Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Sunday, May 20, 2012

She Is Deathly Afraid Of Bears

Some years ago a thousand miles from home in Minnesota and fifty miles south of Big Timber, Montana, on a rutted gravel road we’re headed toward a beautiful Forest Service campground. It was the last one before the road ended in the Beartooth /Absaroka range north of Yellowstone National Park. The Boulder River is a prime trout-fishing destination. There was a red sign. "There are grizzly bears here?", Mrs T queried. "Yes dear, but I will protect you," I replied. "I wanna go back home," she asserted firmly.
Near Darby, Montana, in the beautiful Bitterroot Range, at the Sam Billings Campground, we are just about ready to hike up a trail to the falls. "Are you sure there are no bears in these mountains?" "Yes, dear. There is a big controversy about bringing them back here, but it hasn’t happened yet, " I informed her. "Well, Lucille (my sister in law) and I are going to wear bells just in case. To warn them off !" My brother smiled, and then I couldn’t help myself. "Err... I read there are a lot of mountain lions here though and tinkle bells tick them off." "Whatever you jerk!"
A couple of years later about to launch our canoes from the landing, at Sawbill Campground, into the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness, along with our two teenage sons, we encountered a returning couple. A terrorized woman informed Mrs T. that a black bear ate all their food. Then "we" decided to spend the week at the public campground instead of in the wilderness among the marauding bears!
Clearly, this woman is deathly afraid of bears. Right? Wrong... actually it all depends on the circumstances. Camera in hand a magical transformation takes place... she suddenly becomes the wild bear "paparazzi" woman.
We are on a back road in Grand Teton National Park with my brother and sister-in-law. My brother is driving. As we come around a bend in the road he stops suddenly. There is an abandoned car blocking the road with the front door left open. I have seen this act before. Looking out into the woods I see my spouse, the wildlife stalker, camera in hand following the idiot who abandoned his car in the road. "Come back," I yell from the road. "This could be dangerous" My brother later asked for copies of her pictures of the young grizzly.
Ten years ago in Alaska, she rolled down the car window and leaned out, camera in hand. I suggested somewhat facetiously, "why don't you reach out and pet him dear. He certainly looks friendly enough." Fortunately, he ignored her....
Some, with flyrod in hand, are willing to take risks in search of trout. Others, camera in hand, take risks for that special picture. This is how it is among the Troutbirders.
 
 
 

28 comments:

  1. too funny! like the camera is going to be some magical shield. :)

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  2. No bears for me, thank you! Great post, though!!

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  3. I know how caution goes out the window at the possibility of a great shot! But this is ridiculous. Great pictures, I must admit. :-)

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  4. Then there was the time that the last recorded pictures on a camera at Yellowstone were of a bear attacking the camera man. True. Or at least that is how I remember reading about it.

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  5. I know how she feels! You just gotta get that great shot!

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  6. :0) Thanks for bringing a smile to my evening! I'm afraid I would probably be more like your wife with the camera :0)

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  7. She is very brave..I am just a little afraid of bear! Great photos Mrs. T:)

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  8. It's amazing what a transformation a camera in hand can bring about. Thanks for the smiles.

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  9. Gosh, I share her fear and don't think a camera would give me that cloak of invisibility necessary to do what she did. More power to her.
    I saw what happened to a car in the Carolinas when a careless tourist ran out of food for a bear they were feeding from the window. The people ran to another car but the SUV was destroyed as he ripped the insides apart. I do respect those big fellows.

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  10. I always loved this Bear Sign: http://i.imgur.com/RjIZC.jpg/

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  11. Wonderful photos! I live in an area where black bears roam. One sat on the roof of my woodshed eating plums from my neighbour's tree! I didn't have to work hard to get that photo, it just appeared on my doorstep.
    http://fur-licity.blogspot.ca/2009/10/visitor.html

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  12. When I 1st heard of wearing bells while backpacking I hoped they would not be a dinner bell myself.

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  13. I don't think I'd be able to do it, even for the perfect shot! (and certainly not with my ill-equipped camera)

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  14. i like beaches and woods but not where there are bears or cougars, you are both brave people. so now i know why you dont cry when you read a book.

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  15. I think for a nonfisherman catching photos of wildlife is so much easier than catching trout;) Lucky catch!

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  16. We have black bears around here and our REALLY stupid neighbor thinks it is so funny that a bear comes frequently to tear down her bird feeders. I suspect that if she keeps feeding the bear it won't visit us. But we bring in the feeders every night.

    As for the bear bells ticking off the mountain lions...well, you do turn toward the mischievous now and then, don't you? Way to go Mrs. T in overcoming your bear fear in order to get some good photographs.

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  17. Great post! I prefer to admire bears at a great distance...from the safety of my home whilst watching a television documentary. :) Thanks for the smiles, I enjoyed this.

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  18. It is always a great year and a spiritual year when I wander upon (or even see) a bear in the wild.

    Fun post!

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  19. Love your posts.

    Have nominated you for the Kreative blogger award.
    See my last blog for details.

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  20. Remember those No Fear T-shirts that were so popular back in the 90s? You should get the intrepid Mrs. T one printed up with one of her bear pics featured on it.

    As always, your post made me smile.

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  21. I like that she gets caught up in the moment! :)

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  22. Better she than me !! Sounds like she could take very good care of you in the wild.

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  23. Going to get to Yellowstone/Tetons this year? I hear the bears are everywhere (really!!)

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  24. Haha ~ too funny! Well... if I was safe in the car I would totally take my chances. Of course, seeing wild things is always a good time to have a big zoom lens so you don't have to get too close! LOL!
    xo Catherine

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  25. Wow, your wife is brave! I wouldn't worry too much about black bears but grizzlies, especially ones that are used to humans and campsites, are best avoided. I say that as someone who very much supports the reintroduction of grizzly bears to their native habitats but in doing so, it's best to keep people away from them.

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  26. The Troutbirders are a daring lot! It's true, bears are fascinating when photography is a possibility, but otherwise, most of us would rather not tangle with them.

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  27. It is surprising how a camera in hand can embolden an otherwise timid spirit. It's the spirit of the hunt, I think.

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