“Stuck”

I enjoyed seeing the spring black bear cubs while I was at Cades Cove, Tennessee last month. They are just so darn adorable! It rained and the cubs were sopping wet! A “bear jam” happens when tons of people are looking at the bears. It backs up traffic sometimes causing it to halt. After the mama bear went on top of a hill out of sight, everyone left but me. It didn’t take long before she and the cubs were visible again, but it was starting to get dark. I have always wanted to cause a bear jam and, I did that day. Showing people where the bears were brought me joy. I met a lot of neat people. One family helped me keep an eye on them as they walked through the brush. It was an exciting adventure! FYI….the cub wasn’t actually stuck. I just thought is was a cute title. Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Pandemonium

A tranquil spring afternoon unfolded in front of me at Cades Cove, Tennessee. A mama sow and her three yearlings were doing what bears do—foraging for food in the luscious green fields. The bears were causing quite a stir. People were doing crazy things to get the treasured shot. One young lady climbed a tree that we told her had poison ivy on it and she replied, “That doesn’t matter” as she scampered up the tree. Another lady wouldn’t let the bear cross the road and got too up close and personal and the sow bluff charged her. The story behind this shot was even better. A man climbed in a bunch of shrub trees because the grass was quite tall, and it was difficult to get a good shot of the bears. Then it happened. The mama bear and one yearling stood to their feet and another was on alert. The man fell out of the shrubs and it freaked the bears out. The yearling in the bottom of the photo charged half-way to the man. No one knew what was going to happen next. Luckily for the man, the yearling came back. Two of the yearlings shot up a tall tree and one tried to sleep to recover from the scare. Mama bear settled down after standing up once again to assess the scene. Wow! What an encounter! Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

You’re Not Alone

I first noticed this black bear yearling in Cades Cove last year as he was running across the road. My first glance was a bear butt as he entered the woods. Before long, he was in a field sitting all alone. Mama bears give birth in January and stay with their cubs for about 16-17 months. Watching their bond is amazing to witness. She devotes her life protecting them from danger and teaches them what to eat. The sad part occurs when she must chase them away. June rolls around and it’s mating season. She allows the yearlings to stay in her territory but avoids those areas. When she does encounter them, she chases them away. Yearlings must figure out things on their own. Eventually, they become confident, independent bears and start a family of their own. The good news is we are never alone. It may feel like it with the quarantine because of the Coronavirus. But God is with us every step of the way. No matter what we have done, he still loves us. God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

“Hide-and-seek”

Playing hide-and-seek with a black bear is lots of fun. They are so big and think a tiny twig will hide their massive bodies. Just kidding!! He looks like he is playing hide-and-seek. I just like the title with the photo:): The real backstory: This momma and her two huge yearlings were out foraging for food in the snow. There was a “bear jam” aka a long line of cars parked on the road, so I knew there was a bear ahead. They were not far off the road and delighted everyone! I just liked the title with the photo:) Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

“Beary Christmas”

Photographing black bears in the snow is a dream come true. Traffic had stopped on the Loop Road in Cades Cove. I kn¬ew it was a “bear jam”—aka a long line of cars stopped because people see a bear. Ma bear and her yearlings were trouncing through the freshly fallen snow looking for their next meal. Everyone around me was excited to watch! One of the yearlings climbed a tree and happened to look my way! Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Oh, Hi!

My husband and I went hiking in Cades Cove when suddenly my husband jumped in the air. Little did I know we walked up on a momma bear and her cubs. It was a tender moment as one cub looked up at me to say, “Oh, hi!” Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee

Mommie?!

Warning cuteness alert! What does a bear cub do when he wakes from his nap and doesn’t see his family? Just what he was taught to do—climb a tree and let out a cry. Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Cades Cove, Tennessee

I’m Right Here Little One!

Ma Hazel, enjoyed a brief afternoon nap with her four cubs when I saw her while walking in the woods. She took three cubs to forage and left one snoozing under the tree. The cub woke up, noticed his family was missing, so he scooted up the tree and let out a cry. Hazel came letting him know everything was all right. I love the bark falling on her as her little one scampered down. Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

“Cub” Sandwich

A momma black bear nursed her cubs behind this tree. The cubs enjoyed walking on top of the logs. One decided to take a little rest. Location: Great Smoky National Park, Cades Cove Tennessee

Little Moe

Hazel, a black bear sow, had four cubs in Cades Cove, Tennessee last year. They were so much fun to photograph! I got lucky one day, and as they were walking through the tall weeds close to the road, I was able to photograph them. They were hard to see. Little Moe was the runt of the bunch and rode on Hazel’s back as he frequently did. The sad part of the story is Little Moe did not make it through the year. I read that a visitor reported a male bear was trying to get a cub. While the mama bear fought off the male bear, a coyote grabbed one of the cubs. It is assumed that the story reported was about Little Moe. This is one aspect of nature that I do not like. I will miss seeing him. It makes me tear up just thinking about it.

Alarm!

When I first spotted these cubs high in a tree, they were sound asleep. Even though they were asleep, they were causing quite a stir from the road below on Hyatt Lane. Everyone wanted to get a peek at these cute little cubs. A car alarm woke inadvertently woke them from their sweet dreams. A little while later, they scampered down and nursed as their mom lay at the base of the tree. Location: Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Brown Heart

A momma bear treed her cubs next to my husband and I as we were in the woods of Cades Cove. When the momma bear "trees" her cubs, she tells them what tree she wants them to go up. We think maybe a male bear was in the area and she was trying to protect them. Location: Great Smoky National Park, Cades Cove, Tennessee

Looking Back

This mama black bear foraged through the woods with her cubs looking for grubs. Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Little Bear/ Big Tree

I love photographing black bear cubs! They are the cutest thing ever and my favorite thing to photograph. I am looking forward to hopefully photographing these little guys real soon! Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cades Cove, Tennessee

Little Bear/ Big Tree

I love photographing black bear cubs! They are the cutest thing ever and my favorite thing to photograph. I am looking forward to hopefully photographing these little guys real soon! Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cades Cove, Tennessee

In Tow

Mother’s do so much for the family. The sow raises the cubs on her own and tries to protect them from the dangers in the wild. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ She has two of her three cubs in tow while foraging for food. The other cub briefly stayed behind a short distance away in a tree. Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In Ma's Footsteps

While in Cades Cove, Ma Betty was thirsty and led her four cubs to the road so she could get a drink from a puddle. One by one, the cubs climbed over the log to follow her. She has trained them well to stay close. Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee

Look Both Ways

This momma was going to make sure her four cubs were safe the two times she had them cross an open area. I watched her both times look right and left before she had the cubs follow her. The first time was as she was crossing a road—smart bear! The second time was when she was crossing a newly mowed area on a trail. I watched her for an hour and a half as she and the cubs fed in a large field. Brian, another photographer suggested coming to the open area to get the best shot as she and the cubs crossed out of the thick field. I think it was a great suggestion.

It’s Just You!

Hiking on the trails in Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains National Park is always an adventure. Wildlife can be around the next bend. There was a small, dense patch of pines trees, a little taller than me, along one of the trails I was hiking on with my husband this past weekend. I could not see what was at the end of the patch nor see through either side. It made me a little uneasy going through it. The last thing I want to do is be super quiet and startle a bear. As I walked, I spoke out loud making my presence known. Just as I got through the patch of trees, I heard scampering everywhere. A mama bear and her cubs were foraging for food, and I scared the bejeebers out of the cubs causing this one to climb the tree. I don’t even think the mama bear was fazed. Her sensitive nose is a zillion times better than ours, so she knew we were there. I enjoyed watching his face go from being scared to total relaxation. He looked at me as though to say, “It’s just you!” Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Cades Cove, Tennessee

Tussling with Mom

A momma bear interacting with her cubs is one of the most fascinating things I think I have ever witnessed. Watching them is just mesmerizing. This sow had two yearlings and enjoyed playing with them in the open field. Several times it appeared as though she had one pinned to the ground as they were playing. I wish I could watch those moments every day! Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Extra Mile

Finding bears at Cades Cove doesn’t always come easy. But, when there is a bear jam, cars stopped in a long line on Cades Cove Loop, there is a bear up head. Sometimes the bear jam is so long, by the time you get there, the bear is long gone. I took a different approach this time. I parked my car on the oneway road and decided to walk. Surely, the bear wouldn’t be too far away—a ranger just past me walking towards the bear sighting. I had to walk a good distance, but I know where a few bears have been hanging out and it was worth a shot. Three different rangers/volunteers were helping with getting traffic moving. One ranger let me know the bear was across the road and it usually comes out over the hill. Once over the hill, there she was with her cub/s. I took this shot across the road. One ranger was to my left, and one to the right. It was neat watching the bear family cross the street and head back into the woods. Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee at the Great Smoky Mountains National​ Park