Sunshine Bear

As the sun begins to set, this beautiful female bear grazes in the wildflowers and tall grass. Great Smoky Mountains

Mowing The Grass

Lawnmower unnecessary. 🐻 Great Smoky Mountains

The Culprit

After being stuck on Laurel Creek Road on our way to Cades Cove, we eventually found out why. There was a bear family in the distance high in a tree. We managed to capture this little one - notice the chest blaze. Although this was taken from quite a distance at 550mm, the image is cropped to show that he (or she) appeared to be looking right at us.

The Culprit (Horizontal)

Added by request. After being stuck on Laurel Creek Road on our way to Cades Cove, we eventually found out why. There was a bear family in the distance high in a tree. We managed to capture this little one - notice the chest blaze. Although this was taken from quite a distance at 550mm, the image is cropped to show that he (or she) appeared to be looking right at us. Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains

Bob

We'd like to introduce you to Bob, aka "Big Ole' Bear". He has passed through our property for several years now, but we've never been able to capture his image as he's very skittish - as most bears are. He's old and VERY large (one of the largest we've ever seen!) so when he decided to take a break and lie down for a bit, we captured his image through the glass but he didn't see us. He has before and taken off into the woods. We were lucky this time. 🐻 Gatlinburg, TN

Beary Cherry

A bear climbs high in a tree to enjoy all the choke cherries she can. Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains

Felicia

Don't let this smirk fool you. The first time we saw this beautiful bear was early in the morning as we took our dog outside. We didn’t notice her, and she didn’t expect us, surprised she stood, outside our front door on her hind legs looking bewildered only a few feet away. We scooped up our dog and immediately took him back inside. With the knowledge that he still had to potty, and the fact that she hadn't left, we blew a whistle – that didn’t deter her. Knowing what might work, umbrellas often scare bears, so by using a whistle and large umbrella we managed to chase her off. ☂️ Being that close to our front door made us realize she’s found human food, whether intentional or not. She continued to pass through over the summer, but if she kept her distance, we let her wander through or relax for a bit. Each time she approached the door, out came the whistle and umbrella again! We only had to do this once with Ellis, but three times for her. This is an image where she kept her distance but could see us through the glass. She may not be very fond of us, but for her safety we'd rather she wasn't. We haven’t seen “Felicia” for a few weeks so hopefully she’s finding plentiful natural food sources in the area. Bye, Felicia... we wish you well. Gatlinburg, TN

Ellis

We'd like to introduce you to Ellis, aka "Little Sh*t" (L.S.) who has been visiting regularly. He, like other bears pass through our yard on a semi-regular basis. We've had numerous again this year as they come up the hillside and head to the woods behind our house. They come in all sizes and Ellis is a young bear, however he did approach our front door one day. Since we have a dog and it's a big no-no here to get that close, we had to run out clapping and waving our arms until he "understood" - which he quickly learned. He's a good bear. Here's to Ellis! May he live long and prosper.

Bird Watching

This male bear was sitting in our yard grooming himself when a flock of birds flew into the trees above. He kept looking up with a frightened expression. Anyone who understands these animals know that they can spook at the slightest of things, and spooked he was. Shortly after he took off like a rocket into the woods.

Bird Watcher

A male black bear notices a flock of birds that landed in our large pine tree above. Taken from inside at Gatlinburg, TN

Nature's Bounty

A yearling enjoys the bounty of summer greens. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Madam Butterfly

This female black bear appears to have a butterfly on her chest. Gatlinburg, TN

Shhh... the bear is sleeping

Taken through the glass in our yard, this bear appeared to be nodding off to take an afternoon nap. Gatlinburg, TN

Good Mama

While out and about we saw a mama bear cross the road. She had one cub following her so we pulled over to allow them room should there be more cubs trailing behind. By the time we created distance we managed to capture this one image of mama bear but not her only cub. She was very much aware of our presence by the roadway as she huffed and blew letting us know not to approach before disappearing into the dense brush. Good mama! Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Born To Be Wild

A triplet climbs a tree as mama forages and the others play. Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A Paw For A Pillow

Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Little Spectator

Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains

Spring Debut

While chatting with friends, a mother bear whom we've been familiar with since she was still with her mom and two siblings, was foraging in the forest with babies in tow. We could see her where we were standing when all of a sudden one of her three cubs popped out from the shadows long enough to be noticed and soon retreated. These little ones are so cute at this age, full of wonder and curiosity. Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Healthy, Happy And Free

A young male, black bear glances up while foraging in the woods. Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Respect

Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains National Park To read our thoughts about this image please click on the following link: https://www.mdhillsphotography.com/Journal-Page-2

Did You Hear Something?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park