Grizzly Bear in Montana

[Ralph Thornton]

I've never had the luck to get a close shot of a grizzly best until last week. This smallish grizzly bear was grazing in the fresh green grass under some aspens along the Swiftcurrent River just outside of Glacier National Park in Montana.

 

[Brian Moore]

Fantastic Ralph!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Yeah, amazing!

 

[Pete Askew]

Smallish? Looks quite big enough for me! Nice shot Ralph.

 

[Lesley Jones]

Wow and wow again!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Smallish? Looks quite big enough for me! Nice shot Ralph.

I agree Pete! I've seen larger grizzly bears but then any grizzly bear demands respect.

 

[Brian Moore]

How far away was he or she Ralph?

 

[Ralph Thornton]

I'm guessing 50-100 feet. I was using a my Canon 5D MKII with a Canon 70-200 f4 IS L at 200mm handheld.

 

[Andrew Cotterill]

I've never been that close to a large dangerous wild animal that wasn't behind bars, so I'm impressed you got such good shots of him/her - my hands would probably have been shaking with fear...and I can't focus properly when I'm running away

 

[Davie Hudson]

It takes wildlife photography to a whole new level when the subject is perfectly capable of killing you, brilliant shot and nerves of steel

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Thanks. A few years ago I saw a female grizzly with two cubs in the backcountry of Glacier National Park. She acted fairly calm but one of her friggin cubs came up to my tent for a sniff. I did photograph that cub with the camera in one hand and a can of bear spray at the ready in the other hand. But for some reason none of the photos are sharp.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

I'd have been impressed if this was shot at 15mm Ralph!




Very nice - lovely location as well - he looks very cuddly

 

[Kev Pugh]

Ralph, couldn't you get a close up? Am so disappointed, Not really! fantastic subject and shot, envy is not the word, over here we get sheep, cows 'n' oss's and if lucky a fox, but the thought of a Bear, a proper Bear, goes past belief...

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Aw! I just want to give the bear some big shnuggle wuggles! Lol.
Fab shot Ralph!

 

[Pete Askew]

They are wild animals Dan, you just keep away. We don't want any nasty accidents. They are rare enough already!

 

[Kev Pugh]

Aw! I just want to give the bear some big shnuggle wuggles! Lol.
Fab shot Ralph!

DD it would eat you! Whoops just realised that you may enjoy that

 

[Pete Askew]

It'd choke on the mask!

 

[Hamish Gill]

Very nice Ralph! You must have been pretty excited to get the shot ...
The closest I have been to the sort of thing is safari in Kenya ... Which although pretty real as far as the whole wild animal thing goes ... You can't escape feeling like a tourist really

 

[Glenn Clabo]

Wow...very cool. An old hiker once told me...if you can smell em...you better have your will up to date.