Post by: Tom Reichner on May 26, 2009, 05:08:35 PM
A nice, mature grizzly was approaching us at a steady pace. We didn't see it until it was about 40 yards away, so it was already very near, and gave me almost no time to get ready for it. I only had time to get my 1.4x converter off. I rapidly got into position and started clicking away! He came straight at us until about 6 paces away - then he turned and changed course.
It all happened so fast I didn't even have a chance to check any of my settings. I was at f8 and ISO 200. Yikes! There had been no time whatsoever to set up a tripod, so I was left handholding my heavy 400 f2.8. Shaky! I wish the grizz would have given me just a few extra seconds so I could have adjusted my aperture and ISO to give me faster shutter speeds. But there was simply no time, and I had to shoot him the way it was.
I was able to rip off about 15 to 20 images before he changed course and turned his backside to me. Many images were blurry, but a few were reasonably sharp. If I'd had a tripod set up they'd be crystal clear, but as is so often the case with wildlife he simply gave me very little time. I'm just thankful to have gotten what I did.
We saw several other grizzlies during the two days that we were in the park, but none gave us the thrill of this very close-up encounter. After something like this, it's hard to have much interest in viewing a grizzly that's 600 yards away thru a spotting scope. All I wanted was another close-up encounter!
By the way, the 2nd image is completely uncropped - that's what I got right out of the camera with just a 400mm on a full frame 5D body. Yes, he was that close!
Post by: saylean on May 26, 2009, 05:12:46 PM
Post by: grandpawrichard on May 26, 2009, 05:15:10 PM
That was Way To Close for comfort; but your shots are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
Dick
Post by: jackelope on May 26, 2009, 05:34:51 PM
great pic's and way to not wet yourself with him that close.
:chuckle:
Post by: Huntbear on May 26, 2009, 06:46:31 PM
Post by: coop2424 on May 26, 2009, 06:52:19 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 26, 2009, 06:54:11 PM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on May 26, 2009, 06:56:48 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 26, 2009, 07:04:37 PM
Post by: huntnphool on May 26, 2009, 07:11:25 PM
Post by: Pathfinder101 on May 26, 2009, 07:40:25 PM
I had a signficant emotional event with a mamma griz and a cub at Buffalo Ford when I was 16 years old. Turned out OK, but there were a few tense moments.
Nice work!
Post by: Slider on May 26, 2009, 08:47:03 PM
Post by: Ricochet on May 26, 2009, 08:51:38 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on May 27, 2009, 01:07:02 AM
Post by: Timber on May 27, 2009, 09:40:23 PM
Post by: tlbradford on May 28, 2009, 07:51:08 AM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 28, 2009, 09:17:33 AM
Thanks for sharing Tom. Where is the one with you giving him a hug. I want to see some Grizzly Adams photos. :chuckle:Last spring & summer there were three that would have liked to have given me a hug. Not the friendly kind of hug, though. One was a Black and the other 2 were Grizzlies. I think I learned from those experiences, and will be more careful from now on.
Post by: Pathfinder101 on May 28, 2009, 09:23:40 AM
Thanks for sharing Tom. Where is the one with you giving him a hug. I want to see some Grizzly Adams photos. :chuckle:Last spring & summer there were three that would have liked to have given me a hug. Not the friendly kind of hug, though. One was a Black and the other 2 were Grizzlies. I think I learned from those experiences, and will be more careful from now on.
[/quote
:yike: If "6 paces" from a griz and still snapping photos is "more careful" Tom, I think we need to hear the stories of the 3 Bears last year... :yike:
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 28, 2009, 10:30:32 AM
:yike: If "6 paces" from a griz and still snapping photos is "more careful" Tom, I think we need to hear the stories of the 3 Bears last year... :yike:The bears last year were not happy bears. The black had cubs and I overstayed my welcome. Fortunately, she realized that if she chased after me she would be getting farther from her cubs, which she did not want to do. So she just hissed a lot, but stayed put. If put in the same situation again, I wouldn't stay so close for so long. As soon as I see obvious signs of malevolence, I'd back off.
The Grizzlies . . . well, we surprised them. It was a sow and a very large yearling. We would have been fine, but the wind changed, and . . . well, they were not expecting to smell humans that far from roads, campgrounds, etc. I think the air currents were confusing, and they simply ran away from where they thought we were. But, like I said, the air currents were confusing, so they actually were running right toward us. So they top the hill at a dead run and see us in their way. They weren't about to stop all that momentum, so it was up to us to get out of the way. They were both grunting at us so loud it was more like a roar. They were pissed! They all say that if a Grizzly charges, DON'T RUN! But I don't think it was these Grizzlies' intention to charge. They just wanted to get outta there, but while at a dead run found us right in their path. So we had to get out of their path. That meant RUN! So this is the one instance where running was the right thing to do. We didn't so much run away from the grizzlies - we ran out of their path. I think there's a difference.
Anyway, I never again want to surprise a grizzly. That may mean not being able to sneak within camera range, but that's just something I'll have to give up in order to stay alive and healthy.
When we returned home from that trip, we googled Grizzly attacks. The year before, a photographer in Yellowstone hiked way back along the Trout Creek drainage. He approached too close to a sow and a cub, and she charged him and mangled his face badly. It had been a sow with a radio collar. Guess where we had our encounter. Yep, you guessed it - Trout Creek! And one year later. And this year it was a sow with a yearling. And she had a radio collar. Same bear. She'd already attacked & mauled someone. God must have wanted us around a bit longer to get us out of that mess. Needless to say, we don't hike back along Trout Creek anymore.
Attached are a few photos. The first one is of the Black Bear sow that was mad at me for staying near her & her cubs for too long. The 2nd image is of the Grizzly sow after we got out of her way, taken as she continued to run past us. The 3rd is of the Grizzly yearling. After he and the sow got about 80 yards past us, they stopped, stood up, turned, and looked back at us to make sure we weren't following them. When they saw that there was no pursuit, they continued to run away from us at a slower, lumbering pace.
A part of me keeps wondering what would have happened if, instead of running to get out of the Grizzlies' way, I had stood my ground, calmly switched my focus mode to AI Servo, switched the drive mode to "rapid", knelt to steady the camera on my knee, aimed the autofocus sensor at the sow's head, and started clicking away. Would I have gotten mauled? Would she have slammed right into me and ripped me up? Or would she have diverted her course and passed right by? If she'd have done the latter, then I would have some of the most awesome Grizzly images ever taken! But then again, we could've ended up a bloody mess, a couple miles away from help. I'm glad I did what I did and got out of the way. But still, I can't help but wonder what those pictures would have been like. The light was awfully good . . .
Post by: TeacherMan on May 28, 2009, 10:35:15 AM
Post by: farmin4u_98948 on May 28, 2009, 11:18:02 AM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 28, 2009, 11:22:28 AM
You never said what type of bear proof can you were in while you were shooting..... :chuckle: :chuckle:My bear proofing consisted of: Cabela's fleece shirt & camo Wrangler jeans :chuckle:
Post by: Pathfinder101 on May 28, 2009, 05:35:38 PM
I used to have a "part of me" that did stuff like that. I haven't really seen him since I was in my early 20s...
Post by: PacificNWhunter on May 28, 2009, 06:34:28 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 28, 2009, 08:14:14 PM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 28, 2009, 08:18:10 PM
Sounds like you are as crazy as I am Tom. Do you feel safe with bear spray? I know I don't...No, I don't. Probably 'cause I think I probably wouldn't use it until it was too late. At what moment do you switch from camera to bear spray canister? I'm afraid the moment I choose would be just a bit too late.
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 29, 2009, 08:20:24 AM
Quote
I used to have a "part of me" that did stuff like that. I haven't really seen him since I was in my early 20s...
Frick! I haven't seen that guy 'in me' since I got married, had kids and realized that someone else depends on me. -That's been a while.
That close to a Griz.. Kinda like tippy toe'ing through a bed of rattle snakes on a sunny day.. :bdid:
-Steve
Post by: boneaddict on May 29, 2009, 08:44:38 AM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 29, 2009, 08:56:33 AM
If you think he wanted to hurt you before that.. I gotta figure he'd want to rip you to shreads after getting a mouthfull of that. :drool:
-Steve
Post by: Pathfinder101 on May 29, 2009, 12:29:23 PM
Oh My God! Wouldn't that just piss a Bear off. Chomp down on a can of Bear spray! :bdid:
If you think he wanted to hurt you before that.. I gotta figure he'd want to rip you to shreads after getting a mouthfull of that. :drool:
-Steve
Nawww... He'd back off for a second, lick his chops and say "Hey! C'mere guys! This one comes with hot sauce!".. :chuckle:
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 29, 2009, 10:55:01 PM
shawn
Post by: Jackjr on June 06, 2009, 08:30:00 PM
Post by: Skinner on June 06, 2009, 10:06:51 PM
Post by: boneaddict on June 23, 2009, 04:49:03 PM
Post by: Hornseeker on June 24, 2009, 11:18:17 AM
Great pics Tom!!!!!
Post by: Pathfinder101 on June 24, 2009, 11:25:43 AM