Bear workshop complete

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The bear photo workshop was a total blast. There's no way words and photos can adequately describe my time at the sanctuary.

I learned much about black bears and have a new appreciation for them. For 4 days we walked among the bears photographing them and learning about their behaviors. Some of the bears there are 20-30 years old, all the way down to cubs born earlier this year. The yearlings - around 2-3 years old were the most inquisitive. It was amazing to watch the mothers send their cubs up a tree when other bears came to close to them or something else startled them. The bears are preparing for hibernation so they were eating a lot. Yes they feed the bears at the sanctuary, but it's because Vince Shute fed them for three decades before the sanctuary was formed. Early in his life he tried to kill all the bears who came into his camp and ate his food. He finally decided if he fed them away from his cabin they wouldn't break in.

Last night at my campground I went out on the dock for a few minutes to gaze at the stars. Wow... I haven't seen stars like that since I was out in Arches NP. What a beautiful site.

I'm back in Madison, WI tonight and hope to make Toledo, OH tomorrow. Currently the campground I'm supposed to stay in this weekend in the Catskills has no power or water as a result of Irene. They hope to have things restored in a few days. I haven't heard from the iPhone instructor to see if the workshop this weekend has been postponed due to Irene. Hopefully he didn't have much damage either and we will have the class.

Here are a few more bear photos taken on Monday.

Thanks for checking in with Chessy and me as we explore. Bruce

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Photos

cubs on porch
This is one of the cabins volunteers use when they are at the sanctuary. Currently no one was staying in it.

cub up a tree
Here is a cub who climbed a tree. Sometimes there would be 3 or 4 in one tree. There is an observation deck that visitors use when they come to the sanctuary. I was on the deck for this shot so I was basically at eye level with the cub.

another cub in a tree
We had to have a lot of patience while photographing the bears, waiting for them to turn and look in the direction we wanted them too. Sometimes they were very cooperative, other times they seemed to turn away on purpose.

posing
This is an adult bear who struck a nice pose after having some sunflower seeds on the rock.