Really nice set - looks like a phenomenal falls to see in person!

Nice capture - I like the soft streaking of the clouds.

Wow - color me jealous! Great shots and what an awesome thing to see in your yard!!

Thank you one and all for all the nice comments :0

@sailorsmom - I think he was after little voles or field mice - whatever he caught, it was small, grey, and judging by his expression as he gulped it down, delicious :)

I can tell you late Oct is crazy for sure. Sometimes it's almost impossible just to get into he park during the day. I was there late Oct last year and didn't even attempt Cade's Cove. IMO you should be safe mid oct though, I think it's busier the last couple weeks when the color is really peaking.

Thanks again for all the kind words and the warm welcome :)

I'll be posting more for sure - seems like a very active forum and lots of nice folks!

Just for a quick example, these two were just a couple feet from the road:

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The cub was a bit away from the road - I was lucky and spotted him from Hyatt Lane and hiked over to where he and his siblings were sleeping in a tree (with the sow under it).

For the bear leaning back, I was just a few feet from the road, and that's actually the most common way to see them, so I wouldn't worry if you're ability to hike is limited. Shouldn't be a problem. I only have a few shots from Cade's Cove where I had to hike any distance to get the photo.

The biggest trick might be seeing them in September. I'm not sure if there's any of their favorite foods out in the meadows this time of year - although I've seen bear all over the park all times of the spring / summer / fall, so who knows for sure...

My advice is to definitely go for the early mornings though - if you run into a bear jam, you won't have to walk past a mile of cars to get to the bears themselves (although September is - thankfully - not as busy as some of the other times).

Really depends on what you encounter. I'm down there quite a bit and I think the 80-400 and the 300 should work out well on a D7000.

Shooting a D4, I need more focal length, but it works out about the same. Sometimes I do need to get up to 850 (600mm + 1.4TC), so you may need to try the 1.4x + 80-400 if you have an animal that's a bit far out. (should be the same "reach" ) That is, if the 1.4 works on the sigma (if it's the nikon version, probably not).

For the cub and the sow in the photos below, I needed the full 850mm on my D4, however, for the heron I didn't even need the full reach of my 80-400. Most of my bear end up needing 850mm on FX, but there are also times where just the 600mm is enough (400mm on DX).

Personally, I'd head in with the 300mm + 1.4 TC on the camera. My advice is to get there at sunrise before things get crowded. That place can be a frustrating nightmare in the evening.

Have fun!!

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Heck, I would have happily stayed there a few days :)

Thanks again everyone :)

@George - Thanks :) This was with a Nikon D4, 600mm VR + 1.4TC. My settings were a little much this time - ISO 1000 and 1/3200th at F6.3. I was shooting Aperture Priority (I now usually use manual mode + auto ISO) and it had been a bit darker just before this image. The overcast became brighter as I approached the coyote and I should have dropped the ISO a touch since I could have gotten away with less shutter speed. However, the D4 doesn't really look bad at 1000 either, so no biggie.

Fantastic set, I like them all, but #1 is my favorite. They are my favorite type of owl - always fun to watch.

Really nice set!

Beautiful set - LOL at the hippie inn!

I actually have a video that explains is here:

http://youtu.be/FzqQskGoURE

I shoot Nikon but the principles and reasons for doing it are all the same.

Hope it helps :)