Stumbling on a Bear in the Yellowstone Backcountry

I’m walking through a meadow dotted with brilliant violet wildflowers in the Yellowstone backcountry. My camera and tripod are slung over my shoulder as I creep quietly in the fading light of a Wyoming evening. To my right the Slough Creek rips through the terrain, brown with runoff and breaking its banks. I stop for a moment to look around, my campsite is a mile behind me, and I can see smoke drifting off into the horizon.

I stop in my tracks. A creature, more dinosaur than bird, just walked in my path. The bird stands at least four feet tall, and calls loudly as its slender legs carry it across the meadow. What is that? It looks like an emu and a heron made a love child, only it has a red crown and brilliant gold eyes. After a moment of confusion, I realize it is a sandhill crane. I have never seen one before, and I stand in awe of its sheer size and subtle grace.

I snap a few photos, creep closer, and try not to disturb the velociraptor looking bird. It cuts into the woods, then around the other side of a rocky outcropping. I climb the hill, and try and cut it off on the other side of the outcropping. The bird’s calls echo over the valley, and I use the sound to guide me.

There it is! I catch a photo or two before losing it again.

Once more, I try and cut if off further around the hill. I get to the top, and in front of me, on the other side of a meadow, is a large brown colored bear. Both the crane and the bear are now right in front of me! I settle into a position behind a Boulder, and begin shooting.

This is my first time seeing both of these animals in the wild. The bear eats grass, scratches itself, and walks slowly along the tree line, towards my camp. The crane flies off squawking. I stay for 10 minutes, shooting the bear from a distance, then decide to head back and secure my camp before the bear gets any closer.

Have you had any experiences with bears? Tell me about them!