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Dangerous Animal Photos During Motorcycle Trips

kenk

New member
This photo was taken by my riding partner riding south on the Dempster Highway, Yukon, Canada. We still had 230 miles of gravel and no alternative road to the nearest blacktop (Highway 2).

Before reentering the Ogilvie Mountains, we encountered our third grizzly bear on the side of the road. This bear was large (about 1100 lb Male), unconcerned with our desire to pass on the only road heading south. On each side of the road is tundra frozen 1600 feet deep with a thick mossy like covering. The bear can run on it, but we can't ride on it.

Prepared to return in the direction I came, I moved towards the bear and angled in a direction where I could easily turn and return in the opposite direction. Using my horn, I got the bears attention. The bear slowly moved off the side of the road into the brush. After a few minutes, we decided to pass his location at a rather brisk pace. I was amazed at how easily a large grizzly bear was able to blend into the brush without being seen when we passed. This experience made me wonder how many grizzlies we had passed on the side of the road and not seen. This road was littered with grizzly bear dung.


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Here's two caribou that came out of the brush and almost took me out while riding the Dempster Highway.

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I was never able to get photos of the animals I saw riding up around the James Bay. One Caribou ran across the JBR about 100 yards ahead of me and instantly disappeared into the forest. Coming back south I saw two black bears; one was just a huge black mass moving across the road at high speed (shocking to see something so big move so fast), and then another was standing 20 feet off the road in some tall grass. I was not in a place I could stop, though stopping 20 feet away and getting my camera out probably wouldn't have been smart. :)

I spotted some moose this spring while on a ride around the Georgian Bay while I was on Highway 69. I wish I would have gotten a photo of those three...
 
Photographing dangerous animal while riding can be dangerous. Stopping to pull out a camera puts you at risk. Anyone that has ridden Highway 37 to Hyder, Alaska and then unto Watson Lake, Yukon can attest to the large number of large bears along the sides of the road. Last year while in Hyder during the Hyder Seek, a large Grizzly was walking down main street. Apparently, that's normal for Hyder. Unfortunately, I was across the border in Stewart at the time and missed it.

I'm returning to the Dempster Highway (Inuvik) next June. I've been asked if I was interested in carrying a camera or taking a camera crew with me for a production company that sells to Discovery Channel, A&E and others. It's a hard call. I don't like to travel with more than three bikes since it increases the chances of injury, mechanical, etc. I prefer two of the same bikes with only very experienced riders. Next years plan on 1,500 miles of dirt/gravel and an average of 500 miles per day. The devils in the details. Either way, I plan on mounting helmet cams to reduce the risk.
 
Here's a black bear photo taken taken by my riding partner while stopped on the side of the road in British Columbia.

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GGGrrrrr!

It's not mine by the way. This dog was on it's way to Canada and I think I met it at a rest stop in Oregon. And if you think this isn't frightening enough, you should have met the owner.

I'll look out the wild pigs, a few bison, a moose, a tarantula on the boot pics.

Regret: Missed the rattler on the road in Oklahoma's pan handle.
 
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Well, potentially dangerous anyway.

I'll tell you, when you are first in line in stopped traffic, tippy toed on a GSA when one of these old boys comes ambling by. . . . It's humbling and awe-inspiring.
 
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See a lot of these in the California foothills and mountains. Just try not to wrap them in the spokes. . . .
 
This guy almost had me, but was able to out run him. Thankfully he was fenced in.
 

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This critter will surely ruin your day if you hit it. Very hard to see at night.

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When I was a kid and we still had atomic testing in Nevada you could come accross thease out on the highway.:jawdrop
 

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Here's a couple

Grizzly near Fish Creek near Hyder Alaska

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He was sitting on a ledge above the road, and we rode right past him. It was during the salmon run. We stopped 100 yards down the road and stayed next to our bikes. About a minute into this a bus load of tourists stopped about 30 yards from the bear, and kids and old ladies start piling out like it was at Disneyland. Looked at my buddy, " I can't outrun a bear , but I can outrun those people," so with my telephoto I was able to get this shot.

Here's another buffalo shot, but in full disclosure it was behind a fence here in Missouri.

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Great shots Bob! These are excellent quality photos.

I was in Hyder during the Hyder Seek last May. The Grizzly and Black Bears are everywhere. You really have to be careful riding along Highway 37 to avoid hitting one.
 
Photographing dangerous animal while riding can be dangerous. Stopping to pull out a camera puts you at risk. QUOTE]

I never get a chance to pull out a camera to get the moose, bear, coyote, antelope, deer, or antelope around here, but here's another hazard of riding in this area:

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The whole "open range" concept out west took some getting used to.
And as if watching out for cattle were not enough, watch out for those cattle guard bars in the roads as well!

On Kebler Pass in Colorado:
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