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Thread started 10 Jun 2009 (Wednesday) 23:44
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Big Momma and cubs

 
Karl ­ Johnston
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Jun 10, 2009 23:44 |  #1
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I was out on the highway around here traveling when I looked to my right and saw 2 baby bear cubs in a tree, climbing.

Tree Brothers

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I quickly whipped out my gear and began shooting them with a 50D and a 70-200 2.8L. I was wondering where the momma was, as I knew she had to be near. It was a very warm day of about +33C and I had all the windows in my car down. I heard a gravel sound behind me and a moan, and looked to my left.

The momma was 2 feet from my car pawing and snorting around my open driver's side window! I LEAPED to the other end of the car but she didn't really seem interested and went away again to chew by the road. As I did I managed to squeeze off this shot of her by my car window (you can see the slight white haze on the bottom, I would've cropped it out but I thought the story would be much more compelling and have taken on a purist kick with my photography lately).

She told me her name was..
Berry
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The jpeg compression makes the pictures less astounding than they are..for the 2nd shot you can see the wrinkles in her snout and the reflection of my car in her eye, as well as the flies' wings..just incredible amounts of detail. Aperture was 2.8, so I had plenty of light and the DOF was central around her head (almost looks like a portrait of her, doesn't it?)

100 % crop of berry's eyes and snout
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Maureen ­ Souza
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Jun 11, 2009 03:42 |  #2

Scary...but cool!


Life is hard...but I just take it one photograph at a time.

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Karl ­ Johnston
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Jun 11, 2009 03:52 |  #3
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Thank you Ms. Souza


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sparker1
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Jun 11, 2009 06:10 |  #4

You were safe enough in the car, but one step outside and...

Nice capture of a neat experience.


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kywolftn
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Jun 11, 2009 07:20 |  #5

very nice,
they can be very dangerous with cubs,


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snowyowl13
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Jun 11, 2009 07:49 |  #6

Reminds you of what used to happen at Algonquin Park. We would spend evenings watching the bears at the dump. It was common to look around and find a bear much closer than was comfortable. We even had one climb onto the roof of the car.
I can only recall seeing one bear north of 60, lots of bison though. I'm hoping to be back up there in July.




  
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Karl ­ Johnston
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Jun 11, 2009 13:17 |  #7
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I was talking with a friend, last night, about this image and this story. He told me to be extremely careful around black bears; they are far more dangerous than grizzlies.

I always thought of them as being the more mellow type of bear but I was told that a grizzly's behaviour is predictable and ferocious; if you play dead, though, they may lose interest as they are territorial predators.

Black bears on the other hand, are stalk-and-kill in the same way that wolves are. They protect their young a lot more closely and they can follow you for days on end if they're looking to eat you or get revenge.

Kind of creepy when I see these shots now about how close I was to this bear without thinking it was so dangerous.


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jgrussell
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Jun 11, 2009 16:57 |  #8

That bear would have scared me to death even without the "stalk you for days" story...


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Momtothefurmonsters
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Jun 11, 2009 17:14 |  #9

Amazing shot!


Mom to the furmonsters:p

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Photo-by-Leal
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Jun 11, 2009 20:47 |  #10

awesome shots....
man those bears climb those trees....


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J-dubya
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Jun 12, 2009 05:59 |  #11

Karl Johnston wrote in post #8091207 (external link)
I was talking with a friend, last night, about this image and this story. He told me to be extremely careful around black bears; they are far more dangerous than grizzlies.

I always thought of them as being the more mellow type of bear but I was told that a grizzly's behaviour is predictable and ferocious; if you play dead, though, they may lose interest as they are territorial predators.

Black bears on the other hand, are stalk-and-kill in the same way that wolves are. They protect their young a lot more closely and they can follow you for days on end if they're looking to eat you or get revenge.

Kind of creepy when I see these shots now about how close I was to this bear without thinking it was so dangerous.

i don't know how much i believe that...but really nice shots




  
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Flo
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Jun 12, 2009 09:36 |  #12

J-dubya wrote in post #8095648 (external link)
i don't know how much i believe that...but really nice shots

Totally on the up and up.just had a chat with a conservation Officer on my street a week ago.a neighbor had two lambs killed, and they set up a bear trap. I was kind of surprised that it was a bear, thinking probably a cougar, after hearing what was not left of the kill.
The next day I saw them pulling out the trap, and asked if they got lucky.he said they had to take it out because they found out the it was a Sow and her yearling cub that attacked the lambs. They cannot leave a trap when there is a cub involved, because if they trapped the cub, the Sow would go on a rampage.attacking anything and everyone that came with her radius. He said they have run cars down, trucks, killed dogs etc to protect their cubs.

They are thought of as cute, social bear, but they are anything but.More injuries and kills from black bear than grizzlies.

So you being that close to a Momma with her cubs right there was indeed too close for comfort.


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Bill634
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Jun 12, 2009 09:53 |  #13

Nice pics Karl. I'm noticing that the sow has brown patches over her eyes and I'm wondering if that is a regional characteristic or age related. I've never noticed any black bears around here with that marking. I haven't seen too many live ones at close range...at least not for long enough to study their markings but I've seen a lot of dead ones and I think they're all black except for the snout and sometimes a white chest blaze.




  
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Flo
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Jun 12, 2009 09:59 |  #14

Bill634 wrote in post #8096630 (external link)
Nice pics Karl. I'm noticing that the sow has brown patches over her eyes and I'm wondering if that is a regional characteristic or age related. I've never noticed any black bears around here with that marking. I haven't seen too many live ones at close range...at least not for long enough to study their markings but I've seen a lot of dead ones and I think they're all black except for the snout and sometimes a white chest blaze.

http://www.americanbea​r.org/FUR.htm (external link)

Interesting tidbits


you're a great friend, but if Zombies chase us, I am tripping you.

  
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fotoness
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Jun 12, 2009 10:05 as a reply to  @ Flo's post |  #15

I know someone who's truck was attacked by a mother black bear with cubs because he was too close. They are very protective and you were very fortunate. Nice pictures, and awesome experience since you're safe and sound!




  
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Big Momma and cubs
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