Bear Meal

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 5, 2012210 views9 comments

This is from last November in Pennsylvania, when my shooting buddy and I had a close encounter of the Black Bear kind. Somehow, the PA bear got a hold of a whitetail deer. Whether it was hit by a vehicle, left by a bow hunter, we don't know.

What I do know is, I got to within yards of the site, as the bear devoured the carcass for at least an hour while we were snapping away, trying to get a clear image. I focused on trying to get the deer's eye and bear's in the image. Kind of gruesome, but my most exciting photo experience to date! I know I posted a few from this shortly after it happened, don't think this was one.

Cloned out a branch that appeared to be going right thru the bruin's head. The bear never made a move toward us, truck was behind us. But... ;) D90, ISO-500, 1/320th, 250mm. THanks for any C&C!

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Verdon on September 5, 2012 at 1:51 PM

Great shot

Registered on June 10, 2011, 147 Posts, 1444 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on September 5, 2012 at 2:28 PM

Hi Bill, I remember that you posted one or more of this series here before. I like the fact that you did manage to get both eyes clear and relatively sharp. You did not mention your aperture, but I assumed you stopped down a bit, which was a good choice, despite it compromising the BG. Thanks for sharing another of this encounter.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on September 5, 2012 at 4:19 PM

Really a nice capture Bill. Like the setting and frame filling shot. It does look like it needs a touch of a CW rotation to me...but might just be my imagination.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Jaymes Dempsey on September 5, 2012 at 5:56 PM

I really like the low angle here, and a really nice head turn. I wish the foreground weren't so busy. Anyways, lovely image!

Registered on June 28, 2010, 47 Posts, 590 Comments

Comment posted by jack jaeger jr on September 5, 2012 at 7:30 PM

A bear being a bear you gotta love it !

Registered on April 2, 2012, 26 Posts, 355 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on September 6, 2012 at 1:28 AM

A little tough to look at, but a great shot of a bear making a living the only way a bear can. A very pleasing composition.

Very Nice Work Bill

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Maile on September 6, 2012 at 12:27 PM

Thanks everyone for the comments! It was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill (well, hopefully not)... and even had to back off the 300mm to 250, we were that close. Sorry about the aperture, it was f-6.3--more BG blur would have been nice. Overall a pretty tough shooting spot with all of the brush and branches. Not to mention a 300-400 lb. bear just yards ahead.

Registered on March 2, 2009, 984 Posts, 2518 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Williams on September 8, 2012 at 1:01 AM

Good shot Bill. I bet your pulse gets going every time you look at it. Interesting colors to me. the bear is so vibrant and sharp, the deer so lifeless and lackluster. A bit busy, too bad the bear wasn't more accomodating for you to put his prize out in the open somewhere . . .

Registered on December 28, 2010, 636 Posts, 3499 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on September 13, 2012 at 1:38 PM

I remember the series. I think clockwise rotation will be a slight enhancement.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments