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Saturday, June 10, 2017

A Mother Bear and her Cub

It is truly springtime here in the mountains, when the wildflowers bloom and the black bear cubs appear. I love this time of year more than any other!
At a secluded spot deep in the forest, a mother black bear and her solo cub have been staying near a spring with a bear marking tree next to it.

These are photos taken of the pair just a few days ago. Mom checked a bear marking tree with her cub in tow.

Then, they turned and went the other way. Solo cubs are fairly rare, and mothers taking cubs to marking trees during mating season is also rare. I really hope that the single cub is nursing enough to prevent the mother from going into estrus. That has happened occasionally - and the mother mates again, often to the detriment of the solo cub who might get lost or hurt during the process.

Pushing aside those worries, my cams caught delightful footage of this pair at a spot where there is a bear marking tree and a spring right next to each other. I have two cams there, one pointed at each spot.

First, you'll see the cub arrive at the bear marking tree. It is comical how tiny the cub is compared to the bears who mark the tree. Many of them are taller than the tree itself!

Then, you'll see mom taking a bath about 10 yards away. As mom bathed, something spooked the cub who then climbed the tree that my cam is mounted on. After the mother finished bathing, she first examined the cam closely - making me momentarily scared that she was going to attack it like Bandit did with another cam.

Then, mom started calling the cub down from the tree with soft grunts.  Be sure to have your volume turned up so that you can hear these sounds that humans very rarely get to hear!

Enjoy the video either here or at Youtube.


I hope that seeing black bears going about their everyday lives makes you smile like I do!

P.S. The cam that Bandit appeared to have destroyed was fixed by the trail cam company for a low cost. That made me smile too!

20 comments:

  1. that tiny cub is beyond adorable and the mom sure loved her 'calgon moments' in that bath tub.. maybe we should try grunting and see if it works. yes I did smile the whole time I watch

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  2. Loved seeing and hearing them. Glad the cam was cheaply fixed.

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  3. Great footage, KB - thanks! ANd good news about the cam repair. One of my barncams is on its way out, and I am trying to decide if I can replace it. They aren't expensive models, but setting them up w the computer for the first time is usually a nuisance.Maybe I should look into a trailcam as an alternative.Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Hi Quinn - I don't know if a trail cam would work for your purposes. I have the impression that you want to be able to watch the goats in real time. With most trail cams, you can only watch after the fact when you go retrieve the SD card. You have a wonderful weekend too!

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  4. Love these videos. Thank you for posting them.

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  5. It's amazing to see those two together!

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  6. Very cool! Mom even washed behind her ears. :)

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  7. How delightful to watch mom and her cub☺

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  8. This is the way she washes her face!!! Fantastic video, the cub up the tree and Mum coming to investigate, so glad the trail cam stayed secure this time. What a delight, and so many thanks for sharing, I would never see this anywhere else.

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  9. That was such a fun video - thank you for sharing. And Mama Bear, don't destroy that camera or we won't be able to see you enjoying your bath - it sure must have felt good to you.

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  10. Those cameras sure catch some amazing footage! Glad the other repaired at a decent cost!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  11. A delightful accompaniment to my morning cappuccino. Thanks!

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  12. Amazing. I've had the pleasure of seeing a mother bear and lone cub, but never to hear the mother 'talk' to her cub. Wonderful!

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  13. you must experience such joy each time you bring home one of your disks to see what is on it. I know I love it

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  14. it is super touching to watch them... wish I could give them a hug (yes that would end not well I know lol)

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  15. That did make me smile....thanks for sharing! The Mom was sure enjoying her bath there! :)
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  16. I just love seeing "your" bears! They are so beautiful - what a blessing to get to see them!
    Love hearing that the trail cam company helped you out. That is so nice!
    KZK

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  17. This is really amazing!! My husband and brother enjoyed the video too!! --It's even better than the Jim Comey hearing on Thursday!! ;-)

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  18. That definitely makes me smile! (Need a smile on a Monday morning....) :)

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