Alaskan Brown Bears

I recently returned from a short trip to Alaska. While there, I talked myself into spending the money to visit Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park - It was an experience of a life time. I had never seen a brown bear in the wild, let alone being 20' from one

These were all taken with my Rebel XT and 100-400. All of them are straight out of the camera, not post processing or cropping.

Comment and critique appreciated.

#1

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

Only two things in the entire world that scare me. . . Bears, and running out of ammo.

Great Shots, must have been exciting. You see shots like that in magazines and dream of being able to get some yourself, now your dream has come true. I'm sure it was worth the money.

Wayne

WOW! Those are wonderful shots. I am very impressed. You got some real keepers from your trip.

Nice shots. I love #1. The action and look of this bear are incredible. I also like #5, although I wish he was not cut off on the left. Great pictures, and I am sure an even better experience.

I would definitely need IS lenses Nice shots.

I just noticed the fish jumping out of the water on #4. Nice capture!

20'?! 'Wow' doesn't begin to cover it

They are so cute, don't you want to go up and give one of them a hug? I like the portrait shot of the bear in #3 the best.

Nice shots! The bear fishing ones are my favorite.

Awesome shots and I am sure it was an even more awesome experience. I NEED to go there someday. I am not sure I can handle the 20' thing though!

20' is WAY to close! I love the 4th and 5th best. Amazing shots!
Karen

20 ft away with cubs is way too close. They may be big, but they can get up and outrun you.

Thanks for the comments.

We came across the sow and cubs with the rangers around us, they were routing people around her on a boardwalk. We were lucky? enough to come onto them right when the rangers started diverting people, hence we were a little too close. They were completely oblivious to us, one of the cubs entertained us with funny antics. While we were stopped on the boardwalk waiting for her and her family to move, two other sows with cubs came in close proximity to the boardwalk and us. There was also a male chasing a female around (breeding season) in a meadow about 150 yards aways.

The bears don't seem to pay much attention to people. I spoke with a couple who had a bear approach them on the trail earlier in the day. They stepped a few feet off the trail and the bear walked by. In our ranger bear safety briefing they told us the sows with cubs will purposely stay near humans as the large males avoid us. Kind of ironic that they use us as shield.

Pretty amazing place. I am already planning another trip out there next year.

Well now i have to get out there this summer, awesome images, i love #1 and #7 the best. I didn't realize that you can get that close, well time to start working another job so that i can save up enough to get out there and buy that 100-400L i need ....