Bears in the Hood

This Picture is cropped. All the others are not.
We were close, but the camera got us closer. 

I've used lots of pictures of a certain little black bear who came to show off her wee ones last spring. I went for a walk with my kids just as summer was getting on its was. As we walked the road threw the property, past the guest houses, Adventure Man came running toward the house for his camera. He said there was a bear and two cubs on Alice's ridge. We back tracked to a spot where we might get a glimps of them from afar. But she had moved. We headed to the lodge for safety, but also so we might get a glimps of them. I wanted the kids to see them... From a good distance. But what we saw was much more then I hoped for.

They came across the road, the river and the yard. Then up into the woods. 

We ducked into the lodge, but Lola, our head cook was baking bread, and every new mama, who needs to build up her milk supply knows what "hungry as a bear" is all about! Mama bear wondered back down the hill and looked right in the dining room window!

Lola with me and the kids in the Lodge.

As you can see, when she got this close to the window
we moved the kids back from it! 

Adventure Man did scare them off with firecrackers. Only they are shot from a shotgun. They make a loud pop after they've been shot and so AM aimed them right at Mama Bear's feet. She would run, but the cubs would race up a tree, then she would have to come down and get the kids again. We do this so she doesn't become acclimated to us or our trash cans. And she needs to set an example for the cubs. She's a Mama now!

This was the shot that Adventure Man took from around the corner of the Lodge.
She is looking in the window at us, but we cropped the building out of the picture.

Although she was spotted here or there again last summer, she never ventured down into the valley.

But now Mama Bear has come back and the cubs have grown into lanky teenage looking one-year-olds! They stayed in the cover of the Aspen Grove, but they let Adventure Man get close enough to get some good shots, with a very long lens, that is!

This cub surprised Adventure Man. He could see the Mama and one cub, but didn't see this one until he started huffing at Mama. Mama was paying attention to the hikers coming down the trail, but when her cub called, she came. That was when Adventure Man left. He didn't mean to get that close. He is adventuresome, but not stupid! Mama showed no signs of agitation at his presince. She lives here and so do we and I'm sure she's seen us and others before. 

These were all taken by my Husband with his Nikon. The last three shots where when he was backing out of the woods. They are as curious about us as we are about them. But Always be careful, wear bear spray and leave nothing behind. Keep Montana Wild.