I have had the opportunity to view and sometimes photograph bears on several occasions. I don’t count dumpster bears. The Ketchikan experience is at an entirely different level. The habitat is ideal and the salmon in the streams brings the bears into the open.
In this setting, bears and fisherpersons sometimes mix.
Last evening we were watching bears fishing in a stream (first picture) and I was taking pictures. I turned in the other direction and I saw a bear moving in behind several fishermen. I estimate the distance here at 300-400 yards and I have my 200 mm. telephoto lens cranked out to the maximum. The fishermen did not see the bear coming and I considered shouting but just watched.
The bear took a fish they men had caught and headed off. One of the men then headed after the bear and it appeared he was trying to exchange one fish for another – perhaps a post-spawn fish for a pre-spawn fish. The bear was not interested. Then he started throwing rocks at the bear. Not smart. The bear just headed back into the woods.
I have added some higher quality bear photos to my Fickr account – see badge to the right for access.
