I'm gonna hunt me some bears!

[jasper]

www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/article_6b791e4a-a262-56cd-81ec-034f49158fe0.html

(you should probably read the article before freaking out)

I'm so excited =3
I didn't even know this was happening at my school until just after it happened last year

[Truttle]

I'll admit that I was frightened when I read the name of this topic, but after reading the article I see how now awesome it is! Will you be going on one of these bear shoots? That would be so amazing! =3

[Anya]

Ooh, I'd love to go too! ^^ I've never seen a real bear in nature. Only at the zoo or on TV, but that's not the same.

[SilentDawn]

This is something neat for anyone! I've been lucky enough to have been in areas where large numbers of bears roam wild (such as Kodiak, Alaska) and seeing them up close(ish) is really thrilling. It still is a bit frightening to be so close to something that COULD break every bone in your body just because it is frightened...I prefer to see them from the air, heh!

But being close enough to one to actually touch it would be amazing. That's something not everyone can say they did!

[Ken'ichi]

Now there's a great way to get up close and "shoot" bears without killing them. Sounds like a very neat and fun idea. I wish I could attend such an event. You're so lucky to have a chance to attend this, Jasper!

[jasper]

Feb 20, 2010 5:40:26 GMT -5 Anya said:

Ooh, I'd love to go too! ^^ I've never seen a real bear in nature. Only at the zoo or on TV, but that's not the same.

Yeah, me neither! Even though i've gone up into the Rockies here into the black bears' range quite a few times, I've never actually seen one.

Feb 20, 2010 2:46:05 GMT -5 Truttle said:

Will you be going on one of these bear shoots? That would be so amazing! =3

Yeah! The professor is letting me come along, in just a couple of weeks! =3

[Anya]

Feb 20, 2010 7:47:27 GMT -5 SilentDawn said:

I've been lucky enough to have been in areas where large numbers of bears roam wild (such as Kodiak, Alaska) and seeing them up close(ish) is really thrilling. It still is a bit frightening to be so close to something that COULD break every bone in your body just because it is frightened...I prefer to see them from the air, heh!

But being close enough to one to actually touch it would be amazing. That's something not everyone can say they did!

Yeah, I bet it would be a bit scary.. But all the same it would be amazing to see a bear - from a safe distance. :3 You've indeed been lucky, SilentDawn. ^^

And you're so lucky too, Jasper! I hope it's going to be a great experience for you. ^^

[SilentDawn]

Feb 21, 2010 3:55:55 GMT -5 jasper said:

Yeah! The professor is letting me come along, in just a couple of weeks! =3

You better succeed in shooting some bears for us all! ;D

[czarine]

Feb 22, 2010 22:45:42 GMT -5 SilentDawn said:

Feb 21, 2010 3:55:55 GMT -5 jasper said:

Yeah! The professor is letting me come along, in just a couple of weeks! =3

You better succeed in shooting some bears for us all! ;D

0_o I don't think that's what he meant


... Unless you didn't mean it literally as well.

[Epesi]

Nah, he just meant "shooting" as in the slang term for taking a photo.

That sounds awesome, Jasper! :3 Like others have said, you're very lucky to have this opportunity. I hope you have a great experience and get some good photos, and I look forward to seeing them. ;D

[SilentDawn]

Nooo! noone's shooting bears with guns! Only camera's! Now kittens and puppies are a different story...Muhahahah.

[JSalinari83]

Wow sounds like alot of fun. Well you enjoy yourself.

[jasper]

It was awesome =3

I found out a few days before hand that the den was about 5 hours away, which was further away than I had expected it to be. I went to a jazz concert the night before, so I didn't get to bed until midnight. I had to get up at 4 in the morning (which is pretty hard to do for a bear in winter), but I didn't have to worry about sleeping in, because I didn't get any sleep, I was too excited.
I had a great car ride up with 3 people from one of Dr. Black's classes. They brought snacks and entertainment =3 it was fun. One of them had actually been at the same concert, the night before.
After a long trip, we finally arrived at the bear den. There were a TON of people there, like over a hundred 0.0 That was more than I expected. I think maybe it was more than Dr. Black expected too. What can I say, people like bears =3
We hiked (or rather, climbed) up a cliff, the bear den was almost at the very top. I'm surprised the bear could get around the terrain, it was so steep! Maybe she's part mountain goat. ;P
img268.imageshack.us/img268/5117/dscf4256t.jpg
At the top, there was a small ledge outside of the bear den, where we all crowded onto. Not big enough for 100 people to crowd onto, that's for sure; i'm kinda surprised nobody died 0.0
img242.imageshack.us/img242/9383/dscf4189h.jpg
img169.imageshack.us/img169/9679/dscf4192.jpg
img694.imageshack.us/img694/4264/dscf4223.jpg
When I got to the top, I realized I'd made the stupidest mistake ever. I actually forgot my camera >.< Can you believe that?
Luckily my carpool buddies had brought theirs.
Dr. Black and assistants had tranquilized the mother and brought her out, with a cloth over her eyes. They were bringing out the cubs, which had been tranquilized too.
img72.imageshack.us/img72/6421/dscf4197u.jpg
img171.imageshack.us/img171/3278/dscf4198.jpg
Her name is Rosefinch (named after the bird; Dr. Black loves bird-watching). I never really caught the cubs' names, i don't know if they even named them yet.
At first she looked dead, but then she suddenly started breathing deeply, you could see her side rise and fall. She opened her eyes, but didn't move.
We were allowed to come up and touch her and the cubs =3 , but it was so crowded I felt like I was trying to touch the Pope. I literally had to reach through peoples' legs, lol.

Her fur long and thick, and it was actually rather coarse, like a hard-working farm dog's; she's definitely roughing it Her paw pads felt a lot like a dogs, too, except bigger. I could feel the large claws extending back into the paw under her skin. One of the assistants remarked how healthy she was, as he pressed his hand into her side and slid the loose skin around, because he couldn't even feel her rib cage. They've already been hibernating for a while now.
They gave the cubs radio tags in their ears, like their mother's, a process which actually... looked kinda painful. At least they were asleep for it.

img684.imageshack.us/img684/3783/1060060.jpg cub 1 looking cute ...and drugged
img26.imageshack.us/img26/7393/1060061.jpg cub 2 looking at cam
img411.imageshack.us/img411/8866/1060056.jpg cub and Rosefinch and Dr. Black

At one point, one of the cubs started growling. I thought it was the mother, and my adrenaline started pumping, it was kinda scary.

Short video: img10.yfrog.com/i/dscf4206holdingthecubgr.mp4/ (If you listen really carefully, you can hear the cub growling)



Like a ride at disneyland, it was over much too quickly. After the long trip home, I realized I'd gotten hardly any shut-eye in 48 hours, and I slept like a tranquilized bear.

[Anya]

Oh wow, you must be so happy!

I didn't have to worry about sleeping in, because I didn't get any sleep, I was too excited.

Yeah, I know that feeling. It's annoying but at least you stay awake during the day, thanks to the excitement.

When I got to the top, I realized I'd made the stupidest mistake ever. I actually forgot my camera >.< Can you believe that?

Aw.. That must've felt awful. It's good that you still got so many pictures.

After the long trip home, I realized I'd gotten hardly any shut-eye in 48 hours, and I slept like a tranquilized bear.

Hehe, I bet! ;D And sure had dreams about the trip?

Thanks for sharing this story and the pictures! ^^ It is amazing. Especially the cubs are very sweet.

[mock]

Man you are lucky guy!
you can touch in the bears!
i never seen a bear on all my life!

i hope you enjoy it