Black Bear Diaries 2011 Part 20: Bear dens and the snack bar

We are going to look at the the two places a bear loves best in this diary update. Bed and the snack bar.

In the back of my mind I have always wondered, where do all the local bears hibernate? 

While I was in the Canadian Rockies two weeks ago I picked up a copy of Dave Taylor's - Black Bears, A Natural History (a must read for any black bear fan and it is available through amazon
http://www.amazon.ca/Black-Bears-Natural-Dave Taylor/dp/1550418491/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316750343&sr=8-1) and after reading the chapter on dens it got me even more curious about the local bears and where they den for the winter.

As we get into fall (aka autumn where I come from) curiosity got the better of me so I went exploring in the local mtn hoping to maybe locate something that resembled a Bear's den. I read somewhere that they like to den in tree cavities in old growth forests.The book explained that bears dens are not easy to find but from looking at the photos I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for. Bear dens must be dry, away from danger and fairly cramped. The reason for them being cramped is that if there is too much open air around the bear it will loose body heat.

I spotted a number of dens on my hike and wanted to share the following photos with you. I think I found what I was looking for.

 

Did you know:  Black Bears den in a number of places including, under a brush pile, tree roots and beneath rock ledges. Bears have also been known to den in tree tops. There was a den found in Louisiana over 30 metres above ground in a tree.

The following photo shows a healthy skunk cabbage patch that could be another reason bears den in this area. This would be the ideal local snack bar when they wake up in spring.

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Black Bear Diaries 2011 Part 20: Notorious B.I.G

Welcome back to Black Bear Diaries 2011. Summer has come to a close. I do hope everyone had a super summer. I spent August and early September enjoying myself and spending time with my little brother who came to visit from the UK. I haven't stopped following the bears who have also been enjoying themselves, feasting on the berry crop. I am sure we have all put on a little weight after the BBQ season but hopefully not as much as this bear, see below.

This is the largest black bear that visits the local area. He is a very large male even before he starts preparing for hibernation. This is only the second time I have seen him. The first encounter was around June last year when I glanced in my rear view mirror to see this huge black shape walk across the road behind me. My wife and I looked at each other and said simply said "WOW". Locals share stories about a large bear that comes by now and again and sightings are rare. The photo I share below is from the second time I met this large bear. This time I wasn't sat in my car, but on foot.

Last Saturday my wife, bother, and I took a walk around the local area. My brother was excited to see bears. Growing up my little brother would scare himself more than me when he would tell me bear stories. My Dad would return from business trips to the Pacific Northwest with bear attack books. We would read them before bed and fill our imagination with wild tales of bears attacking hikers and campers in the woods. It was only fitting then that the last bear he saw, during his visit, was this brute. We estimated this guy to be somewhere close to 350-400lbs.

Did you know: Most black bears weigh about the same as an average human male. Typically, a black bear will fall between 160 and 220lbs. A good-sized male will approach 250lbs and few can reach close to 500lbs. Male black bears will reach their maximum height and length when they are seven or eight years old. The biggest black bear ever recorded was in Manitoba, Canada and weighed 803lbs. Males tend to be one-third larger then females but there is such a variety in size that size alone is not a reliable way to tell the sex.

This big guy will certainly not starve this winter. He wasn't aggressive and tolerated us walking by him. We used a onlookers parked car as cover while we walked passed.

He just wanted to eat the berries.



Photo courtesy of Neil Douglas

My first front page...

Coming up next: A look inside a bear den.

To see what keeps me busy behind the camera besides black bears, please visit my new portfolio at:

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If you enjoyed this blog please feel free to share this link with friends and family:

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For more information on Black Bears visit:

http://www.bear.org/

Black Bear Diaries Part 19: In the press

Hello everyone,

I apologise for not posting an update since the end of July but be patient because I will be back very soon with diary updates.

Until I return, I want to share this with you all. While I was away on vacation last week I found out that a photo of mine made the front page of the local newspaper: See photo and article here: http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/tricitynews/community/128703788.html

Thanks again for all your support and comments.

Jamie

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Black Bear Diaries Part 18: Bear signs n' bear cubs

Things have gotten so busy in bear land that the local parks board have put up signs. They certainly ain't kidding when they say "extreme bear activity in area".



This weeks mission has been to spend time in the company of a sow with three cubs who has been hanging around the area. I went out last night and watched her cubs climb the local hydro pole but the light was low so I couldn't get any decent photos.

This evening was a slightly different story.  I counted 14 different bears this evening and at one point I had 12 within a 150 radius of me. I first spotted this sow with her three cubs grazing on the river bank but she took off when another young male turned up so I to decided it was also time to leave. Coming back down the trail an hour later later I encountered a stubborn sow and cub sitting on the path but after standing there for a while I got impatient and fired a few pumps of bear spray in the air made them take off. I was eager to get passed them because I spotted the sow with three cubs at the far end of the trail so I new there would be a good photo op.

Once I got up to the area with the three cubs I was able to get these photos before yet another sow with two cubs showed up. After some thought the sow with three decided the end of the path I was at was the safer route so I took a few shots and decided I had better get out of her way. This was when I discovered my route home wasn't going to be as easy as I thought.

Bear family checking me out...

Techs: 400MM @ F5.6// 1/200// ISO1250//

Canon 7D with 400mm F5.6L

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

The three stooges...

Techs: 400MM @ F6.3// 1/320// ISO1250//

Canon 7D with 400mm F5.6L

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

Bear family heading my way...

Techs: 400MM @ F5.6// 1/400// ISO1600//

Canon 7D with 400mm F5.6L

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

Run the gaunlet... Who wants to go first?

Techs: 400MM @ F5.6// 1/200// ISO1600

Canon 7D with 400mm F5.6L

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

To see what keeps me busy behind the camera besides black bears, please visit my new portfolio at:

http://jamiedouglas.500px.com/#/0

If you enjoyed this blog please feel free to share this link with friends and family:

http://jmdouglasphotography.blogspot.com/

For more information on Black Bears visit:

http://www.bear.org/

Black Bear Diaries 2011 Part 17: Star

Besides celebrating my Birthday this week I have managed to get out twice to see the bears. Things are starting to get busier in Bear land. This is Star, named after the white mark on her chest that is just visible on the 2nd photo bellow. I hear Star has three cubs but they were nowhere to be seen when I met her on Thursday night. I soon realised when I took the first photograph that another bear was hanging around close by in the bushes to my left which signalled it was time to move out of the area. Star paid no attention to me at all so I knew something was distracting her.  She seemed extremely relaxed though and eventually got up and started wandering along the road towards onlookers before eventually going back into the bushes about 100 meters from where she was originally sat. I am not sure if she had taken a fancy to the other bear or was casually leading it away from her cubs.

Techs: 400MM @ F6.3// 1/125// ISO800//

Canon 7D with 400mm F5.6L

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

Techs: 400MM @ F5.6 // 1/400// ISO1250 // Exp comp -1/3

Canon 7D with 400mm F5.6L

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

To see what keeps me busy behind the camera besides black bears, please visit my new portfolio at:

http://jamiedouglas.500px.com/#/0

If you enjoyed this blog please feel free to share this link with friends and family:

http://jmdouglasphotography.blogspot.com/

For more information on Black Bears visit:

http://www.bear.org/

Black Bear Diaries 2011 Part 16: The 'no bear curse'

How do you break the 'no bear curse'?

Well I can tell you right now. The answer is.... for those that haven’t already answered it.... it is.... wait for it.... drum roll please... tappy tappy tappy... don’t take your camera out!

I discovered this evening that it's that simple to break the 'no bear curse'.

It comes down to two factors really, one being that I didn’t take my camera and the other, that after the heavy rain we had during Saturday night's thunder and lightening storm the grass has been knocked down so visibility is far better.

Things got so quiet that on Sunday my wife and I took a drive out to a provincial park about 2hrs from our home to look for bears and get some photos of them amongst the wild flowers. After spending a good part of the afternoon photographing a Loon and getting eaten alive by mosquitoes I spotted a young bear on the side of the road. The little guy looks to be about a year to 1 1/2 year and by the looks of it, orphaned. His mum was nowhere to be seen. I always make sure momma isn’t around when I approach young bears. That decision is based on a healthy level of common sense. The little guy was cautious as I approached slowly. I was able to get one clean image, see below, before a car came roaring around the corner and scared him away. It was reassuring to see the little fella had a healthy fear so hopefully he does alright out in the wild on his own.

Techs: 400MM @ F5.6 // 1/125 // ISO400 //

Canon 7D with 400mm F5.6L

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

Techs: 400MM @ F5.6 // 1/1250// ISO1250 // Exp comp -1/3

Canon 7D with 400mm F5.6L

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

Back to this evening and the 'no bear curse'. I noticed many wet foot prints on the trails this evening (didn't have the camera so couldn't even take a wet foot print photo - I owe you one before the end of the season) so I knew things had changed since the last time I went out. I spotted a sow and two cubs from a great distance but luckily I did at least take my binoculars so I could see them and they were comfortably eating so I thought I'd go take a look see if I could identify them. Word is over seven bears have been shot this year so I am always anxious to see if our early friends are still about.

I didn't hang around long because once they spotted me she had both cubs up a tree (again no camera).

Tomorrow I will be another year older so wish me luck and I'll be back very soon with more stories and photos from my black bear encounters.

To see what else keeps me busy behind the camera, visit my new portfolio at: http://jamiedouglas.500px.com/#/0

If you enjoyed this blog please feel free to share this link with friends and family:

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For more information on Black Bears visit:

http://www.bear.org/

Black Bear Diaries 2011 Part 15: Eagles and Ducks

I feel like I have disappeared off the face of the planet lately when it comes to sharing my bear encounters with you all. I have been out only a handful of times in the last two weeks and only had 5 bear sightings. I blame it on the fact I started a new job last month which has kept me pretty busy.

I can report though that our little friend who I feared had been shot is infact alive and well and is currently hanging about a berry crop.
 
So what’s been happening lately then if the Bears have been scrarce? Well I did have one very cool encounter last Thursday while I was out on my bike riding the local trails. While I was riding along talking with a local we noticed two Bald Eagles circling and swooping along the river bank. Needless to say I went to investigate right away as someone had mentioned the eagles had been attacking the local ducks. As we got closer you could hear the distressed quacks of a duck on the shore but unfortunately our view was obstructed by bushes. We both stood listening to the ducks dying quacks for about 2 minutes until you could hear the swooping of the eagle flapping its wings. The eagle appeared with the duck in its talons and just behind it was the duck's partner frantically chasing the eagle. 

I have never experienced this before so I'll be sure to go out with my fingers crossed next time. While its unfortunate for the ducks its a spectacle to been seen.
 
We have an insane thunderstorm this evening so I am off to watch the lightening from my bedroom window.

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

Image © J M Douglas|Photography 2011

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