Year First Observed: 2019
Year Last Observed: 2026
Age: 9

Bear 164, nicknamed Bucky, is a young adult male who went from following older bears around for scraps to becoming the most dominant bear at Brooks River in 2026. He did it partly by finding a fishing spot no other bear uses. He has been in several Fat Bear Week brackets and reached the semifinals in 2026.

How to recognize him

Bucky is a large adult male with grizzled brown fur, oval ears with blond tips, and a dish shaped face. Look for a dark line or dent of fur between his eyes on the top of his muzzle. Many fans call him Bucky Dent, a nod to that mark and to the former New York Yankees shortstop.

Starting out

Rangers first identified Bucky in 2019 as an independent bear about two and a half years old, so he was born around 2017. His mother isn't known. As a young bear he was often seen trailing older bears, likely hoping to pick up leftovers or steal a fish when he got the chance. That's a common strategy for subadults who can't yet compete for the good spots.

A spot of his own

At Brooks Falls, open fishing spots are hard for a young bear to come by. So Bucky found one nobody else wanted. He stands at the edge of the deepest plunge pool, nearly underneath the falling water, and catches salmon in three different ways: as they rise up from the pool below, as they leap through the air, and as they drop back after a failed jump. No other bear, now or in recent memory, has fished that spot regularly.

Taking over

All that salmon helped Bucky grow fast, and his attitude changed along with his size. He now pushes most bears out of the fishing spots he wants, and he will challenge other bears for dominance even when there's no fishing spot at stake. By 2026 the park reported that nearly every other bear at Brooks River yielded to him, and when a new bear showed up, he would often try to drive it out of the area. That summer he also courted 910 during the mating season.

What makes this even more striking is his age. Male brown bears in Katmai usually hit their peak size and strength somewhere between 12 and 20. Bucky was only about 9 in 2026, which means he could keep growing and become even more dominant.

Fat Bear Week

• 2022: Competed

• 2023: Competed

• 2024: Competed

• 2026: Semifinalist, lost to eventual champion 89 Backpack

Quick facts

• Sex: Male

• First identified: 2019, about age 2.5

• Estimated age in 2026: 9

• Mother: Unknown

• Known for: Fishing under the falls, his fast rise to the top of the hierarchy