CARNIVORES: Bear Stories - Part XIV

Of the 800,000 Black Bears in North America about 3,000 live in Arizona. It took five years for me to find one though. And, it is not that I haven't looked. Arizona is a big hunting state. So, Bears -- even Elk are much more difficult to find and approach. I remember getting up a the crack of dawn in Flagstaff and driving up Mount Elden. I was in Flagstaff visiting daughter Erin, her beau Andy, and the Grand Kids Noah and Ruby. I was there for three days and made that trip up Mount Elden each morning. On the third morning I found my first Arizona Black Bear:

It lasted no more than 15 seconds, and this was that was the best of the three photos I snapped. Last year I had a little more success. I was driving on a 4x4 high clearance "road" only in the San Francisco Peaks area, and came across two Black Bear Cubs:

Once they saw me, they started crying:

Their crying brought mom into the picture for the first time:

As soon as they saw mom, they were running toward her:

Then it was good-bye:

Oh how I wished they were a little more comfortable with me. I would have loved to have gotten better photos. But, at least I got to spend more than 15 seconds with them. And, I was excited beyond words.