BEAR ENCOUNTERS

These are a few of my images I have taken over the years of bears.     

Near Fort Nelson in Canada.

Along the Alcan HighwayBritish Columbia

Clam Gulch, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula. 

Kenai River, Alaska

This big brown scary grizzly had been down with the “combat fishermen” 

fishing for salmon.  He came by dripping wet and looking like he was a

 bit agitated with those anglers getting his salmon.

Yukon Territory

     Bears have been a big part of my life for many years. Living in Alaska in the 70s I cooked bear meat every way I could possibly think of.  I marinated it in burgundy, made stews, steaks, put barbecue sauce on it, canned it and even made baby food out of it.
 

      Berry picking season was the most exciting time of year.  It was when my friend Barbara and I left the kids with our husbands or sitters, loaded up the dogs in the truck, packed up our berry pickers,  357 magnum pistol and headed out to blueberry hill or the salmonberry patches.  We would fill buckets up while stepping over bear sign everywhere in the patches.  Getting berries were top priority and outweighed any fears of bears we had.

     After many close encounters with the bears I have acquired a respect for their space.  The turning point was when a bear and I almost collided outside an alder patch while we were both headed for the same blueberry bush.  We both turned and ran as my husky stood by so shocked he froze.

     Now days I shoot photos of bears from the safety of my vehicle with a long zoom lens. I  have a respect for their territory and stay my distance so as not to disrupt any part of their life.   It is such an amazing experience to see the bears in the wilderness and to have the opportunity to be able to glimpse and capture on a photo just a moment of their life.

Brown Bear-Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
©2013  Elaine Taddei.  This story and images are copyright and all rights are reserved