I was walking up the hill just after sunset last night when I noticed a bear watching me from just beyond the shop (about 60 yards away). The bear had just entered the cleared area from the forest, he was perfectly still and because of the diminishing light, I hardly noticed him in the shadows.
He was staring at me and I stared back, initially asking myself “is that a bear or just low-light shadow play?” Once I focused more carefully, there was no doubt. I walked (swiftly) back down to the house contemplating whether to bother with the camera – light was fading fast.
This forest-to-meadow margin area is where we see most bears. They use the meadow northwest of the shop for forage, and as an easy path to water as uphill streams begin to dry at this time of year. My assumption was: by the time I get to the house and back up to the shop (100 yards one-way), the bear will be moving away.
But no, this young bear (350 pounds?) was lingering in the meadow fairly close to the shop. Apparently he’d found the rodents abundant and there are some small patches of clover in bloom there.
I got a few photos, but none of them turned out well – poor light was a factor, but the emotional state of the photographer played a bigger role. This young bear, who was obviously aware of my presence, was not moving away like I expected. He kept an eye on me, and even moved toward me several times.
It’s just so much easier to be cavalier about the bears when they’re moving in the opposite direction. They seem awfully big when they start taking an interest in you. Knowing they can run 30+ mph doesn’t help the nerves. I have the greatest admiration for the good wildlife photographers.
In the light of day, I worry about this young bear’s future. If he has no innate fear of humans, he’ll find trouble sooner or later in this rural-to-suburban transition area. We made sure our garbage cans were well-sealed last night – and turned on the seldom-used little electric fence which surrounds them – don’t want to be responsible for encouraging bear bad habits.
