Wild Species
Looking for Goldilocks
I had to work to get the momma black bear and her 3 cubs into the same frame at the same time, as while the momma bear fed on various succulents she came across, the 3 cubs spent their time frolicking here and there all over this slope.
Sometimes its just not in the cards to get that perfect photo, although the cubs got closer to mom when they spotted me.
The bears were lucky to have that very oily fur, as the grass was sopping wet with the dew of the early morning.
Meanwhile I was soaked to the knees (forgot my gaiters) as I worked my way through the grass on a slope nearby shooting photos of the bears as they meandered about.
If you expand the photo you can see the water beading off of their fur, especially the cubs who were pushing their way through grass as tall as they were.
Just so you know, I was keeping a proper distance away not to upset this female black bear with her cubs, as mother bears are very protective of their cubs.
She was aware of me but was not threatened by my presence as indicated in her behavior. Sooner or later while out hiking, you will encounter bears, and its good to keep your distance, especially if they have cubs.
After all these years of hiking in the wild, I still am thrilled when I encounter bears.
But then again that's what its all about, an area that is wild and the proof of that is the animals that you encounter that live within it.
Still it doesn't hurt to be equipped for encounters with bears whether it be grizzles or black bears, and just in case I always have bear spray and bear bangers with me while hiking or fly fishing streams in bear country.
Maybe I'll capture them on my trail camera located nearby that I had been setting up minutes earlier.
Trail camera setup....
http://www.jerryclement.ca/Nature/WildBirds/i-C2m3HbZ
Click on the photo for a closer look.....
