A CLOSE ENCOUNTER.

[Barry Willis]

Well I was able to post this one so I think I now know what to do with the others. Delete them and start over. Good thing they are still on my camera memory card.  

[AKRISONER]

Holy shikto

[Barry Willis]

Thank you Akrisoner, I like how you put that. When I took this photo my wife and I were actually out looking to photograph and record grizzlies in Kananaskis Country Alberta. My wife actually spotted him first and got an awesome video while he came down off a hill which was more like a cliff right towards us. His silver tip guard hairs just rippled across his body with every step he took. It was truly a sight to behold. With the wind in our favor he didn't know we were there until he heard me taking pics of him with my 35mm Minolta. We're so close that on the video you can actually hear him ripping the grass and chewing it. Once he saw us he was gone like a shot. I ran after him hoping for another shot as my wife was screaming at me, don't you be chasing that bear. (hence my nick name Bearcat, LOL) I should have known better as they can out run a quarter horse for the first 100 yards. But I'm glad I did as I crested a hill I seen him stopped in a meadow a couple hundred yards out and was peaking around a tree at me thinking he was hid not realizing the rest of his body was exposed out the other side of the tree. It was funny but I can't find the photo. I have several more close ups of grizzlies but it will take a while to find them as my photos aren't very well organized on our computer and there's tens of thousand of them to go through. Sorry for such a long story. Thank you.

[lew]

Thanks Barry, you've shown us a few excellent critter pictures, specially that grizzly.

[mamona]

You managed to capture this fella
We saw lots of black and brown bears last year in this area.

[Barry Willis]

Thanks Lew. I'm very dissapointed I didn't get to post the really nice ones and trying different things I lost them all even in my back up file.  I've been doing this for many years. Some of my best shots ever were on that card from the past couple months. Next time I'm taking three cameras, trouble is there's over three feet of snow and I don't have tracks for my Argo in order to get back in to where I want to hang them. So now I am waiting for snow and ice to melt. A lot of times I go between 40 and 50 km back in. It's a nice trip.

[lew]

Bears are somewhat common around my place Barry and one nice encounter was walking out on the back deck early one morning and finding this big fella laying in my yard.

Edited April 18, 2023 by lew

[Barry Willis]

I'll tell ya what Lew. That's just beautiful. I wish I had them visiting my lawn. Especially grizzlies.

[Canuck]

Edited May 14, 2023 by Canuck

[lew]

1 hour ago, Barry Willis said:

I'll tell ya what Lew. That's just beautiful. I wish I had them visiting my lawn. Especially grizzlies.

I don't mind the black bears hanging around my place Barry but not sure I'd want Grizzles in my yard LOL

[Barry Willis]

I definitely understand that most people don't want them in close vicinity and one does need to give them their space. When I was a wee lad Lew, my dad was a very recognized gun smith. I remember sitting at the kitchen table looking at his books and magazines and that one thing I wanted to shoot more than any thing was a grizzly, these big vicious bears that killed people. As I got older I became a studier of the bear, an admirer of the bear, a Lover of the bear. Maybe you've seen Doug Sues and Bart the bear and better yet (youtube) Jim and Jimbo. Grizzlies show more love and affection than a dog. They are extremely gentle and their intelligence ranks right up there with the great apes. All the years I have spent and my wife sometimes In the Alberta Rockies armed with little more than a camera, no guns, bear spray wasn't invented studying them we have never been threatened or have felt threatened. Of course we try to view them from a distance, but sometimes that didn't always work. At times we have had one sneak up on us, not to attack us but to try and determine who we are, what we are and what we are doing there. Once they perceive the is no danger they carry on with their day. I will admit it can be very unnerving at times when you have an animal that big and powerful almost breathing down you neck. I'm not saying bear attacks don't happen, we all no they do. Most times it is brought on by a human with food (they can smell food 3 miles away) or by surprising them, watching and guarding a kill, or you might just come across one that is peeved off at the world and will show placed or displaced aggression in other words taking it out on who or what ever they see or in displaced aggression, bears quite often get very irate when things don't go their way (sounds like me) by taking it out on themselves mostly by biting their feet, clawing their face etc. Then there is always the old ones that haven't found enough food as they are too week and feeble to do so or there teeth are so wore down and missing that they cant chew it to den up and last the winter. People sometimes become prey to these old bears that are looking for an easy meal.  Holy man I can't believe I've carried on this long. I guess it just goes to show how passionate I am about grizzlies.  I am sure there are those that disagree with me but these are my an my wife's findings over the years. And yes we are still in one piece and would do it over again if we could. I expect you or anyone else reading this has fell asleep by now Lew. I better get off her before I am asked to. Again, sorry for such a long letter.

[lew]

4 minutes ago, Barry Willis said:

 

 

I expect you or anyone else reading this has fell asleep by now Lew. I better get off her before I am asked to. Again, sorry for such a long letter.

Not at all Barry, infact I found your story very interesting.

Couple years back I was walking along a dirt road thru the woods up on Lake Nipissing and I heard a branch break to my right. I looked over and a small bear cub came out from behind a fallen tree very close to me and then another behind him (her) and then sure enough Momma came out too.  She pushed between the 2 cubs then lowered her head and her ears went back and she was just glaring at me with a look I'll never forget. I'm no bear expert but her meaning was very clear and I figured I'd better back away very quietly. She kept her eyes on my till I was far enough away and I just headed back to the cabin and never saw them again.

Funny thing was it was unnerving at the time but now I'm very happy it did happen and it's a memory I'll have for a long time.

[Barry Willis]

I enjoyed reading that Lew. I'm happy it turned out to be a pleasant memory. You did the right thing by backing away slowly. Those that try to run when it's too late or try and fight back are the ones that tend to suffer the more serious injuries. Running away from a bear excites the predatory instinct in the them and the chase will be on and the outcome will be up to the bear.  Another thing, never look a bear in the eye's as they take it as a threat. I am glad you found my story interesting. Sometime in early June  I should have some new and exciting grizzly pics. My wife says I shouldn't but I am. I'm up hours before her so I'll be in bear country before she has one eye open. There are certain bears that we have gotten to know over the years that are easy to photograph as by the same token they have gotten to know us. So long for now.