Bears & Photogs at Glacier NP

[arthuryeo]

I understand that the bear population at Glacier NP is significantly larger than those at Yellowstone NP. How safe is it to take short hikes away from the road into areas with falls, streams & cascades for pictures? Is it safe to be hiding underneath the black cloth with a view camera while there might be large critters lurking behind you in the woods? :-)

<br><br>

Please share your experiences and advices. Thanks!

[guytal]

1) It's never safe, but it's safer than crossing the street in most major cities.<br>

2) It is extremely unlikely that a bear in either of these parks will attack you unprovoked. Unless you accidentally find yourself between a mother and cubs or do something stupid to upset the bear, you stand a much better chance of getting bit by a dog in your own neighborhood than by a bear in a national park.<br>

<br>

Guy<br>

<a href="http://www.scenicwild.com">Scenic Wild Photography</a>

[marshall]

Darn it, Guy, now I can't go shooting in my own neighborhood!

[eric friedemann]

Jack Olsen's book "Night of the Grizzlies" is based on the first tourists killed by bears in Glacier back in 1967. Since those attacks, Park Service officials have been more aggressive in trying to keep bears away from humans in the park.

 

I have been to Glacier twice and think, on balance, it is the most dramatic and beautiful of the mountainous national parks. Based on its remote location, there are also fewer tourists than in, say, Yosemite.

 

The presence of bears wouldn't keep me away from the park, but I'd talk to a park ranger who was up to speed on current bear activity to see if there were any trails to avoid. Also, I'd follow the advice below:

 

http://www.americanparknetwork.com/parkinfo/gl/flora/beartip.html

[babette_ross]

I was hiking around just above Ampitheature Lake in the Teton's last September when we turned a curve and about 10 feet away (yes, ten feet) was a GREAT BIG BLACK BEAR. We were not graceful (black bears - noise - let's sing - insert half hearted squeaking sounds here - shit can't remember words to any song behind the start - twinkle twinkle little star, shoot - how about ABCDEFG etc) the bear could care less that we were there. And continued on his way. We had backed up and then when we thouht he was far enough away continued down the trail with no problems. Now, no, there was no picture to be taken, although my first response was to lift my camera to my eye and my boyfriends said "don't point that thing at him" despite the regret of not having the snap it was probably a wise call. At any rate, point is, do some research as to what to do just in case, and be careful but have fun.

[tom_walker1]

Chuck Bartlebaugh, a wildlife activist located in Bozeman, made the comment in the wake of the Treadwell bear tragedy at Alaska's Katmai coast last fall that, to paraphrase, 'The last two people killed by grizzlies at Glacier were trying to do a 'Treadwell,' that is approach bears in dense brush.' Treadwell, apparently, had said this was not as dangerous as some people say. He and his partner died via a bear.

 

I have been to Glacier and enjoyed it immensely but I don't go in the brush after bears either here in Alaska or anywhere else. I think you have always got to be careful arond bears but I believe, statistically, more people have been hurt by grizzly bears in Glacier than any other US park. I believe that was in Herrero's book on grizzly attacks. Some people always seem to think it's 'the other guy' that bad things will happen to, and not them.

 

T Walker

[greg s]

When we were leaving the Yellowstone area last Sept we stopped to buy some hucklberry jam. The store owner told us about a woman who had been out picking wild huckleberries and was "licked behind the ear" by a grizzly. (she survived intact) As we left the store I couldn't help but notice the tube of 'Huckleberry Hand Cream' for sale near the register, and contemplate what an unwise ointment that would be to use in bear country.

 

I would recommend bringing some bear spray, and avoid roaming around with lots of sweet smelling food in your pack. And of course, if a bear wants your pack... give it up. Enjoy and be safe!

[eric friedemann]

An anecdote I may have written on p.net before; a guy I know is one of the best fly-fishing guides in the world. He frequently takes clients to fish streams in the Northwest.

 

He won't enter a stream if there are bears in sight. Also, he always carries a Ruger revolver in a sling across his chest chamebred in .454 Casull. Still, he knows that if a Grizzly charged him before he could back out of a stream and he was somehow lucky enough to put five rounds of the massive ammunition in the bear, it probably still wouldn't stop the bear and he'd be killed or severly injured.

 

The way this guide sees things, streams and open spaces in that area of the country are the bears' home. Bears take the not-unreasonable view that he and his clients are tresspassers competing with them for food and space. So, he acts accordingly and gives the bears as wide a berth as possible.

[tri_tran3]

Three years ago I was hiking up in Alaska. My group was about 4000 feet above and suddenly out of nowhere a bear walked by (probably resposed to my friend's singing). It wasn't a big one as it looked at us for a few seconds and walked into the bushes again. We made noises at it but it ignored us. We hiked down the mountain asap (it took us 4 hours to get up there and only 40mn to run back down). I still regret that I didn't take a picture of it since I was only twenty feet away from it (my excuse was my camera was in my bag and I couldn't find the strap to get it out).

Another group had a surpise visitor in the tent. Somebody forgot and left a bag of beef jerky in the tent. A bear paid a visit but nobody was injured.

Two years ago I met a cowbear but that was a different story.

[macgregor_anderson]

don't forget about the cougars...

[drc]

Arthur, thanks for having the decency & common sense to ask about safely visiting Bear country.

 

Call in the visitor centre & pick up their Bear safety paraphenalia & talk to the rangers. You might get a hold of Herreros book as it's still the bible.

 

Don't forget, bears have lives too so the "R" word"s (respect's) a big (safe)deal. Enjoy your trip.

 

 

David Crossley/Crossley Photography....

 

 

 

www.davidcrossley.com

[heatherforcier]

Most of the Huckleberry products I saw in Montana (I just returned from a trip there this week) said not to use it in bear country.

 

Driving through a part of Glacier towards sunset we saw a black bear along the treeline just off the road. We got our gear ready in the event of another sighting but didn't see one. Only one of us got the photo of the first one - it paid to be prepared.

[louie]

Arthur,

 

I've photographed in Denali, Katmai, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier, Banff, and Jasper. So, I've been to places with significant bear populations. Heck, I was even charged by a bear in Denali while solo backpacking. (Only had one frame left on my roll in the camera. Changing film while a grizzly bear is charging is not an option.)

 

When I'm shooing in places with large mammals (moose are probably more dangerous than bears) about, I always look up every few minutes from the viewfinder - especially when I'm alone. Make lots of noise and check your area every once in a while.

 

For Glacier N.P., if you're talking about the main trails near the roads, then I don't think you have to worry very much. You'll have plenty of company. Last time I was in Glacier, I hit the popular trails working from West to East. I kept running into the same people as we all did the same itinerary. Everybody recognized me because I was the guy with the tripod. So, is it safe? I believe so. Educate yourself and take reasonable precautions, and you'll be fine. You have a better chance of getting hit by lightning than being mauled by a bear.

 

If you take off into deep brush with a salami hanging around your neck, you're on your own.

[jess_lee]

I have spent a fair amount of time photographing in Grizzly country and Glacier bears always make me more nervous than others for some reason.

My suggestion would be to not go into places without good visibility and make plenty of noise. Neither of these suggestion will guarantee you won't have bear trouble but they will be 2 less things that could cause a problem. One of the interesting things about grizzlies in Glacier is that they seem to be more interested in eating their victims than some others.

Remember thousands of hiking miles are logged in Glacier every year and there are few problems.

[sandor_a._feher]

http://www.photo.net/photo/1304549

Just stay far away back and they will not notice you.

[steve_levine]

I thought packing a "gat" aint legal in a NP?

[e.m.]

Condidering I live in Alaska....Glacier NP is not dangerous. Just make some noise and keep and eye out and you'll be fine. Bears aren't lurking in the woods waiting for a nature photographer to come by. Anyhow backyard is full of bears and I've never had a problem in the woods.

[jim_mueller2]

<<Is it safe to be hiding underneath the black cloth >>

 

Working around wild grizzly bears is NEVER safe. You can take precautions to minimize your risk but an attack can still happen.

 

Some mountain bikers were recently mauled by a wild couger in California. One person was killed, another permanently maimed. What are the chances of that happening?

[eric friedemann]

"I thought packing a 'gat' aint legal in a NP?"

 

Packing is not legal in national parks. However: 1. my acquaintence, the fishing guide, doesn't fish in national parks; and 2. locals in the mountainous areas of the Northwest are used to seeing guns carried openly.

 

At a recent family party, I was talking to my cousins' cousin who works as a hiking and hunting guide in Montana and parts of Alaska. He wouldn't walk to an outhouse in some of the areas he guides in without having a gun with him.

 

And, per another poster, he views big cats as being significantly more aggressive and dangerous to humans than bears. Even the grizzly bear is omnivorous, eating berries, roots, fungi, grasses, fish, carrion, small mammals and insects. Big cats are carnivores and view other creatures made of meat- e.g. dogs, children and sometimes adult humans- as prey. When small game is scarce, bears eat other things other than meat; big cats don't, and can be dangerous to humans.

[alex_lofquist]

Another reason to have a long lens. Not to photograph bears from a distance, but to keep it between you and the bear!