmarked, alas, but probably findable via searching words bear cam Katmai Brooks Falls. Might even be in some of the articles popping up all over. Haven’t been online much today, alas, so haven’t had a chance to keep up or vote yet.

@AlaskaTundrea I love the bear cams! I check in on them many times a day, just to make sure that everybody’s chunking up nicely! :-)

@all Someone posted this on Facebook a few days ago, it’s helpful to identify our hirsute heroes.
“I see a lot of people asking for names to match the numbers for the bracket…Here are the matching numbers to names and a quick tidbit:

335 Jolly. Sub adult of 435 Holly, emancipated this year

164 Shower Bear/Bucky. Hangs out under the falls a lot

435 Holly. Best momma bear
747. Needs no introduction. Has 2 torn/damaged ears and is known as Bear Force One. Arrives giant and leaves even moreso every year

856 Male. One of the most dominant and the one (I think) Bean protected Bean from

32 Chunk. Tons of scars

854 Divot. Has a mark around her neck from when she was caught in a snare

151 Walker. Looks like a potato with his big butt and usually has at least 1 bite on his booty

128 Grazer. Fierce momma bear with 2, 2.5 year old cubs this year

901 (female) sleeps hours on road, gives rangers problems with bear jams with her round self.

909 jr Bean (granddaughter of former champ 409 Beadnose, jr bracket winner)

480 Otis. Again, needs no introduction. Old man on the river with fewer teeth yet still manages to get rolly polly. Identified with floppy ear, ‘7’ on one shoulder and ‘sheriff’ badge on the other.”

I voted for the bear with the shortest tail. ;)

I swear, bears probably have the shortest tails of any quadruped.

Alaska Beacon Editor Andrew Kitchenman explains what makes Fat Bear Week so great:

“It was a pretty immediate hit with Alaskans, who tend to be proud of all of the amazing wildlife in the state – including bears, though we try to stay away from them,” Kitchenman said. “But it’s grown and grown, far beyond the state’s borders. So by last year, there were actually more votes for Fat Bear Week than there are people in the state of Alaska.”

OH NO! There was ballot box stuffing!! Link

SCANDAL!

I bet it was Sarah Palin!

I voted Holly, it was hard to watch that.
Then I voted Grazer (those ears!!!) but damn…
I may have to stay up late tonight to see who wins, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be 747.

747 was my vote!

After voting on day 1, I forgot to vote again. :(

But yeah, I voted for 747!

and btw, what a cool site!