The Country Side of New Jersey
Triplets and Mom
Posted by Betty (Phillipsburg, United States) on 28 April 2008 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.
This particular family of bears have been in our neighborhood for the last two years!
Peter Miller from Lichfield, United Kingdom
Hi betty, i'm back from posting abstinence, these guys actually come to visit you, wow, we marvel at our squirrels, cool photo
28 Apr 2008 9:40am
@Peter Miller: Welcome back, Peter! Yes, they come visit... which makes me very uneasy when out after dark.
@isabel: Thanks!
Anita from West Nottingham, United States
Mom is even more scary than the cubs! Aren't you glad you had a long lens?
28 Apr 2008 11:28am
@Anita: I was very happy with my long lens, I would have been happier with a longer lens! :-) As it was I had to move about to get a better view of them, and that was scary. They are used to seeing humans, but that's no comfort.
Michael Skorulski from Cigel, Slovakia
They really look playful. But i guess they can be frightening or pests. Extremely interesting image!
28 Apr 2008 11:38am
@Michael Skorulski: They are both frightening and pests. They look playful, but you can't let that fool you. Thank you for your comment.
Marcie from United States
What an amazing capture!
Hard to beleive that they're dangerous. They look so harmless..and adorable.
Thanks for sharing.
28 Apr 2008 12:08pm
@Marcie: Thank you for your comment.
@Teresa Durães: Thanks!
Tracey from White Hall, United States
Wow! Amazing shot. I drove through NJ on my way back from a trip to Lake George. I didn't see any black bears though :0)
28 Apr 2008 12:38pm
@Tracey: They are pretty much everywhere. A few days ago in the news there was a bear in Paramus! Poor thing with all that traffic and people...
@Earnest: My daughter saw these four last year, and they were cute little balls of black fur... not anymore! This adds to the bear population here!
@crystal: Thanks!
Chris from South Jersey, United States
Wow - I am not sure what I would do with this kind of wildlife in our yard. Our dog (Jack Russel Terrier) gets freaked out by a groundhog - I can't imagine what would happen if she saw this!! Great capture!!
28 Apr 2008 1:37pm
@Chris: I would be outside with my little Jack Russell Terrier! The bears have been know to attack and kill dogs, cats, rabbits... especially in the fall when they are fatting up for hibernation.
Russ from New Hanover, PA, United States
Ok, I'll stop complaining about squirrels raiding my bird feeder. You definitely have a bigger problem (it's a good thing they're cute!). Where in NJ was this taken? We go to a boy scout summer camp every year near the Delaware Water Gap and there are bears there every year. One even entered one of our leader's tents twice in one night! (although, by keeping food in his tent, he was asking for it)
28 Apr 2008 2:41pm
@Russ: This shot was taken in Harmony Township in Warren County, New Jersey. About three miles east of the Delaware River and south of the Gap. I had to stop feeding the birds because it attracted the bears, and we lost many feeders. The people that live in this house keep feeding the birds and putting down corn for the deer and turkeys. So it keeps the bears in our neighborhood.
I remember the bear incidents at that Boy Scout camp!
e. from New York, NY, United States
Awwwwww they're so cute! Looks like they're having fun. :)
28 Apr 2008 4:16pm
@e.: You can tell by the condition of the bird feeders that they have fun very often!
@MaryB: Thank you, Mary.
@Betsy Barron: Thank you.
Cheryl from Boerne, United States
awsome shot, looks like they know they're busted!!
28 Apr 2008 5:27pm
@Cheryl: They know, but they don't care. These shots were taken Saturday, and they were back on Sunday!
Judy from Brooksville-Florida,, United States
Betty, you say these bears have been in your neighborhood for two years.
Have you had any troubling incidents with them? People must hesitate to go outside when they're around.
28 Apr 2008 8:01pm
@Judy: The only incidents are on garbage morning, they usualy get into someone's can and take a bag into the edge of the woods and scatter it all over. My next door neighbor had her garbage spread all over two days in a row! There have been no incidents with people, so far. You just have to be very aware when you step outside! They are very quiet for their size, and you really don't hear them in the woods. I would not be happy if I lived in this house, but these people keep putting out food for other animals... I stopped feeding the birds years ago.
Judy from Brooksville-Florida,, United States
Gee........I never told you what a great shot you got!
28 Apr 2008 8:01pm
MJ from Delaware, United States
great shot..... great composition.... I am jealous.....
28 Apr 2008 9:06pm
@MJ: Thanks, MJ... maybe some day when you are visiting they will be in the neighborhood! You know which house this is, the underground house... Mom was on the roof when Jess first saw them!
Richard_Irwin from Belper, United Kingdom
Those youngsters look like a handful, I bet she has her work cut out. Good shot again.
28 Apr 2008 10:28pm
@Richard_Irwin: Thank you, Richard.
Melissa W. from Warsaw, Indiana, United States
Here we just have problems from the deer over population which is nothing compared to the problems you've got. Sure, they look all cute and cuddly, but you still have to be extremely careful of attacks.
29 Apr 2008 12:41am
@Melissa W.: You are absolutely right, Melissa. Although they have not been agressive, we are still very careful. They can get very cranky if their food supply is cut off!
Simon Tew from North Port, FL, United States
zoom lens I see :) What a great shot. And a great opportunity.
29 Apr 2008 12:53am
@Simon Tew: Definitely a zoom lens! But I was still about 100 feet from them. Thank you for your comment.
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
Wow the entire family in for a visit, hope you had a lot of Honey? Gorgeous compo and very daring ;)
29 Apr 2008 11:49am
@Lorraine: No honey, must bird seed! Thanks, Lorraine!
Barbara from Florida, United States
Oh yes there is mom and they are looking at YOU! They are wonderful to see. Great shot.
29 Apr 2008 7:08pm
@Barbara: It gave me a funny feeling every time they looked in my direction! Thank you for your comment.
@drphoto: Yes, it was fun! Tonight, two of them were at the same house.
Konica Minolta MAXXUM 7D
1/250 second
F/6.7
ISO 100
375 mm (35mm equiv.)