Smudgey Loc: Ohio, Calif, Now Arizona

Just love the first one, they are so focused. All good pics. I made two 10 day trips to Alaska and never saw a moose. All the locals had a moose story, but I never saw one.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Thank you, and you're welcome.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Thanks for looking, commenting and mostly I am glad you enjoyed them.

photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

Great wildlife photos Mike.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Thank you. I was thrilled to see this 3 so close up. It was amazing to watch mom guaeding them while they worked at being cubs.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Thanks, Karin. They were pretty co-operative subjects.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Thank you. On our first trip in 2012 we saw several bears (black as well as grizzlies), but all I had at the time was a Sony P&S. Most of the wildlife was way too far off to look like anything more than a speck.

This trip, I had decent gear and luck was with me.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Thank you. The first one kind of grabbed me, so I grabbed the camera and shot. All of the shots are hand-held and are at the full out 600mm. The moose shot was actually taken from the window of an idling shuttle bus in Denali. I did not realize it at the time, but I had my camera on shutter speed priority at 1/2000. Tht's what probably saved the shot.

Those blasted moose can be very elusive. On our first trip, we only saw a couple and they were riduculously far away. This trip, we saw several. As luck would have it this time, several were close enough to get decent shots.

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

What time of the year is best for wildlife viewing?

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

Great images! Did you use a rain shield for your camera/lens?

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

It depends on what wildlife you hope to see. Best time for bears is when the salmon are available. That can vary from year to year. Best time for eagles depends on which part of their cycle you want to see. Haines is generally good in September and October for eagles. Problem is that nature does not hold to an exact schedule. We were in southeast Alaska the 1st 3 weeks in July, 2016 and were extremely fortunate seeing bears. Of course, it helped that we scheduled 3 bear viewing flights. Weather co-ooperated and we were able to float plane into Halo Bay, Frazier (spelling?) Lake, and Brooks Falls.

I've only been to Alaska twice SO FAR! We have several members who are lucky enough to live in my favorite state (yup, it's Alaska!). If you post a question on the forum asking for their expertise, I'm pretty sure you will get some great and informative responses. Possibly a topic title worded something like "For Our Members LIVING in Alaska - Seeking Wildlife Viewing Information". You can then be specific in the text of your post - what you want to see, best time to go, where to go - you get the idea.

My husband and I try to plan our trips to coincide with the most likely times the wildlife I hope to photograph will be present. Sometimes the stinkers co-operate and other times they just do the animal/bird equivalent of thumbing their noses at us. And then there is the issue of weather. My experience with Alaskan weather is that it changes on a dime and you need to be prepared for just about anything.

We tend to do extensive research before our trips. Most of the time, it is very worthwhile.

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

You must be retired. I visited Haines on my trip and took a photo tour with an Ugly Hedgehog, who works at a company called Rainbow Glacier something. My 50th birthday was spend somewhere between Seattle and our first stop in the territory. the Inside Passage was nice to see, but it just whet my appetite for more.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Yes, we are retired and travel extensively. Right now, we are home for several months. It feels very strange not to be packing and planning.

Haines is one of my favorite places in Alaska. Unfortunately we were only there overnight while waiting to catch the ferry the next afternoon. Next trip, we will definitely spend at least a week there.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Thank you! I am thrilled that you enjoyed them.

I had a lens hood on my 150-600 when shooting and tucked the entire set-up into a kitchen trash can size plastic bag when I wasn't shooting. Low tech or no tech works for me!

sailorsmom Loc: Souderton, PA

Beautiful shots, Mike! I'd love to hug those little bear cubs, but I know Mama would allow that! :)