Pakneh said:
I only ask as I frequently go for walks in the woods I find their trails often enough, I have a 200-500mm tamron antique and the temptation to just sit down and wait for one has hit me. Theeeeeeen I think other then the few times where I bumped into one and it ran away and the the info from books I have no insight into how they behave in the field. So lets stick to macro shots of mushrooms.
What is the etiquette of bear photography?
I appreciate the humour, at 6'4 my stride means I have plenty of slower companions.
The tammy would make a wicked blunt instrument I might add.
I am pretty familiar with black bears. Not so much grizzles, and their behavior is quite different.
#1 rule of black bears is they feel the same way about you as you do about them. if you come around a corner and BOOM you are within swatting distance of a bear and he is suprised, you might be in trouble. thats the idea of bear bells, to give some advance warning. a dog or walking companions or singing also works.
(careful with dogs, they need to be leashed or tested around bears. if they run out ahead of you and get aggresive, the bear may stand its ground and still be in a fighting mood when you arrive)
When I see a bear, I stop, check for cubs, stay in plain view, and slowly get closer until it notices me. then i stop, take pictures and wait for it to either back off or stand its ground. keep eye contact, move slowly and deliberately. i have never had a bear do anything other than evaluate the situation and either tolerate me or leave.
I have the best luck in a spot where i can walk and check several locations that the bears frequent. when you come upon one, you will have a few seconds to snap pictures before he takes off (or you do).
Sitting and waiting at a known feeding spot is a good plan too, but you have to know where they are. Pick somewhere where you are in the open a little, maybe shielded from the target area by some brush. if they see you before you see them, they most likely will not approach. ideally you and the bears both notice each other before anybody is too close to anyone. Last year i got pictures of a bear fishing, and he was very concerned that i was going to steal his fish. If i moved too fast or made noise, he would run back into the woods with his fish, hide it, and come back out.
Don't pick a spot where a bear can come out of the woods behind you very close by. they move on trails that are so small you may not notice them. what you thought was a handy place to sit and wait could be a bear highway, you are better on an open bank where any bears behind you will see you from 40' away or more.
Hope that helps. If you can catch a bear under a bridge you can get very close and they don't seem to look up very much. thats where i was, a small bridge that he was directly under.
Worst comes to worse and you get in a bad situation, prevailing wisdom is first back away slowly maintaining eye contact, and if you get charged (they paw the ground and bluff a few times first), either play dead or fight back while yelling, depending on how commited you think the bear is. I know of several people who have been charged and their yelling and stone throwing and stick swinging made the bear change its mind. Once the bear makes contact, play dead, they arent hunting you for food, they are trying to win a fight, so make them think they won. Never EVER EVER climb a tree or try and run away, bears legs are twice as long as they look, and they dont slow down AT ALL when they move from flat ground to straight up a tree.
Sorry for the giant post, one more thing to add: if you get a chance to take a grizzly spotting tour by boat, do it. you will get the best access to the best locations, and the bears dont seem very concerned about things out on the water. most of the amazing bear fishing and cub shots you see from around here are from boats.
60d 300l f4
