They were new to us, and we to them. Bears tend to do one of two things, in my experience, when they see humans, walk in the opposite direction or ignore you. In this case, we were in a boat, and while the engines had been cut and we were drifting with the tide, this mother and cub didn’t know what to make of us. While mom was checking us out, the cub, which had been playing in the kelp, why we stopped to watch, walked and hid behind mom, just for a moment or two. Then its curiosity got the better of it. A small COY, it had grown quite a bit and had its winter coat coming in. In a couple of years, it will be as big as its mom and just as smart, and just as spectacular. It will go through lots of change in a short time.

Say hello to Scratch! One of the five fawns born on the property this spring, if you look at it left hind leg, you see a kinda nasty gash in its leg. It’s how I recognize Scratch. Now you might think the fading spots on its flank are the sign I’m talking about, and while that’s a good sign that fall is here, it’s not the sign I was thinking about. Rather, the fact that Scratch and the other four fawns no longer care about me or, more importantly, Maggie when we’re out and about. Scratch actually walks up to within six or seven feet of me, like it did this evening. That tells me it’s Sept, it’s another sign.

While the weaning summer has me missing certain aspects, the promise of fall and working with mammals is exciting! I have a number of mammal adventures on the docket for the fall, Kodiak Brown Bears are at the top of the list. The planning to be with them started nearly a year ago, that’s a long time to wait, but it’s required. Started with getting a new style of waders and boots as well as warming up the fly fishing arm. Yeppers, we do both so being prepared for both is a must. The biggest thing is going through previous images to relearn the lessons and set new goals with the new opportunity. This female was fishing with her feet for spent salmon, coming up from time to time to breathe and, obviously, shake. The year has gone by fast since last time with them, which is a two-edged sword. Can’t believe fall is almost here, it’s hard to shake it!