[jimgrif]

These were taken with a Nikon 200-500 and with a group of people who had gotten off the trail to give the bear his space. We were told that the back rubbing was a sign of dominance. Katmai national Park

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[Fred A]

Great captures!

 

[Ralph]

These were taken with a Nikon 200-500 and with a group of people who had gotten off the trail to give the bear his space. We were told that the back rubbing was a sign of dominance. Katmai national ParkView attachment 66354View attachment 66355View attachment 66356

Boy, that looks a little too close for comfort!

 

[ChrisSinSeattle]

Jim,

That is quite set and I agree with Ralph

Chris S.

 

[ians]

Made my morning! Thank you for sharing.

 

[Mjmagee]

Fantastic shots, very jealous.

 

[ProperFrame]

Nice captures ! The tree rubs are used to leave scent, marking territory. They also leave scent through the pads of their feet which is why you see them do the "Cowboy walk" and twist their feet on the ground as they walk bowlegged.
Salmon were late this year, hope you got the shots you wanted.
#26 had one of her 2 COY killed the other night but that is nature.

 

[NorthernFocus]

I've always thought it rather interesting that they tell you to step off the trail and into the woods when a bear is coming. Sounds like instructions from the director of a horror movie

 

[lisam]

Made my morning! Thank you for sharing.

Nothing like a good back scratch

 

[K9Kirk]

Nice set. According to this article, there could be a lot of reasons for the back rubbing, including getting beech tar on them to ward of ticks.

Why Do Bears Rub Against Trees? Scientists Offer New Explanation. (Published 2023)

Experiments suggested that when bears rub against tree bark, they may be trying to do more than scratch an itch or mark territory.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Callie]

And here I thought it was a hard to reach itch!
Nice images and yeah, a bit scary!