Photographing Bear’s in Alaska
Jul 10, 2021 17:19:55 #
Carl rl
Loc: Lutz, FL
My wife & I are wanting to take a trip to photograph Bear’s in Alaska. Any recommendations or experience? Best locations, tours, time of year, etc.
Jul 10, 2021 17:51:33 #
Park rangers are advising hikers and campers in national parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.
They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance, so they won’t be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them, which might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors are told they should also carry a pepper spray can just in case they encounter a bear. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear’s sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear droppings so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognise the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
BLACK REAR droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur.
GRIZZLY BEAR droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper.
They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance, so they won’t be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them, which might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors are told they should also carry a pepper spray can just in case they encounter a bear. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear’s sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear droppings so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognise the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
BLACK REAR droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur.
GRIZZLY BEAR droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper.
Jul 10, 2021 18:22:55 #
Carl rl wrote:
Long Lens My wife & I are wanting to take a trip to photograph Bear’s in Alaska. Any recommendations...
Seriously an acquaintance used Alaska Yukon Discovery Tours years ago for wildlife in general and was happy with results. All I know but sure you can Google.
Jul 10, 2021 18:23:04 #
Dang, I debated......... Almost didn't open the thread.
From the title I knew it was either going to be pictures of bears in Alaska or a question.
Had a 50/50 chance.
I lost again.
From the title I knew it was either going to be pictures of bears in Alaska or a question.
Had a 50/50 chance.
I lost again.
Jul 10, 2021 18:37:41 #
Hi Carl. I've photographed Brown Bears in Alaska several times. Some of my photographs are posted here on the Hog. Your subject matter is pretty widely based and would take a lot of writing to answer properly. If you would like to see some of my responses to questions asked about my photos you can look up my posts. If you want to know more feel free to PM me.
Jul 10, 2021 20:01:30 #
Jul 10, 2021 20:04:56 #
Jul 10, 2021 20:16:12 #
Ollieboy wrote:
I'll take an encounter with a black bear anyday rather than a brown bear.
Mama black bears will kill if they believe their young are threatened. And though they look slow, they can certainly catch people if provoked. Wouldn't want to be chased by any bear species.
Grizzlies and Browns are fast and very quick. They can outrun a horse for a short distance. I saw a video of a Brown rummaging through a pile of dead wood. It "outed" a marmot; the marmot tried to run between the bear's legs, and the bear pinned it as it cleared its hind legs.
Jul 10, 2021 21:02:27 #
I spent a week at Hallo Bay Bear Camp a number of years ago. We flew in and landed on the beach. We were 2 groups of 4 or 5, and lived 2 to a tent. This is not for casual tourists. At the time I was shooting with a Nikon D1x w/500mm F/4.0 AFS.
I did not take the last picture. But I'm in it.
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I did not take the last picture. But I'm in it.
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Jul 10, 2021 21:55:22 #
The Back Country Gallery is a forum that caters to wildlife photo enthusiasts. Post your question over there and I'll bet there will be plenty of responses.
Jul 11, 2021 05:48:12 #
Just got back from 33 days in Alaska. Wanted to do a bear lodge, so in March began to inquire about availability from at least 6 different lodges. These places cost from $500 to $3,000 per day. Not a single lodge had any availability during our visit. Everything was closed last year, and most folks rolled their reservations over to this year. Did find a lodge that offered day trips, so took that. Glad we did, got to see the bears, up very close, and realized that one day watching bears was more than enough.
Jul 11, 2021 07:05:13 #
pshane wrote:
Park rangers are advising hikers and campers in na... (show quote)
Your last pearl is really funny
Jul 11, 2021 07:14:25 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
Carl rl wrote:
My wife & I are wanting to take a trip to photograph Bear’s in Alaska. Any recommendations or experience? Best locations, tours, time of year, etc.
Wild bears eat mostly berries but are opportunists, if a human comes within range you are fair game to help fatten them up for the winter. Especially if they feel their young are threatened or smell food on you.
When photographing bears in Alaska we used long telephoto lenses and our guide had a high powered rifle just in case. Bears are most active in the spring and fall, especially during the Salmon run, their are many guides like the one we got that will take you to as safe a viewing area as possible for this annual event. Watching the bears snag Salmon is a great opportunity for even the worst of photographers. I used the Sony 600 f4 with a 1.4 and 2.0 extender. What fun.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.
Jul 11, 2021 08:12:52 #
Carl rl wrote:
My wife & I are wanting to take a trip to photograph Bear’s in Alaska. Any recommendations or experience? Best locations, tours, time of year, etc.
Just make sure you can out run your wife. j/k. I had to say it.
-Rodney Dangerfield
Jul 11, 2021 09:19:28 #
My wife and i just got back from Lake Clark National Park and this was her tenth year there and my ninth. There are two places to stay there: Silver Salmon Creek Lodge and the Homestead. We had plenty of bears, but this year, few spring cubs. We are either on foot or in buggies with superb guides. It isn't cheap, but pilots are charging $750/day to fly folks in from Homer and Saldotna. It's best to make reservations well in advance, like at least a year. There are photo groups scheduled, but you really don't need a group. Here are a few of our images from this year:
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