Where To Photograph Wyoming Bears (Without Getting Eaten)

Do you want to see bears while on vacation in Wyoming?

Okay, but let's keep VERY FAR AWAY.

Bring a camera with a long lens. Your cell phone won't work for this.

Below is a map of where to find the bears of Grand Teton National Park.

Obviously, this is not a real-time map. The map simply represents where bears were last spotted and where they are most frequently seen.

You'll be able to use this map to see both black bears and grizzly bears.

Grand Teton National Park is one of those rare places in the United States where you can see both.

Below is a sample of that map. F ollow this link to find the latest siting information.

There is more to bears than just black and brown or grizzly.

There are many offshoot bear species.

Black bears can be found in 40 of the 50 states.

Besides their black fur black bears have a straight face profile, small claws, large protruding ears, and lack of shoulder hump.

They are not actually black, but come in a variety of shades including dark brown, brown, blueish black, and cinnamon. They can be confused with grizzlies if their fur is the right color, so look for those other identifiers.

Below is a video on the many different species types of bears.

There are merely 1,500 grizzlies left in the lower 48 states, 800 of which live in northwest Montana. Another 700 or so call Wyoming’s Yellowstone-Grand Teton area home, arguably the best national parks for wildlife watching, while Idaho has about 100 grizzly bears.

Stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves. That's yards, not feet. Those bears are big but you would be surprised how fast they can run.

ALWAYS carry bear spray and make sure you know how to use it correctly. DO NOT spray the bear spray on you. It's not insect-repellent. It's to be sprayed in the face of the bear.

If you find yourself too close to a bear, DO NOT follow the advice below.

That statement above is SO TRUE!

You can literally use anything you can think of and nobody is going to call you out for bad sportsmanship.

Just be warned that bears understand this too.

So expect the bear to fight dirty.

The good news is that you'll probably be able to think of more clever ideas on how to fight dirty than the bears. Unless you're frozen in panic, then the bear has the advantage.

Step 2 is actually good advice. Don't run. Bears love to chase things kind of like cats.

But I'm not so sure about this next step.

You'll just have to see what I mean by watching the video.

You can try to freak out the bear with puzzles and quizzes but most bears are pretty good at that kind of stuff.

DO NOT engage the bear in a game of Trivial Pursuit. You'll lose.

I'm betting I can beat a bear at chess. But maybe not checkers.

Step 11 only works if you have some back knowledge of the bear's personal life.

I'm not sure I'd go here because I don't know too many bears personally.

Then again you'd have to ask what the bear might know about you.

What if the bear has some dirt on you that outdoes the dirt you have on him?

NOW WHAT?

If all this seems odd, wait till you watch the video. It does not end the way you think.