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They are close...any evening now....from this evening....yeeeehaw!!!




I know,I know...not many of you probably get excited over poo pics but, I do

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Pentax K-5
Pentax 18-55mm,Pentax 50-200mm,Sigma 17-70mm,Sigma 70-300mm, Sigma 50-500mm

Great technique though! I can almost smell that photo

How do we know you weren't walking around "bearfoot"??

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Jim K
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimkirkwood/




Nikon D300; Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR; Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM,SB 800

No tripod
Almost dark
Got home late
Gonna be a great week...one boar...one momma and two cubs in 20 minutes.

Crappy shots but....THEY'RE BACK!!!

They aren't too partial to Coast Guard blue unoform

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Pentax K-5
Pentax 18-55mm,Pentax 50-200mm,Sigma 17-70mm,Sigma 70-300mm, Sigma 50-500mm

I wonder, if you keep sit in the same place for a lot of time and a curious bear (dont know if they behave like that) came closer to check you out... would be better to just stay quiet there like you was before or start moving away? Wouldnt getting away if it came closer give you a prey-look?

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Canon 450D, S5 IS and A510
photographic blog

I heard to never run from a bear, or even turn your back. Just back away with a dominant stance. I'm pretty sure that if you turn your back and start walking away quickly they would chase.

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When I were in the USA, they told me never to run from a bear. Basically because they can run much faster than you, so you can't get away like that.
Down here we're told never to run from the Jaguars. It will wake up their chasing instincts and they will certainly attack... and if you don't run there's a chance they won't.
Never faced a bear nor a jaguar tough. Thanks God

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Canon 40D and lots of lenses.
my Flickr

Just bring a big gun in case. Or a friend to keep the bear/jaguar busy while you run.

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These guys will run in the opposite direction quicker than towards you.
Seriously.
I always give them an escape route and always let them know I am there.
As you can see they are in wide open fields,biggest problem is they don't come out until almost dark.
Closest I got tonight was about 70yds,hopefully by the end of the week they will be a bit more tolerant of me approaching.
I do usually have a can of Pepper Spray good for 12m with me but tonight I had nothing and no worries at all about approaching them.
As I have posted before though I have a fair amount of experience with them and understand their body language.
I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THIS TO JUST ANYONE,not ALL bears are the same.
Running would be futile they will catch you.
Make yourself big,show no fear and do not back down.
Always face them and never make direct eye contact,that is considered a challenge.
If you hear them popping their jaws,you are too close and making them uncomfortable/nervous/stressed...back away.
If you hear them hissing and huffing while swatting the ground....it's gonna hurt...alot, you should have backed away when you heard the popping of the jaws
All this applies to BLACKBEARS only.
They appear clumsy and big/bulky but I can tell you they are lightning fast.
My saftey circle is forty yards and thats not enough a bear could cover that in the blink of an eye

Tech,

I have camped out and hid but they always seem to come out in a differant spot from where you setup unless you place food there.
Doing that is one thing in the fall but right now they NEED grasses and clover to get their bellies back to rights,donuts and apples aren't on the menu this week strictly organic and free range Au nateral

I'll be up early and looking for them in the sun,doesn't happen often but can happen.

kpr<<< loves his bears

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Pentax K-5
Pentax 18-55mm,Pentax 50-200mm,Sigma 17-70mm,Sigma 70-300mm, Sigma 50-500mm

what kpr said

also keep in mind that by running you are triggering a response in them to fleeing pray... that's why they will chase most of the time...

Look big like everyone said... throw your arms in the air to look bigger.. make eye contact and and yell... like kpr said.. the vast magority of the time they run... if you got a jacket on open it and hold it open with your hands upraised to give even a larger profile

different game if they have cubs though... they become extremely protective... dont ever come between them and their cubs...

along with everything else that kpr said... if you are taking pics of one and it is aware of you... if it starts walking parallel to you, not backing away or moving towards you... dont follow on a parallel line to the bear.. sooner or later it will take this as a challenge and lung/charge.. usually sooner than later.

Really.. at the end of the day I dont think you want to be getting in the open with a bear unless you have some form of defence... pepper spray or something similar... or unless you are extremely familiar with their habits.

interesting note up here in canada.. although bears are considered dangerous they are predictable if you know their habits.. many consider a moose during rutting season the most dangerous animal in canada... even over the cougar or grizzly.

very challenging animal to capture well in a pic as well due to color and fur texture.

oh.. and in regards to the futility in trying to run... they can hit 50km per hour for short bursts.

sadly I got to go a ways north to find bears around here... or a ways south... they are rare within a 3 hour or so driving radius of where I live.

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Canon 7D + 50D + EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM + EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Pelican // Black Rapid // Think Tank // Manfrotto // Garmin

Reflections On Canadian Wildlife
My Flickr

Spotted thes two this morning.
Driving in in a black Jeep isn't very good cammo.
Long distance and low light...again!!!
First two (same shot) are of a quite nice sized one.
It went the right way and the smaller one went my way,I just had to double back and cut it off after a little wait.

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Pentax K-5
Pentax 18-55mm,Pentax 50-200mm,Sigma 17-70mm,Sigma 70-300mm, Sigma 50-500mm

what are they looking for or digging up in the fields kpr? Never seen bear in fields before... seen em cruising the edges.. thats about it.

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Canon 7D + 50D + EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM + EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Pelican // Black Rapid // Think Tank // Manfrotto // Garmin

Reflections On Canadian Wildlife
My Flickr

Corn,leftover cobs.
In the grass it is grass and dandelions.

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Pentax K-5
Pentax 18-55mm,Pentax 50-200mm,Sigma 17-70mm,Sigma 70-300mm, Sigma 50-500mm

kpr, ive noticed that your bear and deer shots are kinda blurrier than your bird and duck shots

very nice pics though...keep em coming

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My Flickr

The bear pics from last week were taken in the morning at 0600..ish and evening 2000 ish,pretty dark by good pic taking standards,the majority were also at 500mm.
Seems to be the prime time for bears and deer to be out in the open these days.
I need to convince myself to lug that god forsaken tripod around with me!!!

The ducks however,they're out all day most days kinda speeds er up a bit.
Likin freehand and mobility.

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Pentax K-5
Pentax 18-55mm,Pentax 50-200mm,Sigma 17-70mm,Sigma 70-300mm, Sigma 50-500mm

oh i see

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