Nearing His End

[NorthernFocus]

Another post made me remember this shot that I never got around to posting. We called this bear "Old Scar". According to the boat captain/guide who delivered us to the location, by his own first hand knowledge this guy has been the dominant male brown bear in this area for at least 15 years. Adding another five years or so to come of age that would put him at least 20 years old. Judging by the terrible scars from both tooth and claw about his head and neck(some which looked very recent) he had obviously survived some vicious life or death battles. Though he had a massive belly and huge shoulders, muscle atrophy was beginning to reveal the underlying bone. One could only wonder how many more fights he could survive. Contrary to the Disney version of nature, males battling for dominance will indeed kill one another if able to do so. And after so many years on the throne, Old Scar is not likely to retreat from a fight regardless of the consequences. It's simply not in his DNA.

Me and my two shooting partners were on our way across the tide flats to meet the boat at our pick up point when we came across the old boy resting. He had found a nice secluded spot not too far from the salmon stream and dug a bed in the sand. Larger bears often do this, scratching out just enough of a hole to settle their bulk into with head and shoulders resting on the rim of the hole. I framed this shot to try and give a sense of his isolation, to show the beach/tidal environment, and to include the rain coming down.

As always best viewed in the light box.

Nikon D4, AF-S 80-400mm VR at 400mm, handheld
1/200, f8, ISO3200

[Polar01]

The falling rain add so much in my mind to the title you used. Great strong image.

Cheers: Allan

[rpcrowe]

Wonderful soulful image... Wonder what he is dreaming of? His days of youth?

[John 2]

The Poignancy of this image is tangible. The downturn of his mouth is so typical of age you could almost visualise him chewing on a pipe as he rests his aging bones. I take the image quality for granted but this has also been beautifully caught Dan.

[KimC]

Oh my Dan, another beautiful Bear image. I wish I skipped your narrative before looking at the image, as the image pull at my heart, even thou that is the natural course of life in the wild. You have such a way of honoring the bears.

[terrib]

The subtle colors, the rain, his position and face all create a mood that matches your story. What a wonderful photo!

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[skitterbug]

I think you achieved what you wanted to show - it makes me want to cry for him.......

[NorthernFocus]

Glad you folks all enjoyed the image. I can assure you that this was the only time he looked his age. When he was up and about he still looked very formidable. All of the other bears still gave him a wide berth. There was one other male in the area that was the only one that Old Scar gave a second glance. There seemed to be a mutual respect. Neither bear obviously avoided the other but they both made very subtle course changes to avoid finding themselves in close proximity. I suspect the other guy was the source of a few of the old guy's scars. He was the subject of a previous post.

[zen]

I think you achieved what you wanted to show - it makes me want to cry for him.......

And then some! The grandfathers deserve our respect . . .

Thank you for sharing your image and story.

Zen

[pendennis]

Striking image!

The old bear would still be a handful to any human approaching him. I have several friends who've hunted bear in Alaska, and to a man, they were in awe of the power of these animals. Most people don't know how quick, or just how fast they can run in short dashes. Wonder if he'll last the winter.

[kaneohebud]

Great capture, Dan. Makes me tired and sad to watch this old champion display his vulnerability, if even for that moment. Great that you got to observe and photograph some large males.

[rpcrowe]

I was wading the Kenai River in Alaska with a guide. We were next to a bank that was cut away and about ten feet high. Suddenly a large clump of earth came tumbling down. The guide said, "if a bear confronts us, don't throw him your fish. We don't want the bears to get used to getting a free meal from us." I thought, "Man you are out of your mind. Do you think that I would be holding a ten pound salmon when a darn bear is interested in it?" Luckily, the bear wandered off and I began to breath again. It was probably only a black bear but, I still would have given him my salmon!

[IzzieK]

+1 to Zen's remark. I feel lost now for words...I always enjoy your post no matter what because it is a learning opportunity for me. 'Can't wait for June when we go for our cruise over your way...

[Wavelength]

Superb

[NorthernFocus]

Thanks, everyone. Glad you liked the post.

...The old bear would still be a handful to any human approaching him...Wonder if he'll last the winter.

Actually in another year or so this guy might become very dangerous for humans. When bears do get really old or injured they can get pushed out of prime feeding areas by other stronger bears or simply too slow to catch fish. If they haven't put on enough fat for the winter they get desperate and people can look like pretty easy prey. Most brown bears that display predatory behavior towards people are in bad condition. Also one reason grizzly bears have fiercer reputations than coastal brown bears is simply that food is harder to come by where they live.

[Saorsa]

Thank you for the narrative to accompany the shot.

[Mike Buckley]

Great narrative and photo for all the reasons already mentioned.

[madcrow]

Great story and far, far better image.

[FootLoose]

Great image, Dan. If I hadn't read your introduction I would have thought he was in his final throes here.