Respect the Bear

Bears capture our imagination. They look cute and fuzzy and harmless, meandering slowly through the woods. What people almost always forget is that they aren't harmless at all. What is it about people that makes them loose all common sense when they enter the forest?

I was in Waterton Lakes National Park on Friday (just across the border into Canada from Glacier National Park) when I spotted a beautiful grizzly poking through the forest. She stopped now and again to dig in the fallen trees, I assume looking for grubs, roots or seeds to munch on. She seemed pretty mellow so I decided to approach for a few photos. I wasn't the only one. A young girl (teenager) was VERY excited and ran ahead into the woods, making a racket and darting back and forth looking for a good vantage point to get a photograph. Her mother occasionally yelled at her to move back. Mom was apparently keeping an eye out for the mother bear to appear and would warn her daughter to run if there was any sign of the 'cubs' mother. I hated to break it to them but lucky for us, this bear was NOT a cub. Interior grizzly bears are much smaller than the coastal bears but I'd hazard to guess this was still around a 350 - 400 pound bear! Not even close to being a cub.

To the girls credit when I pointed out DON'T RUN! She stopped... she slowed down and moved with purpose and the bear immediately calmed and went back to foraging. A little while later we were joined by a grandfather with two young girls - approximately 6 & 9 years old. They did not stop running... I watched the bear, looking for signs of aggression. At one point she began to pop her jaw and stare straight at the teenage girl... that was about the time the girls mother had had enough and said "Get back in the car RIGHT NOW!"

A group of hikers appeared approximately 500 feet away. They had no idea the bear was there. 10 minutes earlier the bear had stood up, stared in the direction of the hikers, thoroughly sniffed the air and dismissed them as non-threatening. She knew they were there all along.

It's so easy for these animals to hide from humans. The forest is their home and most of the time - we never know the half of what is watching us in the woods. Since we are the interlopers it's OUR responsibility to know the rules for our own safety AND the bears.

A few tips:

• Bears don't like to be surprised... Do you? Making noise while you are hiking will let the bear know you are there and give them ample time to move off to a comfortable distance. Bells, whistles, singing, talking will all do the trick.
• Stay on marked trails. It's easier to stumble onto and surprise a bear if you are hiking cross country.
• Hike in a group. Statistically attacks by bears are reduced exponentially by group size.
• Bear are more active at dusk and dawn. Be aware.

If you encounter a bear:

• Make certain the bear knows you are there. Talk in a normal voice and move steadily away from the bear.

Watch the behavior!

• If the bear looks at you and continues about his business... terrific! Enjoy the encounter.
  
• If the bear looks worried... jaw popping, grumbling, shaking head side to side... you are too close, back away slowly!
  
• A bear standing up is not a sign of aggression. They stand to see you better - once they get a good look, chances are they will walk away.

Remember: You are a guest in the bears home. Be respectful!

Where have I been all this time??!!

Well, it seems that I have been absent of late and with good reason! Really! While some National Parks are now boasting internet access I am pleased to report that there is NO INTERNET in the High Sierras! I spent an amazing 9 days hiking the back country with friends. You can read all about the High Sierra Camps in Yosemite on the California Nature Blog.

Almost immediately upon my return, I washed some clothing, packed up the heavy duty camping gear and headed out the door to Alaska! Where the float planes and high winds were numerous and prevalent and the internet access was sparse. I was lucky enough to have won two lotteries this year. The first for access to the High Sierra camps and the second for access to an amazing area called the McNeil River Game Sanctuary. Let me tell you... my friend Enrique and I can pitch tents! 50 MPH winds and the tent we nicknamed "The Marriott", due to it's HUGE size, stood the test.

The bears were nothing short of spectacular! I'll leave you all with this little video clip of the falls to wet your appetite! Did I mention I now have a video camera? Life is good my friends!!

Up Close

One of the great things about the Katmai Brown Bear comes from the abundance of food found in the summer. When they emerge from hibernation they ravenously munch on sedge grass to get their digestive systems up to speed. Then the salmon berries bloom. A good salmon berry crop in the spring bodes well for spring cubs the following year - this year was stellar which gives me just the excuse I needed to head back there next summer. Next, the salmon arrive. The bears adopt a very cool "I'll mind my business if you mind yours" attitude toward people when there is so much for them to eat. That said, never underestimate them. Statistically the chances of being attacked by a brown bear drop by 50% when you add just one person to make a group. Increase the group to three or more people and the likelihood of a bear attack drops to 0%. We had 8 people.

This sow spent quite a bit of time hunting for salmon in the rivers fed by the Serpent Tongue Glacier. She followed the tide and deftly grabbed salmon from the shallows when they least expected it. By sitting quietly in a group several feet back from the rivers edge, we were no more obtrusive in her world than the gulls who swooped in to clean up the remains of her meal after she left. She made several circles in front of us and even laid down to rest and gaze at the fish swimming past. A pretty amazing experience to photograph a bear this big with only a 70-200mm lens.

Working With What You Have

While we had plenty of bears in Katmai, they weren't always cooperative when it can to being on the proper side of the sun. Many times we found ourselves on the wrong side of a deep and fast moving stream while the bears thumbed their noses at us knowing we were only getting silhouettes.

Luckily I knew about a few tricks I had up my own sleeve. I continued to shoot away merrily, not stressing over the light. Making certain that I had good separation between these two young siblings I was able to create an artsy image with an infrared filter. Sometimes you just have to work with what you are given.

Teaser

I'm back!!

Just in from a wonderful week in Katmai National Park at the Katmai Wilderness Lodge. Tons of Grizzly Bear, Harbor Seals, Otters, Kittiwakes and Puffin. Over the next little bit I'll be telling you all about it. For now, I need sleep.

Admiralty Island

Just off the coast of Juneau is an enormous island called Admiralty. It is 1,646 square miles, making it the 7th largest island in the United States. But that isn't what makes it special... the Tlingit people named the island Xootsnoowú which means "Fortress of the Bears". Admiralty is home to an estimated 1,600 Alaskan Brown Bears, the highest density of brown bear in North America.

We arrived before the season truly begins, the salmon are not running yet so there isn't much to pull the bear out of the woods just yet. That said, we were greeted immediately upon landing in our float plane by a sow working the shoreline for mussels and clams. She would dig and dig and then chew the clams open with her massive teeth.

She had no intention of moving either and we waited a good long time before we could tie up the float plane and disembark. She was completely unperturbed by the entire proceeding, barely sparing us a glance form time to time. Permits are needed to visit the island which is covered mostly by a sanctuary. The only development on the island is a small settlement of about 570 Tlingit people whom are outnumbered nearly 3:1 by the bears.

We watched four different bear clamming and eating sedge during our visit. I'd love to come back once the salmon are swimming though a longer lens is a definite must.