• Tuesday-What'sUP July 26 - 03:10 pm

This must be the time of year for the bear cubs to be coming out with their mom, because as coincidence would have it, I prepared today's photos and then when doing the past year review titles, discovered we had bear photos from the same "Bear Watcher", last year, almost to the day.

Today's Momma bear was given the name Molly by our "Bear Watcher" and that's her three cubs that she's been bringing around. These are a little bigger cubs and "Watcher" said that in the past couple weeks, Molly has actually let two of the cubs go off on their own, but there's still one that comes around the yard. The first three photos are of Molly and her brood. The last two photos are a different Momma Bear, but I didn't get her name. Her cubs are a little smaller in size, but it won't take long and they'll be grown, too.

Our "Bear Watcher" says these bears come back year after year with their cubs, because they know that it's safe to visit this yard, as they're out there teaching their babies the ways of the woods. Sure must be neat to have a ring-side seat to watch these cubs, as they grow up with Mom's guidance.

I'm sure some of our viewers will be concerned, so I'll end with the same side note as a year ago: None of these bears have ever done any harm to this source, their property, any neighbors or their property, either. The bears are afraid of people and would rather just be alone. The "Bear Watcher" does her picture taking from a distance, while they do their thing, so neither bothers the other.

Love bear pictures!! They are so much fun to watch. Last time we were there, one crossed the road in front of us on our way to Ishpeming. It was in a hurry, though, so we couldnt' get the picture of it.

It's amazing how close Bob and I have gotten to black bears on our ATV's. Pretty cool!

PHENOMENAL!!!!

I was talking with Bear Watcher, and wow...talk about knowledgeable and on top of the bear stuff!!! Incredible stories....just incredible!
There's YEARS of stories about all the bear coming back...new cubs, new names, and they all have them....it's just awesome.....

BW's grandson and I were looking for some bear one day, and there were none, I asked him "Maybe they went out for lunch today...they might be at Jim's Pizza having pizza...what do you think?" That little one's smile was HUMONGOUS! LOL (So, BW, if your grandson wants pizza at Jim's someday, now you'll know why! LOL)

Very cool! I wonder if they are claimed as dependents :)

LOVE that last photo!

I love seeing bear pictures too! Makes my day!

Cute pictures! I hardly ever see bears when up north, but I know they are there! What town were these by?

I also I have never seen a Bear in the wild. There was one time in May while I was exploring around the "Cliff Mine Site" that I heard some noise and then heard it again. I decided not to wait and see if it was a Bear or what. I ran up and over the Poor Rock Pile and back to the car. I did not want to see how hungry a Bear might be apon waking from it's Winter nap

Bravo for letting things be for these guys. Here in the Seattle area, they put up new neighborhoods further and further into the bear's territory and then have fits when the bears show up in the spring. It turns into a zoo with chasing the bears, helicopters tracking the bears and eventually traps and relocating the bears. It's so sad to see them treated that way when they are only doing what bears do in places they used to be able to do it! Nice to see a place where "live and let live" is still the motto!

http://www.oswaldsbearranch.com/

Thank you for not disclosing the location of these bears or "Bear Watcher", tho a little too much may have been suggested already. Each time I'm in the Keweenaw I've noticed fewer and fewer bear sightings, after a lifetime of regular bear activity. This directly coincides with the increased hunting in the area over the last several years and the controversial practice of bear-baiting by some relatively recent transplants in the Keweenaw. Shame really, for the bears and for the local tourism industry.

Thank you, also, for the awesome photos!

I've copied and pasted some information, directly from "Bear Watcher"....

Hi everybody, this is Bear Watcher.

Momma bears will always leave their cubs in their second year, and then mate again, be pregnant in the den through winter, and in Spring, they wake up with live babies playing by her side.

Well, Molly gave her cubs up, but she still keeps an eye on them for awhile, to make sure they are okay. She doesn't let the kids see her though.

The Mommas always leave me just one of her cubs, which she has done this year. I will see the cub come in alone, eat and leave, and then 10 minutes later, in comes Molly, alone, to eat what the cub left.

It's exciting to watch! The sad part is when the momma leaves the cubs, the cubs don't understand at first and they cry and cry for their momma for days. Breaks my heart!

I will wait and see Molly's new cubs next year!

I am not sure I should agree that there are less bear around. About 4 miles north of Hancock on US41 the folks around there say there are more bear than in past years. and for sure there are more then when I was a kid roaming around that area.
we were in the CC this past weekend and found signs of bear. A clump of hair and a sugar plum tree bent over as remnants of bear activity. They are
seen often on Dead End road crossing as they make their rounds gathering food.
One week ago today I was in the Houston, TX area, Lake Jackson to be exact. This past Friday I was
in the CC. All traveling by car. Was good to
enjoy the cool fresh air of the CC.

We had a very "well mannered" bear visit us last summer. He, somehow managed to unscrew the cap on the bird feeder and ate all of the seed without doing any damage. Then one day we were sitting on the deck and saw him eating away at the deer block. The next day, the bird feeder was gone and we found it, unharmed, on the hill where he was munching the day before. Haven't seen "him" since. Hope "Blackie" is okay.

I'll never forget the day we walked out of the Harbor Haus in Copper Harbor and a movement caught my eye. Across the street from us, a bear walked out of the brush, crossed the street and went into the brush on the other side. This was at 1 PM in the middle of the day!! It didn't seem to worried about the people milling around. Very cool!