A Random Chance Encounter

Keeping an eye on "something" behind it!

Hey!  Whatcha looking at?  Every time I'm out where I hope to see wildlife, I know there is an element of great luck . . . right place at the right time sorta stuff.  And every trip I make, whether it is out west to Yellowstone or south to the Smoky Mountains . . . or even here in the Upper Midwest . . . decisions made in the moment determine what luck I am going to have.  As I was planning for my departure from Grand Teton National Park, I had decisions to make about timing to leave the park . . . perhaps lingering around for the morning in hopes of seeing #399 + 1 . . . and what route to take to my next destination - Rocky Mountain National Park about eight hours away.

Waking up that morning right about sunrise, I was out of my campsite by 5:30am heading south.  I decided that I would take US 287S out the Moran Entrance towards Dubois and Rawlins, mainly because last summer there was a bear with cubs hanging around the highway requiring ranger intervention to assure they stayed safe and that humans didn't create unsafe situations for all concerned.

Imagine my surprise and delight when about an hour after leaving camp, I noticed a pick-up truck pulled over on the shoulder of the road.  Not sure what was going on, I slowed down.  The driver's lady friend pointed down into the clearing, trying to tell me something.  Whatever it was, it was pretty far out and barely visible to the naked eye.  (The photo to the right is what I saw from the road.)  But with binoculars, I could see a large brown (grizzly) bear. I thought with its back to me, it was just foraging . . . until I saw it pick up and move the deer it had presumably just killed.

I repositioned my car so I would be well off the road and with enough room to get comfortable watching and photographing this amazing bear.  I spent over 30 minutes just enjoying the sight, while also taking photos and videos too.  Several cars started to congregate, including a family from Ohio who was originally from where I grew up in Virginia.  I enjoy helping others learn about wildlife on such encounters, sometimes forgetting that seeing a bear in the wild for some (maybe even many) is a once in a lifetime occurrence.  So helping them to make the most of the experience, including sharing my images with them later by email, is something I'm always willing to do.

I must admit, this particular sighting was VERY special for me too!  I don't recall the last time I had the privilege of being so close to the time of a kill, that I could watch the bear enjoy its meal.  Through binoculars and my camera lens, I was able to see up close . . . teeth, blood, bones . . . all of it!  An experience such as this, in the moment, makes a trip to bear country worthwhile.  As apex hunters, grizzly bears are at the top of my list of animals I want to see and photograph.  Black bears are more "cute and cuddly" but don't try that . . . mommas with cubs can be as dangerous as brown bears.

Here is a video plus a couple more photos of this bear that through my chance encounter exiting the GTNP region, made my first nine days on the road totally worthwhile!