The Art of Approaching a Brown Bear in the Alaska Backcountry.

We flew in a single engine Beaver aircraft to a remote location on the northern Alaska Panhandle. Our guide, Bear Biologist Jim Phillips led our group of 5 through a soggy and muddy marsh for two days in Alaska's backcountry. The bears we viewed haven't experienced much contact with humans, they would run from us. Jim had a plan.

Boar

This bad boy popped up right beside us, he didn't know we were there which I find hard to believe and we didn't know he was ther which is very believeable. I think he may have been interested in the female we were photographing at fairly close range. Whatever the case she was aggitated after seening him and walked back and forth in front of us while he hid in the bush behind us. Not a perfect senerio.

Isn't she lovely.

This is the bear that came very close in a video I will be posting soon.

Aggitated

She wasn't happy until she knew where the boar was. Not much cropping on this photo, ISO 11400, taken at 10:45pm

Brown Bear, sow.

She was close, still looking for the other bear. I'm glad she didn't charge through us to get to him. Almost 11pm and still lots of light, ISO 9000, noise reduction in Topaz Denoise.

Standing tall.

Brown Bear

One of the Brown Bears came through the bush behind us. It was shy and didn't stay long. Recently a family member asked me why the fur looked clumpy, it is because the bear was wet due to rain showers. We were also wet : )

Chilled

During our two-day Brown Bear Adventure, we were walking the beach when one of our group discovered this chilled bear watching us. We were all wet from the rain showers including the bears.

Brown Bear, female

She walked right in front of us while searching for a bear that was hidden in the bush beside us.

Isn't she lovely.

This is the bear that came very close in a video I will be posting soon.

In Transition

One of the colour phases from immature to adult Eagle.

Eagle Drama

Mind explaining where your've been?

Tippy-toe

Too wet, too muddy? Not really the Eagle has just landed.

Skipping

Just a hop, skip and jump to reposition. The tides in Alaska can move in at speeds up to 24 mph/33kpm Kenai is home of the "bore" wave or bore tide.

Junior contour flies the cliffs.

A one year old does some impressive flying.

Low and Fast

Low contour flying from this two-year-old. It was a very skilled flyer and aggressive to other Eagles.

High-speed landing.

Displaying dominance.

Letting the other eagles in the area know who boss, or at least trying to none of them were listening.

Exit Glacier

Shane and I hiked up to the glacier but not on it.

Lesser Yellowlegs

It was guarding its chicks in a nearby pond and prefered to perch on the boardwalk railing.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Protecting its chicks by chasing off predators, gulls and terns.