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
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Your "3 Stooges" image (so named on 500px) of the cubs is of course my favorite, but all these are fascinating. I've always found film/video of black bear cubs playing to be extremely entertaining, and would love to watch them up close ... except for the knowledge that a Big Mama would be around!
ReplyDeleteExtraordinary family photographs, well done.
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