Author Topic: Ursa Major and Canis Minor  (Read 1316 times)

Tom Hook

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Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« on: May 16, 2022, 18:59:09 »
My dog, Reggie, spends a lot of the time looking out our rear glass doors and when he sees some animal, he barks. It can be anything from a chipmunk to a White-tailed Deer. He is wonderfully adept at finding animals that with all the foliage, I have at times a hard time initially locating. This morning, he found this handsome creature that when I saw what he was looking at made a mad scramble for my camera, which fortunately was on the kitchen table. Carefully keeping Reg inside the house (he had chased a bear once causing me acute concern for his safety), I went outside and tried to get the clearest and closest shots possible as he moved through the trees.

The bear thoughtfully posed looking carefully at me standing at the bottom of the hillside with a big honking camera pointing at him and then slowly rumbled off to do whatever he had been doing before we noticed him.

Also provided is a picture of the Regmeister, my great little bear hunter sniffing through the grass the other day to give all of you a little more detail to the players in this dramatic interlude.

We live in exciting times.

Øivind Tøien

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2022, 21:42:29 »

The first one is a nice portrait - a very good looking American black bear, thanks for posting.
Øivind Tøien

Nasos Kosmas

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2022, 21:55:31 »
Really exciting times Tom, impressive animal!

Tom Hook

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2022, 00:27:04 »
Thanks Øivind and Nasos. This was a beautiful bear - healthy, well fed with a lustrous black coat that stood out in the palette of the woods as he passed through. I'm glad I saw him, they don't come through my yard that often.

ianwatson

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2022, 01:24:43 »
I love the astronomical reference  8)

The first photograph of the bear is lovely! You are blessed to be in such a lovely spot in the countryside.

Tom Hook

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2022, 04:18:11 »
Thanks Ian. This bear was a treat. Next thing you know, he'll come back and ravage my gardens and patio furniture.

John Geerts

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2022, 12:22:45 »
The first one is a nice portrait - a very good looking American black bear, thanks for posting.
Yes, indeed.  Great portrait !

Dogman

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2022, 15:17:47 »
Reggie has that classic terrier attitude, 10-feet tall and bullet proof.  I love that attitude but, with mine, it quickly changes to that of a wimp if the other side is just as aggressive.  Reggie apparently doesn't share that characteristic, being a bear chaser and all. :)
"If it's more than a hundred feet from the car, it's not photogenic."--Edward Weston

My Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/197057338@N03/

Tom Hook

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2022, 16:54:49 »
Thanks John and Dogman.

Dogman, as you noted, I said bear chaser, not bear catcher. It only happened once before and Reg went into the woods after a bear before his training kicked in and he turned around and came back. It's all a game to him until the bear swats him across the woods. The bears around seem mild enough but nothing gets them upset like a barking dog. Some atavistic response maybe to a fear of wolves. Reggie a wolf? Now that's an amusing notion!

Dogman

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Re: Ursa Major and Canis Minor
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2022, 23:41:09 »
 ;D
"If it's more than a hundred feet from the car, it's not photogenic."--Edward Weston

My Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/197057338@N03/