A few months ago I posted what I thought was a cougar paw print, and got shot down as many said it was canine. However, I found this paw print below in the mud on a bridge yesterday and there was No mistaking that it was bear, and very fresh. There was only one other vehicle down this road all day yesterday. This is remote back country, so I figured the bear was walking down the road cause it was easier. Very brushy country. Did not take long to catch up. Photos taken with a P&S camera and second one thru windshield, so poor quality photos.

Very cool. I love how the moms like "who are you" and the cub is none the wiser. We were camping last weekend and a mom with two cubs were maybe 30' away, she sent the cubs up a tree while watching us and they had no idea we were there. I love bumping into wildlife camping.

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Originally posted by cmr076:
Very cool. I love how the moms like "who are you" and the cub is none the wiser. We were camping last weekend and a mom with two cubs were maybe 30' away, she sent the cubs up a tree while watching us and they had no idea we were there. I love bumping into wildlife camping.

Is it just me, or does this sound like a recipe for disaster?

Something's wrong with that first picture. Either it isn't really a bear's paw, or your foot is pointed in the wrong direction.

quote:

Originally posted by cmr076:
Very cool. I love how the moms like "who are you" and the cub is none the wiser. We were camping last weekend and a mom with two cubs were maybe 30' away, she sent the cubs up a tree while watching us and they had no idea we were there. I love bumping into wildlife camping.

In the first photo I took, they were both looking at me, but I was not zoomed in and focus was off. I worked in the woods for 31 years and have probably forgot about most of my bear encounters I’ve had so many. Never once have they ever done anything but want to get away from me as fast as possible. Bears around here are not used to people at all and want to put distance from you as fast as possible. Bears with cubs are always nice to see. Just don’t pose a threat to them, and all will be fine.

We were fly fishing with an armed guide in Alaska several years ago. These prints were fresh and everywhere.

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Originally posted by dry-fly:
We were fly fishing with an armed guide in Alaska several years ago. These prints were fresh and everywhere.

No fair! We don’t have Grizzlies around here. Nice print. 5 year old hand in the photo?

That's the wife paw!

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
We were fly fishing with an armed guide in Alaska several years ago. These prints were fresh and everywhere.

WOW

bears, if they could control their breathing , you 'd never know that you had been eaten .


three or four times I have been awaken by their breath and the noise they make when they breathe

stealthy ninja's .

then there are the Party bears that find a completely set up camping space, when the occupants are out doing vacation stuff .

It is amazing how quiet bears are. (I should say black bears, as I have never encountered a grizzly or a brown bear.)

For a big, somewhat clumsy appearing animal, they appear and vanish without making a sound.

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Originally posted by jhe888:
It is amazing how quiet bears are. (I should say black bears, as I have never encountered a grizzly or a brown bear.)

For a big, somewhat clumsy appearing animal, they appear and vanish without making a sound.

Black bears are also pretty damm nimble. I've chased them out of my back yard (when we were dump enough to leave bird feeders up at night), and watched a ~400 pound bear levitate over our 4-rail fence - running up hill, then lofted without touching it.