Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bears Wrestling

The morning dawned with a heavy fog in Coastal Alaska, lending an air of enchantment to the world and excitement to my group during my Ultimate Brown Bears of Alaska Workshop. After a fantastic breakfast, we ventured out in the skiff, the engine's purr a soft counterpoint to the fog's stillness. We disembarked onto a shore carpeted in dew-laden coastal grass, and after a short, quiet hike, we were rewarded with a heartwarming spectacle. Two brown bear cubs, siblings bursting with energy, appeared out of the fog, their playful wrestling a magical moment for my group. As they moved out into the opening in the tall grass, the first golden fingers of sunlight reached through the mist, illuminating their antics and transforming the fog into a spectacle of diffused golden light.

Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bears Wrestling in golden light (Ursus arctos, Ours Brun) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska. From my Ultimate Alaska Bear Boat Trip. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 640, f/5.6 @ 1/1,250s Manual exposure. Full Frame. Join me in Alaska for the Ultimate Brown Bears Galore Workshop Adventure. LEARN MORE HERE.

American Black Bears of Baxter State Park. Trip Report Part II

American Black Bear Curious Cutie  (Ursus americanus, Ours Noir) Roaring Brook Campground, Baxter State Park, ME ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com Canon EOS Ids Mark III, 500mm F4, Gitzo 1325 Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 640, F4 1/200s Manual mode.

We were pleased to photograph these two Black Bear cubs at the Roaring Brook campground parking area of Baxter State Park in Maine, but saddened by their future. Though the park staff called them problem bears, the problem is the people who offered hand-outs and simply didn't listen to the Park Rangers pleas to lock all food inside vehicles. By the time you read this, I hope they have been relocated, as planned, to a rehabilitation centre in New Brunswick in Canada.
American Black Bear Autumn Stroll  (Ursus americanus, Ours Noir) Roaring Brook Campground, Baxter State Park, ME ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com Canon EOS Ids Mark III, 500mm F4, Gitzo 1325 Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 500, F4 1/200s Manual mode.

Do consider joining me for this unique workshop next year. Details HERE.

American Black Bear facts: There are three species of bear in North America: Polar Bear, Brown Bear (commonly called Grizzly Bear), and Black Bear. The Black Bear, Ursus americanus, is the only bear that lives in Maine where they are generally deep brown or black with a tan muzzle. Current estimates place the Black Bear population at around 30,000 in Maine; with as many as 300-400 of these in Baxter State Park.

The average life expectancy of Maine bears is only about 5-6 years; whereas a typical life expectancy in the wild might be 25 years. Most Black Bears are killed well before the end of their natural lifespan by human-related factors like hunting or  vehicular collision. Baiting (or feeding) is legal while hunting bear in Maine: READ THIS

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