Tag Archives: Grizzly Bears

What is the Grizzly looking at? 2 of 2

River Grizzly Bear

This picture puts it all in prospective. The guest’s head in the corner of the photo puts us across the river that is fifteen meters (yards) from the bear. Is the bear aware of our presence? Yes. Does it care? No. We have become part of the background for the grizzlies and as long as we respect their “comfort zone” there is not a problem and all the guides from the lodge have been doing this for more than ten years so we know which bears are approachable. The only “comfort zone” we sometimes cross is that of our guests.

 

 

 

Extra Day on the River 3 of 3

Grizzly blocking raod

The decision was that we were not a problem and the road was theirs to use. We waited and moved very slowly down the road and followed them for more than ten minutes until they found a break in the thick brush along the road. As they slowly moved off the road we were free to continue to the river and Rick’s cabin and to look for grizzlies feeding at the falls while salmon leaping the falls and moving up river.

 

 

Grizzly Bear Estuary Tour

guide towing boat

You may wonder how you are able to get the close-up photos in the estuary tours on the Glendale River. You are in a 5.5 meter (yard) flat bottom boat that allows us to move up the river as the water rises. The quite aspect of the tour is because your guide is pulling you as we work our way up the river. This silent approach does not scare the grizzlies especially those with first year cubs.

 

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 4 of 4

Grizzly mother

At this point the mother and cub are not more than fifteen to twenty meters (fifty to sixty feet) from the bow of our viewing boat. One does not need a high power lens for a good picture. Back at the lodge in the evening guests share their photos from the days activities and the guest that were in my boat had great photos and memories.

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 3 of 4

Grizzly bear leavingGrizzly encounter

Once the subadult was aware of the mother and cub she became much less interested in food and more concerned about her safety. The mother and cub continued to walk along the beach as it there was not a problem and for her it was not a problem.  Very few grizzlies except for a large dominated male bear will challenge a mother grizzly…

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 2 of 4

Grizzly BearGrizzly bear

On the left the grizzly is a subadult four-year-old female working along the beach rolling rocks and looking for food. On the right a mother and cub that was grazing on the sedge grass until she became aware of the other bear…

 

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 1 of 4

Grizzly Bears

 

The first thing to note in this series of posted photos is that the camera used is a Pentax Optio Wpi 6MP and 3X Optical Zoom. It does not have a lens that makes the grizzlies appear to be sitting on the bow of the boat we are using. We are just off the beach and grizzlies have appeared on the left and right of our location and the hope is that they will meet in the middle…

Grizzly Bear Cubs 2 of 3

Cubs fighting

The “mouthing” from yesterday’s post turned into a fight that lasted three or four minutes. Does not seem like a long time but the guests got some great photos. Note that the crow is still in the background eating.

 

 

Grizzly Bear Cubs 1 of 3

Grizzly bear cubs

It starts mostly out of boredem as the cubs wait for their mother to catch a salmon. Notice the crow in the background picking up pieces of salmon. That is where the mother grizzly shares the samon with her cubs. Also notice in the lower lefthand cornes of the photo mother’s backside.