Bear and Cubs Photography

Newborn cubs follow their mother closely for a year, until the following year in May when the mother and yearling cubs separate during the rutting season. They re-join again later in summer and yearling cubs follow their mother closely again through the end of summer and autumn to the winter nest again.

In the third spring after leaving the winter nest, the mother and her cubs paths diverge. All cubs now wander alone but they may meet with each other, and the family members tolerate each other even at close distances. In the end of April or in the beginning of May when snow is melted small bears and mother bears with cubs wake up.

Cubs have difficulties to move in soft snow so they must wait for the melting of the snow before they can leave the winter nest. New-born cubs with their mother may come to the hide area in the end of May at the earliest. After waking up they move throughout a small area. They can move in the vicinity but not in the hide area. Cubs are still so small that they don’t understand the commands of their mother to escape or climb up in trees. This is why a mother with cubs trys to stay out of sight. 

A mother bear can bring yearling cubs to the hide area in early parts of May. Although cubs are already one year old, male bears are a big threat to them, but they understand this and can escape. Yearling cubs are bigger than new-born cubs, but they are still clearly smaller than their mother.

The best time to photograph cubs is during August and September when newborn cubs and yearling cubs visit the hide area regularly with their mothers. Cubs, as all bears, are omnivores and the biggest part of their diet is meat, with around one third of the diet containing berries. The yearling cubs’ life is now at the point when they are learning the basics of independent life. Their behaviour may seem unsure, dubious and even silly compared to mature fully grown bears.