• Thursday-What'sUP May 14 - 11:59 pm

Spotting a bear here UP North is always a treat, especially when you have your camera at the ready, as did Frederic W. Koski. I sure hope he was using a good lens to get a shot from this close range, because otherwise he'd have had to get a little "too close for comfort" to take these candid shots. By the size of that black fur-ball, it looks like perhaps a younger bear, maybe a year old cub, even. Now that their hibernation season is complete, you have to be extra vigilant when exploring in the woods. This isn't the type of critter you want to "bump" into while out for a relaxing walk.

Ahhhhhhhhhh, how cute!!!!

Wow...excellent shots!!!

Amazing pics today....Thanks for sharing!!

Spotting a bear is always exciting. I have never seen one in the UP, but I have seen a few at Cades Cove, which is near Gatlinburg, TN down in David H's part of the country.

Spooky! That one does look young, which would make me even more worried about where it's mommy is. For all of my hiking and camping, I have never actually seen a bear in the UP yet... and I'm OK with that! (Although part of it may be that I go around singing and generally being loud, for that exact purpose... which really ticks off the occasional out-of-season hunter!)

Cool bear! His hair looks like he has been for a swim.

They are great to see, have only seen one once in the woods in the Porkies. We are generally too noisy to see anything but bugs. I really like the picturess, the bear looks curious on what is going on.

Fred, let us know the story behind these pictures, please!

Amazing pics. Thanks for sharing.

I have seen many bears in the woods of Point Mills. Many ladies have used my yard for refuge from a bear while walking the Point in 1975 when I rented out there. Back then my wife and family heard a noise outside while we were at the kitchen table, she went to take a look out the door and let out a very loud scream. I would not be surprised if that bear that was outside the door is still a running away today she scared it so bad. It was sitting there trying to get the lid off the garbage can. Or I bet it never came back to that door ever again! She was raised in Detroit, it was her first sight of one and was terrified. She stayed in Point Mills after our divorce, until our children graduated from $ Bay High School, which I am so happy they grew up being Yooper's, and proud to be so. Now we are all spread out over this great land of ours, love and miss our roots in Yooperland. Barbie and I see alot of bears and have some pictures of them from Cades Cove, where her ancestors of John Oliver family cabin still stands today in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We see and had some close encounters with bears while at our Westgate Resort in Gatlinburg each year we vacation there. We have not seen a bear near the house here thus far, and we are out in the sticks.

Guess you have to be in the right place at the right time. Last summer while driving along US41 from Hancock to Calumet a bear crossed the highway in front of me. Seemed to be heading for the Boston Pond. Friends of mine who live in the Point Mills area say they are there in the woods of Point Mills.
Tough finding food at this time of year. Garbage is a source of food for them.

David...I'm very familiar with John Oliver's cabin. I have been going to Gatlinburg almost every year since the mid-80s and always plan a trip to Cades Cove. It is such a tranquil place.

I thought I saw one crossing the road in the distance while on vacation near the Porkies. When I arrived at the point of the crossing I found that it was a Black Angus instead. That reminds me - I haven't had lunch yet.

True Story
Around the fourth of July a couple of years ago we were standing on the corner in front of the Lake Linden High School, a bear came up from the direction of the lake, ran across the street, ran in front of St. Josephs school, then up the walk next to the school and out of sight.

I have seen many bear while in the UP. I have had an encounter with a mom and her cub up the hill above the Phoenix mine dump 3 years ago. Also I frequently see them near Lake Medora. The last two years I have had a bear suddenly move in the bush beside me while I was walking around Central. Sometimes it can give you the shivers, especially when you are alone, no dog and can't run.

Cades Cove is so beautiful. I have been there about 6 times and always see bear in that area. The people who lived there were so blessed with the natural beauty of the place, although they probably did not think so when they struggled to get through life.

Two years ago when I was walking about the Centennial #1 and #2 I saw cougar tracks beside the old #2 shaft building. I thought that was a bit close to populated areas. Are they now coming in closer more frequently?

When I was working for the Ottawa National Forest during summer break from MTU, a coworker and I met one face to face. He went one way and we the other. We saw quite a few in the western UP those summers. It has been 25 years already. I still miss living in the UP!

I,too, have seen bear in Cades Cove. What a beautiful and serene place. Glad they keep it "old style" and not modernized. My first encounter with bear was while walking north of Delaware. He walked along with me but about 100 feet back in the woods. That was about 1948 when I was working in Copper Harbor. Was on my way to work when the old car broke down (That's why I was walking). When a guy picked me up I had had just about enough of bear walking. Saw many dump bear when I would take the daily garbage run to the dump south of Fannie Ho. The bear in todays photos does look young and also ery thin. Poor food since he awoke, maybe.

Way to go Wings!!
This little guy was about 25 yards away next to a river when I came across him. He didn't seem to notice me so I crouched down and fired away. I'm sure he knew something was out there since I was upwind and he was doing some pacing back and forth, up the leaning tree and back down again. After about 5 minutes I quietly walked away.
Thank you for the comments!

Many should remember the Bear in Christmas MI. in a cage where for a dime you could buy it a soda pop.

We saw a bear when we were visiting Cade's Cove back in 1977. You would have thought we saw a UFO by the reaction of the other people around us. I have also seen a set a twin bear cubs near the Old Victoria site UP north. I was in the car and stayed that way since Mom was probably very nearby.