So, the other day I was out and walking way back into a salt chuck, or marshy area, when I thought I heard a deer with a cold, or the sniffles, coming my way. It was a light faint noise and I have heard deer before with runny noses so thought here was another one. Then I saw a little black ear and top of the head and thought no, that looks like a cub. So I stood up and looked for mom and well, I did see another black bear some 500 yds away. So I changed to a big lens on my camera and was ready for the approach of the cub. I thought take a few pics and then turn and get outta there before mom sees me or the cub screams out.
Well, sure enough a head popped out and it was a black bear, just not a cub but a full blown huge male black bear. I dropped my camera and thought oh, god now what am I going to do?! The bear was only 35 feet away. And as soon as I said Oh, sh*t – he covered that distance in less than a second. Wow. Was he fast… and to my much appreciated luck, he was running full board in the opposite direction. That bear ran through anything it could and bounced off anything it could not. And before ya know…. it was gone. No pics and only a bit of shortness of breath and a fast heart beat for the experience. So much for being a cub or getting photos.
Since, I have seen other black bears and have some photos to show but in this area, they are so scared that they run from you before you can approach or do anything that would ensure a better or closer photo. They run. They aren’t curious. They run. They don’t pose or stand up to get a better look at you. No. They run. Bummer.
I guess there is hunting pressure in this area. So I have focused on the orcas and whales for now. And that there have been a lot of and close encounters. I have been kayaking so much now that I can get the kayaks off the boat on my own and love the feeling of being back so close into the water as I travel. Forget the dinghy and my ongoing engine problem which isn’t cured as of yet. I now kayak as I had intended and the way this whole thing started. Kayaking mile after mile and loving my time here in Alaska.
Kayakingbear's Blog 