Whooo Hoooo, Patrick!!! Thank you so much - both for your words, and for your donation. ♥️ I really need another batch of batteries, so your gift is perfect timing. I was nervous about sharing this footage, but did my best. I *still* get chills every time I hear Sadie chuff right next to the camera, then see her tearing off after Ava! That’s saying a lot since I’ve been watching this same footage for a week now, since it took so much time to edit. 🤣 🐻 🐶 😳 Thank you again, Patrick! 🐻 🤎
Heart stopping! That little cub didn't know Ava wanted to play (at least that's what I'm seeing), Ava saw a play friend, there was no aggressive posturing from her at all, sweet girl! Thank you for sharing this INCREDIBLE footage and I'm so glad no humans, dogs or bears were harmed during the making of this film ;)
🥰 Thank you for watching! This was a huge project that took at least a week to put together, so I’m glad you had a chance to see it. And yes! Sweet Ava loves to play. (She loves her kitties!) The only thing she is aggressive about IS play. 🤣 She’s a gadfly when it comes to play.
Yes. She definitely was! I’m sure it didn’t feel like that to the cub when she was first fleeing, then taking a tumble. Poor thing! Ava’s a gentle girl. The only time she comes on strong is when she wants to play.
Wowzers! I'd never blame an Australian shepherd for her 'need to shepherd' and I'd never blame a mama bear for being a mama bear but what an intersection!
That Momma bear sure stood up for her baby!! Ava knew she was in trouble too!! So glad it turned out okay. Thanks for sharing!! Those little bears are the cutest things!! How wonderful it would be to cuddle one!!!!
I know! Wouldn’t that be great? But can you imagine how that would go over with Sadie? 🤣 🤣 🤣 Incidentally, I love what a local wildlife biologist said about bear cubs. She called them “Tornadoes with Claws.” 😁 🌪️ 🐻
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Ikr, it was pitiful at the same time, it was adorably humorous. I'm glad you didn't post this video without your thoughtful and considerate editing, especially knowing how fragile and off balance T-cub was. Thanks Amy! You're the best! 🕊🏅🕊
Dogs dont do well with wild bears, though they tend to befriend "habituated" bears. I am sure it was a lesson for all of us. Glad it turned out ok for all involved. Great job Amy and thanks for posting!
AMAZING Footage!!!!!! The cub's facial expression @5:14 😯😯😯when it saw mama coming to its rescue, but was caught in the middle of mama scrambling to chase after Ava. The video was not stressful to watch, your calm voice made it enjoyable to watch, even laughed and then smile at the end of the story knowing no one was hurt.
Thank was great, thank you for sharing. I was still laughing on the 3rd playback! Ava learned a valuable lesson that day, glad everything turned out ok.
😳 Wow, you weren’t kidding, “stressful” is putting it mildly!!! I think my heart stopped 😅!! Kudos to you for remaining calm (at least you sounded calm)!! Amazing footage for sure!
I was surprisingly fine after that encounter. I knew Sadie wasn’t going to pursue us once we had distance between us. It was a few days later after I switched out the SD cards from my cameras, and was reviewing the footage on my computer - that’s when my adrenaline shot back up and stayed high a little longer. 🐶 🤣 🐻
VERY exciting, frightening few moments but all was resolved and quickly once Ava returned to you. I'm sure everyone sighed with relief when it was over, your audience as well! Thank you Amy, for sharing this and ALL your wonderful film footage. Your channel is my 'walk in the woods'.
And so is talking and singing loudly, which I always do. 😊 I was definitely talking and singing on that day, just like I usually do. Sadie clearly heard me, too, as you can see in the video. She should have left the area earlier, as she had warning of our proximity. If I had received any hint of her presence, I definitely would have put Ava back on leash. I suppose both Sadie and I fell down on the job that day. Normally, I put Ava right back on leash if there’s the slightest hint of wildlife nearby. Thankfully, it’s extremely rare for us to see any wildlife with our own eyes during our trail-walks. That’s why I’ve become a bit of a trail camera addict. I love getting to witness wildlife and my trail cameras provide that opportunity. 🐻 🦉 🐯 🦌 🦊
Wow Amy! I would have had a heart attack but you're so calm about it! I'm glad that Mama realized all was well once you got your dog on leash. And bear bells are a great idea. Thanks for sharing as always! But this one definitely gave me body goosebumps!
🥰 thank you! What’a amazing is that that footage is *still* giving me goosebumps even though I’ve been watching it for a solid week (as I’ve been doing the intensive editing this kind of story-video requires.) Both the bears and Ava are beloved creatures. I’m so glad everything turned out well.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Goosebumps galore! Your laborious editing is much enjoyed...and admired. You're so especially creative with your subject content. 🕊
Thank you so much! - One of your posts ended up in the “to be reviewed” folder again. Not sure why because it was perfectly lovely. Anyway, sorry for missing it until now. :-)
Amy, so very glad that you as well Ava, Mama Bear, and cubs were not injured! Talk about a split second. Outstanding contents, excellent editing great video. Thank you for posting. 🤎🐻🤎
Wow Amy. I am sure that Mama Bear knows who you are and she understands that of all the bears on the mountain you and Al love her best. Even the least astute bear would realized that tubs full of water and hammocks and big rubber balls don't just appear out of nowhere. She knows you.
🥰- I think she does know! My scent is everywhere. It’s on all the trail cameras, and throughout the gardens. (Ava’s scent is everywhere, too! 🐶 ) I don’t think Sadie would have have returned so often if she was truly fearful, so I take heart in that.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing that footage. It's a wonderful story to listen to and watch, as everything turned out fine, and no one was hurt. I don't think Ava meant that club any harm, I think she was curious and probably just trying to herd it. And, of course, mama bear Sadie just did what was natural when hearing a distress cry from her cub, she went into protective mama bear mode. Nature is beautiful and wonderful!
You know…. I could not fault a (literal) mama bear for protecting her cub. But poor Ava and poor you!! I don’t think I would ever recover! I’m so glad everyone came to their senses! And omg those cubs were so cute.
Both us Mama Bears were trying to do our job! But it seems both us Mamas fell down on the job that day, doesn’t it? 🙄 I do wish Sadie had left the area sooner - when she first heard us coming! You can see in the video when Sadie first hears us. She was clearly aware of our proximity at the time. Maybe she thought we were staying put and not walking in her direction? I also wish Ava had given me a heads-up earlier, but she obviously didn’t know the cubs were nearby when I first stopped to check on the camera! Otherwise, Ava would have “told” me that bears were nearby, and I would have put her right back on leash! (Ava is like a walking bear-barometer in that respect.)
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS I just thought she was acting on instinct - when Ava came so close to her cub, she automatically charged at her. When she heard you maybe she realized there was no danger. As you said, it didn’t stop her and her babies from returning and playing as if nothing happened 🙂
I think it is very daring of Amy to post this because this is exactly what humans should not be doing and it couldn't have been easy to put her story out there for all of us to see. The footage is amazing. Images to cherish forever because they may very well be the thing that saves your life or your dog's life. I think the lesson is habituating wild animals is not only dangerous for your pets and for yourself and other people, but it also puts the wild animal in danger. Had the bear attacked Amy or her dog the forest rangers would've been out there and the mother would've been put down (likely). Amy, thanks for your bravery in posting this and I hope Mamma bear and baby bears find a less human occupied place to visit. I'm glad your trail cameras were able to catch this and that your calm demeanor likely saved the day.
We've had black bears in the city limits of Pittsburgh - here it is not a matter of "habituating wild animals" and more a matter of demolishing the forests by developers - where are they to go? It's disgusting the amount of forests we're losing in this area.
I *still* get goosebumps when I watch this and I’ve been watching it all week! The part that really gets me is when you can hear Sadie chuff and protest right next to the camera before she comes into the frame. Holy Krap was that amazing! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
😂 That's one of those "soil your drawers" types of moments. Well at least your dog Ava has probably learned of valuable lesson and a bit of respect for a mama bear's cubs. And I agree, that type of breed needs to be herding something and a lot of exercise, but they're also extremely intelligent so I don't believe that will probably happen again. And that bear cub has learned a valuable lesson and so has the mama. No one got hurt but everyone learned a lesson. That's life and it's a good thing. That new mother is going to be watching her for her babies a lot better so that they don't get left behind and better yet those babies are going to learn to stay with their mama and know that she's going to protect them no matter what. This will teach them to be better mamas too.
🥰 thank you for understanding. Some people are inevitably going to give me a bunch of BS about keeping my dog on leash, that it’s against the law, etc., etc. They obviously don’t have Aussies or Border Collies. Plus, this is on my own property. We cut trails in all over our dozens of acres in order for our dogs to walk. Sampson we always keep on leash since he doesn’t do well with recall the way Ava does. (He’s also a pretty stocky-terrier and is his Daddy’s familiar - he’s not into running, just like his Daddy. (Those two like to sit on the couch together for very long periods of time. 🤣)
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS nobody in the country anywhere keeps their dog on a leash. That's utterly ridiculous. It's your land and yes you share it with these animals because they don't know the concept of owning land and we do share this world with other beings who were here before us. They have actually more right to the country than we do. Your dog is an animal just like the bears are. They and we learn valuable lessons through each other. People who think that you should put your dog on a leash should probably think about the same thing with their children. Children are sent off to go to school by themselves with parents who know that there are predators out there looking to kidnap or molest them. So why aren't they taking their children to school and why do they let their children out of their sight in public? Are they bad parents? How often do we hear of these things happening? Every single day. Also I deal with a lot of people who have been sexually abused by people right under their own roof so where was the mother? I see parents going to the park playing on their phone and not paying attention to their children expecting other people to watch out for them. Nobody has a damn thing to say to you about what you do on your own property with your own animals. And if I see any comments like that I'm going to tell them. You might be a very nice person but I'm not when it comes to BS talk especially about animals. I'm an emergency vet tech and I've worked at a rehab "zoo" and animal shelters as well. I know animals and animal behavior. On the side I help people heal through emotional trauma and I understand the reason for some people's triggers is actually something to do with them not what's happening in your life or with your animals. Perhaps it would be guilt that they don't keep their own children safe. Also I wanted to tell you that while working at the rehab zoo we found out about a bear that dared to go swimming in somebody's pool who lived out in the country. The authorities were going to put the bear down because it kept on coming back. Myself and a small group of people started protesting this and we started a fundraiser. I actually was able to do a bunch of cold calls to corporations and got a large amount of donations. We created an enclosure at that zoo for that bear and was able to save it. It's unfortunate that it had to live its life behind an enclosure and sometimes I wondered if death was better than imprisonment but I thought I was doing what was right at that time. I don't like a lot of people very much because they don't respect animals or nature the way they should. What I love about your channel, is that you obviously do and you allow us to appreciate nature through your videos. Thank you. ♥️
Oh my goodness! What an INCREDIBLE response - and what amazing stories you’ve experienced and shared! (And holy krap, YES about the sexual abuse everywhere, even under one’s own roof.) You know how the saying goes about best intentions. We cannot do anything without our actions having ramifications much farther than we had ever considered - ripples in the pond, etc. What you did for that bear was absolutely admirable and so very beautiful. Hopefully the enclosure was large enough, and that it came with a water source! I hope the bear is happy! (Was the bear climbing a tall fence to get in? Wouldn’t blame it if it was!) I totally understand your sense of misgiving about sentencing a wild bear to life in an enclosure, over life in the wild. But - since people were already considering that bear a nuisance bear, it’s likely it would have ended up being shot dead by the game warden, anyway! (Relocation really doesn’t seem to work, anymore. Relocated bears routinely travel hundreds of miles to get back to their home territories, as you know.) Also, the sad truth is that life in the wild can be absolutely brutal and full of terror and pain, too. You did the right and kind thing at the time. And you might consider doing it again, and no one would blame you. It was a beautiful act for a beautiful spirit. Sometimes I dream about coming back in my next life as a bear rehabber. 🐻 🤎 And yes - *same* about people. Al and I live at the end of the road at the top of a mountain for a reason. I’ll never forget when we had a friend and neighbor from our old ‘hood come to visit us soon after we purchased our home here. After finishing making the drive up our very long, and treacherous driveway, she said, “You don’t like people very much, do you?” 🤣 Pretty much! Although there are several wonderful exceptions. I’m so grateful for those good people in our lives, and in the world, even if we don’t see them much since the pandemic began. Al and I were already pretty hermit-like as it was, but ever since the pandemic hit, we rarely leave the mountain anymore unless we have to.)
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS I was able to obtain a large amount of money for that bear so it's enclosure was awesome and we had to purchase extra land to create it. Yes it did have its own pool and it's enclosure looked way better than where it probably lived. It wasn't a small enclosure either. Yes I felt very proud of myself at the time but I love animals and always have. That's why I changed from going to school to heal people to going to school to heal animals. I have regretted doing things for humans many times but never felt that way about an animal. Animals teach us many great lessons especially how to love unconditionally while people teach us how to hate. You probably will not believe me but the only thing people have to worry about is the toxicity within their own body. I did not take any injections, I did not wear any mask, my state never locked down for a quarantine, I haven't been sick in 9 years because I eat only organic food, I don't drink alcohol, I drink filtered water, I don't take vaccines or pharmaceuticals, and I have never been injected by a vaccine as a child. I did not get all of the diseases other kids got like chicken pox and things like that. Poisons have to be introduced into our body for us to get sick like this. Don't hide from life because you're afraid of other people giving you something. People who were so afraid that they went and got injected, took the thing that they were afraid of getting and it doesn't matter if you're around other people or not. It destroys your immune system. It's the same thing that happened when people took the hepatitis vaccine and then we're told they had HIV which is an autoimmune disorder from a destroyed immune system. Sorry to say that if you've been injected but I have to say the truth. I hope you stay well.
We’ve only been living here for over 2 decades, now, so we do know how things are supposed to be done around here. Al and I *always* make plenty of noise on the trails - with and without bells - whether all 4 of us are walking together, or whether it’s just me and Ava. And when it’s just me and Ava on the trails, I talk and sing to Ava throughout our walks together, too, regardless of time of year. I always take ‘wildlife temperature readings’ both before and throughout my walks. If either of our dogs catch scent of something nearby, it’s onto the leash Ava goes, even though Ava is truly excellent about recall. - Our other big rescue dog, Sampson, OTOH, always stays on leash because he is absolutely *awful* about recall. 🙄 I’ve always worked hard to stay aware, and to keep this sort of thing from happening, all while balancing a young, energetic herding breed’s inherent need to exercise at full-tilt. Ava didn’t sense the cub until she stumbled upon it several paces away. Mama Bear Sadie clearly heard us coming, too. She heard me talking with Ava (as you can see in the video), but she didn’t leave the scene fast enough. Typically Mama Bears leave the scene much earlier than that if they sense human activity nearby. - I know that well from 10 years of trail-cam experience. - So, it appears both Mama Bear Sadie and I fell down on the job that day. You could say we all learned a lesson, I suppose. Despite the close call, it’s pretty clear we all agreed to continue to co-exist because Sadie returned to our home repeatedly after this encounter - right up into Autumn and winter nap-time. Ava continues to be excellent about recall, as she always has been, and I’m even more cautious than usual during our walks now, especially during the warmer months. Regardless, Ava still needs at least some off-leash time in order to remain a sane and healthy herding breed dog.
I’m so glad you uploaded this video. It’s amazing & educational. I didn’t know about bear bells. Great idea! Please get Ava an extra treat with this. Good job training her so well.
Oh, OH!!! Thank you so much for your donation! That’s just awesome. 🥰 🐶 I have to say, Ava is probably just innately good. I do work with her, but I worked about the same amount with all our other dogs who, with one precious exception, remained steadfastly headstrong. (The exception was the sweetest older female sprung from a puppy mill. She had a bent canine and multiple scars on her snout from trying to chew her way out of a cage - for 8 years! Chloe loved to stick around nearby, so we never had to worry about her running off. I was instantly and absolutely smitten with her. We only got to live with her for a little over a year before she succumbed to cancer, but what’s amazing year together it was!) Ava was just fabulous nearly right out of the gate. So grateful to have her in my life! Perhaps her coming here from a place of abject fear made a difference. I worked hard to help her to blossom and gain confidence. That may have helped make the difference with her recall performance? The poor girl was terrified of all men and wouldn’t get near Al for a few months! She’s really grown now, and absoultely loves her Al now. She’s still my familiar and more “my” doggy than Al’s. That’s OK because Al has his own familiar in Sampson - our scruffy ragamuffin terrier rescue. They’re both more of the couch potato variety. 🤣 We love joking about that. 😁 Thank you again for your donation!
Oh my god Amy, so glad everything worked out, Ava being a hearding dog she was just playing , I was going to ask you about the bear encounters. ❤🐻🐾❤🐻🐾❤🐻🐾❤❤❤❤❤
Well, I hope all the animals learn something. I'm glad nobody was hurt. I laughed when I heard you calling your dog and thought for a split second how funny it was and he realized that by calling your dog you were bringing the bear to you. I think I would've yelled go also.❤
I’m not sure why but I laughed at the up and down of the chasing. All it needed was the revving of a motor engine it was that fast. Poor baby bear got swiped by my MumMa and Ava. Glad you posted this it was one I. A million.
😁 I laughed, too, once I got over the shock. -Especially when Topsy fell over that first time. She was so precious and pitiful at the same time! Then there was the insult to (not-really-an) injury when her Mama knocked her aside a second time. 🤣 I just loved how little Topsy kept running behind her Mom to catch up, rather than following her brother and running the other way to safety.
Beautiful view at 6:55! That was a nice, calm, (stressful) story! Given your clientele, you were probably wise to warn us; but I thought it was very well told! EXCELLENT! It is good for people to see what can happen in an instant!
Thank you!! Yes - I love gardening out on the patio! It’s just gorgeous out there. Especially at the end of the day. During the summer, Al will leave the back lights on for me since I’ll work out there until past dark. (I love working there so long as the copperheads aren’t around. 🙄 They’re beautiful in their own way , of course, BUT, I’d prefer they remain farther away from the house. 😁) I was really worried about how to present this footage, but think I struck the right balance. Obviously this presentation isn’t for the mainstream - those folks who want to jump right into the stressful part. It’s not like there isn’t any of that online, already, so I figured I’d turn it into a story and provide some context.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS You did the right thing. And it wasn't that bad, but I think the warning was more than sufficient. I've been missing you -- too busy and not enough time! Take care; I haven't forgotten you! Yes, and I agree with you about Sadie. I think she caught her wild side just in time. Those bears know you mean only kindness and respect. I believe that.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Yep, you struck a good balance. Copperheads are not my ideal, close companions either. I recall your video of the Bob cat scurring away, with it's snake to-go dinner. Hilarious cos of the way it made the Bob cat walk, while carrying it. 🕊
🤣 🐍 waddle-waddle. I just wish the bobcats would go for the copperheads occasionally, instead of the blackies! Maybe bobcats don’t care for copperheads, either. 😁 (thank you for the kind comments. 🐻 🤎)
It was so intense! I’m grateful all turned out well. Sadie was actually on our patio this morning a little after 6am! Love seeing her come by. She’s solo now, and quite busy during mating season. (She “emancipated” her surviving yearling, Turvy, a month or so ago so she could hang out with the boys.)
My ol friends dog was recently startled by a bear in the woods while exploring, and got chased right up to their back door. I told her and their family they had to watch your video of Sadie , Ava and your close -call! Keep those bear bells ringing! Stay safe in Those magical woods ❤
Amy, I’m so grateful that you and Ava are safe!!!! I sent this to my contacts bcc. You are so educational. It looks like mama bear bowled baby bear over more than Ava😂 Take good care of yourselves. Oh…. How did Al react😮
♥️ Al wasn’t there! And he didn’t see this footage from last spring until a couple days ago when I shared my first draft of the video with him. 😳 But he certainly heard about it. 🤣
Thank you for posting this story. What a beautiful bear and an obedient doggie! That poor little cub got trampled by mom! lol But, it recovered quickly to keep up with mom. Bears are so resilient. Beautiful creatures!
Thank you for watching and commenting! Yes - poor little Topsy got toppled big-time. She finally got a handle on her balance issues not long after this experience. I sure hope she and her brother and mother survived the winter, even though it was a frighteningly lean autumn last year, with barely any acorns to speak of. (It was what the Kilham Bear Center called a “No Food Year.” 😞 Tough times for wildlife.)
Amy this is so awesome. Ava looked like she was saying hi are you lost want to be friends oops gotta go. Oh wow Sady was right there with you I believe she knows you for sure. Amazing how fast those little guys move Sady came barrelling through he bounced off of her onto his feet.. Ava is so beautiful so are Sady and babies. I totally enjoyed this video thank you so much Amy
Do you carry Bear Spray? I think (like you), the Mama knew your scent with carrying for their play area, and the trails. For whatever reason, I'm glad the Mama didn't get any closer?! Cub: Mama it's me, Stop?!
I used to carry it regularly. I should probably start carrying one again, although I worry more about the coyotes than I do the bears. I lost a pepper-spray canister a year or two ago. I late found it on one of the trails with teeth-dents in it. 🤣 That would have been one rude surprise if the bear managed to puncture that canister!
Thanks for putting the warning before I started watching . Thumbs up just for being so kind and preserving us from more stress than the world gives up .
🥰 Thank you. I don’t like being subject to very upsetting footage without warning. -Especially when scrolling through a social media platform feed likeFacebook or Instagram Reels, etc. Maybe I’m the minority, but I don’t even like watching all those ridiculously popular medley videos which feature human beings getting hurt or traumatized in all manner of ways - whether tripping/falling/being run into, etc. All I can think is, “Ouch!” Those videos always make me cringe. I’ve never been one to appreciate those instant replays of Olympic-level tumbles, either. (Like the clips titled, “The Agony of Defeat.” Remember those? As if the Olympians weren’t already feeling demoralized - we rubber-neckers just have to go and rub it in.) I figure there must be more people like me who don’t want to see that stuff, either, hence the heads-up. At least the heavy-duty footage doesn’t start for a few minutes. There’s a nice slow roll-out, with a second warning, just in case, right before the stressful footage starts rolling. 😊 I also provide a soft landing, afterwards, to show how Sadie seems to have taken no offense, since she returned to the mountain to visit repeatedly, despite the tense encounter. I provide examples of some of her visits, etc. Having said that, I have a pretty good collection of upsetting trail cam footage. As a trail cam enthusiast, I am thrilled with the captures. They are pretty amazing in and of themselves and it’s kind of a shame that I’m hoarding them all to myself. OTOH, those videos are definitely *not* “for general audiences. If I end up sharing any of those videos in the future, I’ll definitely be displaying warning notices up front!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Yup, I?m of those people who don't like seeing others get hurt, just seems ridiculous to me to watch it over and over , not to mention humiliating . don't see what is laughable . If little Miss Ava is around you, grab that silly pup and give her a kiss on the nose, a belly rub , plenty of cuddles and a treat from me please . Have a lovely day !
Omgosh ! That is some incredible footage Amy! I’m surprised but relieved that Sadie ran in the opposite direction once Ava was with you. I would have thought she would have torn you both apart. I think you’re right about your scent and likely Ava’s too, making Sadie not as freaked out. Is it normal for a ma bear to run back to her cubs and disappear after she scares away perceived threat? I’m just so surprised you or Ava were not harmed. Kudos on the brilliant footage. This should go viral. 🐻 😅
Thank you! 🥰 Yes, it’s *very* normal for Mama Bears to run off/saunter off/walk off with their cubs, away from any perceived threat. That’s really the rule, rather than the exception for most rural bears. There was one notable exception, though - an absolutely ginormous male and his almost equally ginormous lady-friend. They were both sitting on their bums, just 2 feet from the trail I was on, hidden behind tree foliage. They didn’t budge an inch. They were obviously catching their breath in-between love sessions, and didn’t give a damn that I was standing there. (It was the middle of bear mating season.) It was pretty alarming how close we were, but the bears were obviously not concerned in the slightest. So, I turned around and took the long-way home to give them some more privacy. 🤣
Rewatching, I'm still amazed Mama Bear didn't take a swipe at ya?! Your Guardian Angel was working overtime with that one. That My Friend was A True Gift. I bet it took a while to get the lump out of your throat on that one? A True Miracle Gift My Friend
Thank you so much for watching again - and commenting, too! It really was an amazing experience. At the time, I was more worried about my girl, Ava, but I did feel quite a sense of relief for myself, as well, once I had a chance to relax and reflect on what happened. 🤣
Wow Amy! I watched this yesterday, while in the middle of cooking dinner , and I stressed! I remember you telling me that you’d had an experience, and hoped to put out a special video, but I had NO IDEA it would be this exciting! Thank God Ava knew to run like Heck! I agree, that Ava definately appeared to be herding and not attacking. What amazing footage you captured from multiple cameras! I bet that flipped your Zen moment on the mountain for a few days! Hopefully, Ava has a new respect for keeping distance from protective momma bears! Keep your bear bells on! And thank you for this crazy, and exciting adventure!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! It really was a huge deal! I was remarkably calm immediately afterwards. I knew Sadie wasn’t going to turn back around and bother us. I had Ava on leash, so we went our separate ways calmly. It was later, when I switched out the cards on the cameras and reviewed the footage - that’s when I got an extra and more sustained adrenaline rush. 😬 Holy Krap.
Well done Amy! I understand the concern for the stressful part of the video. I thought the still pics of some of the encounter gave enough of a heads up but the video is so real that it still had an impact. The still pic of Ava and the cub doesn't protray the herding aspect of that breed but the video shows she meant no harm. The back and forth of Ava cornering the cub, the mom bowling over the cub chasing Ava and then again running away is hilarious. I've never encountered a black bear that close and can see how powerful they are. Loved the playing videos of the cubs also. Thanks
🤣 🤣 All’s well that ends well. Hopefully Ava understands why she’s on leash all the time now! (At least until winter when the foliage is down, and the bears are primarily napping.) It’s bear mating season now, and all sorts of bears have been passing through. Many are venturing a good bit outside of their usual territory in search of more mates. Some of the boys coming through here are absolutely ginormous. I use the marks on the Bear Tree as a measuring stick. When a male’s head rises above some of the most pronounced claw and bite-marks on that tree, I know he’s a giant among his contemporaries. Since male bears can sometimes be a threat to cubs, Mama Bears tend to be extra vigilant. I’m so very relieved Ava didn’t lunge or bark or act aggressively. Sadie figured that out and was OK with simply retreating. It was still a fairly terrifying split-second there, when she and I were face to face (her on her hind legs) - close enough to touch each other - and she was clearly deciding whether we were a real threat or not. Glad she figured out we weren’t - especially because I am one of her biggest fans. 😁 I haven’t edited the new footage yet, but I just captured more footage of Sadie last week. Her previous visit here with her Yearling was a total blast, but she has since “emancipated” her surviving yearling and is now out on the trail looking for a new mate. My cameras captured video of her courting with a new boyfriend. Those two were having a blast together! I’ll share some of that courting footage in the near future. Hopefully that courting means she’ll swing back by next spring with another set of adorable cubs. 🥰 Here’s the link to Sadie and her yearling in FAMILY GAME NIGHT, in case you missed it: ua-cam.com/video/zJrb3F7YE70/v-deo.html
Amy, this is an incredible video, I appreciate your sharing this because it shows the mommy protecting her cubs and then showing great restraint . There was a scary moment, but all worked out. I'm going to share this with friends who really are not educated about wildlife ❤️
This one made me hold my breath, even though I knew everything was going to end well. I actually think it's important to share this kind of content too; we see those charming, wonderful animals and sometimes forget how instinct-driven they are: dogs *will* chase and bears *will* protect their cubs. I must confess I laughed out loud the second time I watched; the faces of both Ada and Sadie are priceless.
Thanks so much for watching this! We’re coming up on the time when I’ll have to leash Miss Ava more often than not. Makes me sad, but it’s the right thing to do. Hopefully I’ll be able to exercise Ava enough within the fenced-in yard to keep her happy. Kinda doubt it bc she still hasn’t figured out how to play fetch, despite my trying to teach her - with treats as rewards. Oh well. I’ll just have to keep trying!
Pretty sad, eh? Hilarious, too. We’ve had mostly herding breeds and not retrievers. When we lived near a lake, our dogs were always more interested in herding and chasing the other retriever-dogs who were chasing a thrown-stick into the water, rather than going after the stick for themselves. They just loved retrieving the retrievers. 🤣
WOW!!!! Amy, that really is some awesome footage!! I can only imagine how your heart must have been pounding. As you say, your beautiful dog didnt have any intention of hurting the bear cub, he was just inquisitive but my goodness did Sadie come running when she heard the cries and again, as you said, she was just being a good mummy! I am so glad that everyone remained safe after this encounter and I guess it also just goes to show that you should always be alert when in bear country because even after 20 years, things can still happen out of the blue. This could have turned out very differently but thank goodness it didn.t and instead you have some really, really amazing footage! Well done you 🙏🙏❤❤❤❤🐻
😅 huge relief - and an amazing experience all around. I’m still trying to teach Ava how to play “fetch” so I can tucker her out inside the confines of her fenced-yard. I may try to teach her a couple agility things, too. (Like running around “barrels”, as my friend suggested.) So far, she’s just not into it - not even when treats are involved. I hope she’ll begin to embrace some of those games and challenges so that when the bears come out to play again, she will still get enough exercise. There are only a few safe spots for letting her off-leash, (a huge straightaway with direct line-of-sight.) At least we can put her through her paces there - with bells on. Al and I have her run back and forth between us a whole bunch. 🐶
Just wanted to tell you that I started my day with a big smile and a giggle thanks to this video. It was the first thing I thought about after waking up, and as stressful as the situation was for both for the animals and you, it’s actually quite hilarious knowing the safe outcome. Ava (sorry I got her name wrong yesterday) happily darting of to explore - is it a sheep, a toy…? Sadie running to the rescue and in the process tackling her cub, and you shouting “Come!”, “Go!”. It was such a lovely way to start the day, smiling and thinking of what an adventure a walk in the great outdoors can be. So, thank you for that and I hope your day will be a nice one too!
I'm just catching up, having only recently come across your UA-cam channel. I'm a longtime fan of your husband Al's beautiful guitar music. This was epic crittercam footage! Your Ava was just doing what comes naturally, she didn't have her mouth on that cub at all. Mama was in righteous wrath, but I think you must be right about her finding you and your scent familiar. You guys got off with just a warning 😆. I've had Welsh corgis for 30 years, I know how those instincts kick in. I'd say those bear bells are pretty handy 😁. Phew!
Better to be safe and take the Precautions, keeping Ava on a Leash. Never assume any of their behaviors. had this been a bear you were not familiar with the outcome could have been much worse. Glad it turned out great and you got that classic footage.
Yes. Thank you! Even though I haven’t seen a bear out yet this late winter, Ava’s pretty much back on leash already, for the most part. We will let her run on the straight-aways when there are two of us humans walking and she makes a game of running between us at our command. Poor girl needs to run! I wish Ava would just learn to play fetch so I could exercise her regularly within the confines of our smallish fenced dog-yard. Despite trying to bribe her with treats, she still hasn’t grasped the concept of that game. Simply running super-fast and making those wicked tight turns on a dime - those are her thing. That’s where her joy lies. At least she can exercise that way for most of the winter!
My heart was racing, for sure, but things ended up just fine, which sure helped. Oddly enough, I wasn’t feeling all that upset on our walk home. I knew Sadie was walking the other way and that she wasn’t interested in pursuing us past her initial dog-escorting service. 😁 I actually didn’t see or realize all of what had transpired until I switched out the SD cards on my trail cameras and viewed the footage on my desktop computer. I definitely relived the experience then, with a whole new added spin of adrenaline. I had been in a quandary about whether to share the experience ever since that day of editing. I finally decided to go ahead and present the footage with a little context. TBH, I was feeling oddly fine at the time the encounter ended. Sadie and I do “know” each other, after all. She and I had routinely frequented the same areas, albeit separately, throughout all of 2021. (Maybe that familiarity is why she didn’t leave the area fast enough? She clearly heard me coming, as you can see in the video. Normally bears leave quickly if they hear or see us coming.) As you’ll probably remember, I captured footage of Sadie being courted by a couple different male bears during the 2021 bear mating season. I knew there was a good chance she’d return again in 2022 with her cubs, and I was so looking forward to that! I just wasn’t planning on getting quite so close to those cubs. 🙄
Aw all that end well. your dog curious and chase. Lucky mum bear doesn't want stretch out scaring moment turn into something else when all becoming ok again.
Эми, спасибо, за видео, получилось замечательно, как хорошо, что вы любите мишек, и мы тоже любим мишек, и наша мечта их увидеть, и хорошо, что вы остались невредимыми с собакой🐻🐾❤️😍 Продолжайте также радовать нас своими суперскими видео про мишек 🐻Привет из Иркутска, Сибирь, около озера Байкал. 🎄⛄🌨️
Oh, thank you. 🐻 🤎 It must be SO beautiful up there, where you are right now! We’re hardly having any snow this year thus far. 😔 Hope we get a lovely good snow or two before spring arrives. (The crocuses are already blooming. The too-warm weather has fooled them.) Thanks again for watching and commenting!
What a great video thank you so much for that I live in the pocono’s in pa and long to see the bears again in the spring so glad no one was hurt and your dog is awfully cute 😊 7:09
Yes! I dream of the bears all winter and can’t wait to see them each spring. Especially the younger sows who I saw flirting during bear mating season. I always hope they’ll return to visit with their first cubs, just as Sadie did last year. 🐻 🤎 Thank you for the lovely comment!
Oh yes!! Herders gonna herd! (and run) Our fenced dog-yard is kinda small, but I was thinking about maybe setting up one or two obstacles for her. Thankfully, she’s not a super high-strung, super high-energy dog. She fits in with our lazier family quite well. But, still, she really does need to run routinely, so this time of year is tricky. Thanks for watching!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMSthere are dogs of all temperaments who enjoy agility! some dogs are completely relaxed while waiting their turn, while others are screaming in outrage at the INJUSTICE of having to WAIT while another dog runs. it's good physical and mental exercise, as long as the dog enjoys it. mine is obsessed.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS also, do you have any porcupine encounters? I'm not sure if porcupines are native you guys. My dog recently came running back to me on a hike COVERED in quills. The emergency vet thinks she decided to roll on a dead porcupine, because they were mostly on her chest and back, while most dog-porcupine encounters end with the dog getting a faceful of quills from trying to grab them. Luckily, besides a fun surprise vet bill, she's completely healed up and was running agility courses after a few days of sore muscles. I'm pretty sure she has no regrets and would do it again.
@@jaynenunya6070 - Whoa!! Poor thing!! So sorry your doggy had to suffer through that. We’ve been relatively lucky here, although Sampson lost his leash privileges after nearly meeting his demise in the middle of a coyote pack. 😳 😱 I’ll just have to live vicariously through other people’s stories and trailcam videos when it comes to Porcupines. That’s OK by me. 🤣 I only rarely see skunks up here, so hope we can keep them and our doggies relatively separate since there’s more of a chance meet-up with one of those Pepes. So, yeah - no porcupines in these neck of the woods. I have to say, I would sure love to get to see otters up here, but that’s not gonna happen, either.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMSLuckily, porcupines can't shoot out their quills, so as long as you give them space they don't want to bother you or pick fights. My dog just chose the wrong stinky thing to roll on lol.
😮💨😳 I’m glad everybody was ok. This one was a nail biter. I thought Ava was a goner but I knew you wouldn’t show something like that! Mama bear Sadie looked angry. Lol. And I loved how she & the cubs relaxed at her little “home” (with the toys & tubs) after she calmed down.😅
Intense, for sure! But thanks for giving it a try. I did try to tell the story with a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. 🤣 Alas, it’s back to leash-time. Our friends have already seen bears coming out quite early, only a ridge or two over from here, so it probably won’t be long before we start seeing bears over here. I just worry there isn’t enough food out there for them!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMSI love bears and dogs so I am glad Ava will be going back on her leash for her own safety. 😆 I also understand your concerns regarding food although I’m still excited for the early exit from hibernation! There are a few where I live but I still don’t reside in “bear country”. That’s why I’m patiently awaiting for “Bear Simone” (Patrick Conley’s bear friend) to greet us soon along with her cubs. Asheville, NC seems like a haven for bears. I love them so I’ll be looking forward to your newer videos. Thanks for the reply!😊 🐻❤️
Mama bear is smart! she recognized what you said immidiatry! Your response is so grate! In my country, thousand of bears are killed every year. There are not the people who can appropriate action. So humans are killed by bear then human kill bears. You are amazing!!
Thank you! I always dread bear-hunting season. I worry about many of my favorite bears, especially. It’s always a relief if I get to see them again. Where do you live?
Great video!!!! I had a border collie years ago. The day I brought her home at about 9 weeks,she was on the porch. The neighbors huge dog came to visit and she flew off the porch (she could have hurt herself) ran over to him and ran circles around him. He was afraid of her! She rounded up bunnies and squirrels, rocks and sticks and lumber. It is sooooo ingrained in them to herd.. she was smart as a whip, but I would never get another herding dog unless I had a flock for them to care for. They have to be kept busy! Those cubs are sooooo cute!!! They sounded a little bratty! I had one of those green moth worms in my garden last year. It had those wasp eggs all over it.(They say very healthy gardens will attract that.). So when the wasps hatched, what did they do? Found a way to get inside one of my rooms and build a nest oon the window molding. Like my other wasps and bees that know my scent, I felt they wanted to winter inside with me. Yes,. Scent is instrumental on so many levels for anything that has the ability to smell. Thanks for an exciting adventure! The slo-mo, gave me a much needed laugh when the cub got pushed out of the way. Ahhhh, fond childhood memories of one of my favorite cartoons, Yogi Bear!!! 💖🌈🕊️🦌🦃🐿️🐻🐕🕊️🌈💖
During the slow motion, did anyone else notice the small cub's reaction as mama bear raced toward Ava and knocked the cub on its keister? It reminded me of the paper towel commercials where something is spilled and in slow motion, people are saying "Nooooooooo". Amy - You might have been scared but it did not show in your voice.
🥰 - and yes, I just had to show the footage again in slow-motion. It was so amazing and pitiful at the same time. Poor little Topsy! At least she was on solid ground not too long after that. Took her a while, though!
I love my Brownings. I’ve had several models over the years as they get discontinued and new models come out. (I loved the Recon Force Advantage, for example. It’s been discontinued.) Lately, I’m partial to the Recon Force Elite and Spec Ops Elite models. I also give other models a try, like Spartan (mostly for their wider angle, which is helpful in tight spots. Not even Browning HP5s can match that wider field of view.) As for how far apart, it really depends. There are some areas or paths which are a lot more popular than others. Sometimes I’ll have as many as 3-4 cameras (from different perspectives) trained on one spot that’s obviously a favorite area for wildlfe. Along favorite trails I’ll sometimes post cameras on the same tree pointing both directions along the trail. I almost always have multiple cameras along any trail bc the wildlife love the trails as much as we humans do, and because you never know where along the trail an animal will jump on, or where they will do something fabulous. 😁 What are your favorite trail cams?
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Thank You. Your footage is the best I've ever seen from trail cams. It's wonderful. The Cameo's you get are so neat. So here and there i hear people say they aren't sure if they're glad they put them up. Because now they see thing's out there they didn't even realise came so close. 😂🤣 I've lived deep in a canyon of the mountains. Never needed a trail cam for the hair to stick up the back of my neck. I could just feel being watched at times. One time n i was in my 20s young n ignorant walking one of my dog's. Off leash. We just entered a real dense woody area and something about the ground looked to me like something they describe as a kill that Grizzlies bury a shallow grave thing for. I started kicking it with my foot and heard a bear grunt. I got so scared i froze in place a few sec lol. I turned around to tell my dog home and she was half way to the house. She left me in her dust. 😂🤣 She's no fool. So the next time i went for a walk i took all 3 of my dog's. Dumb idea off leash. They walked with me a ways then bolted. Took 4 days before they returned. Pretty sure they were ruining deer. I should have known better cuz if they could get loose they'd always be gone 3-4 days before returning. Once my youngest one came back with a face full of porcupine quills. It was so sad. That same dog got bit in the face by a rattle snake n survived. He never learned better. Or the other two egged him on to go first 😂🤣. A lady who lived further up from me was walking her 2 dogs off leash n they tangled with a raccoon. It tore them up so bad. It scared me a little cuz i had my raccoon since it was 3wks old at the time. But I've had a couple encounters at night with big male raccoons that were mean.
@@RedRose4141 WOW - those are amazing experiences. Bet you have to worry about mountain lions, too. They leave similar kills. - Yes, we learned the hard way that some dogs will mind us, and some won’t. That Sampson I was telling you about. He’s stubborn and will ignore us if there’s something he’s after. We nearly lost him to a coyote pack a few years back. It was AWful. I was tearing down the mountain, screaming the whole way down toward where I could hear all the yipping coyotes. I only heard one horrifically loud bark from Sampson in response. I was worried I was going to be too late! - I finally made enough distraction to break it up. Sampson, like your first dog, had already returned to the top of our mountain and joined my husband. Meanwhile I was still way down there with the coyotes looking at me. HAHAHA - we had to take him to the vets to get him fixed up. I pulled a coyote tooth out of his head a week after the attack! - Anyway, the stubborn boy obviously didn’t learn his lesson. Whenever he smells them he wants to keep following the scent. Just. NOPE. The boy lost his off-leash privileges for good. Ava is a gem. It’s such a pleasure to have a dog who listens and means to please! What a different world.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Gosh that's scary. Coyotes creap me out. In California they've gotten so brazen that they go after any size pet, children, scale 6ft brick walls and roam in daytime around people anywhere. Where you live have you seen Coywolf yet? I know in the north east states they've captured some n done a DNA so they know they cross bred. There's even polar bear and grizzly cross now. Cougar is what made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. They are so sneaky. I never let my girls play outside alone while little. The back of our house sit right against the mountain. A few times at night I'd pull right in up the front of the yard to the 1st front doors to get inside quick lol. Your sou right about dog's. I love how intelligent Border Collie and Aussie are and they're so loyal n sweet. My oldest daughter's Aussie she taught to stare at each other n raise eyebrows up n down. It was hilarious.
Now I want to teach Ava how to do Up & Down eyebrows, too. 🤣 That’s just awesome! I taught my last Aussie Tilt-a-Head on command because it totally slays me. Ava hasn’t quite figured it out yet, though. I also taught my last Aussie splooting on command. (Which I call “fraw legs” aka frog legs.) Ava’s got the splooting down, although she rarely lets me issue the command. She just voluntarily sploots when she’s happy now - probably because she knows it makes me ridiculously happy, too. I get an extra kick out of seeing bears sploot on camera. Maybe I’ll have to make a video-medley of splooting bears someday. 😁 As for trail cam footage quality, I do what I can with it! It can be challenging, as you know. I work via Final Cut Pro software now, instead of iMovie. I try to take good advantage of built-in filters and plug-ins. I wish I was better at masking, and key framing, etc. Just learning as I go. Ava *still* hasn’t figured out how to fetch, btw, even despite repeated training sessions which always involve treats for the return of the ball/toy. She’s just not interested. We’ve actually only had one dog who was totally into playing fetch. It’s a shame Ava’s not a fan of fetch, because that would be a great way for her to exercise within the confines of the fenced dog-yard. She could get some good short-stint running that way. I’ll keep trying, but so far she’s just not interested. You’d think her favorite treats would make the difference, but so far, just nope.
Thank you!! So glad you watched. :-) There are a couple different ways to donate, to help with battery expenses and such. The best way for me is via this link: paypal.me/FairviewCritterCams
Animals stand up for what matters most, your dog was protecting you and the mother bear was defending her two cubs. But I was afraid the dog would hurt the bear cub. 🧸🧸🐻🏹..............................................🦮🩸🩸🩸
I half-joke that Herders gonna herd, and Mamas gonna Mama. That’s pretty much what was happening there. Ava really loves to herd and follow. (She loves playing with our cats.) She had clearly never seen a bear cub before, though - not up close, anyway. Once I could emotionally remove myself from the intensity of the situation, I got a big kick out of seeing Ava’s expression once she finally caught up with Topsy. It’s like Ava was thinking, “WTH are you?…..Wanna play?…. Oh! - Never mind! BYE!” 🐶 😱 🐻 I doubt Ava would have tried hurting the cub. She’s far less aggressive than she is curious. Our other dog, Sampson, on the other hand, would probably have tried to do some damage and he would have incurred damage in return. Quite possibly worse. That is precisely why Sampson doesn’t have off-leash privileges. He lost them a long time ago. Sampson doesn’t pay us any attention if he doesn’t want to. Ava, on the other hand, is the Queen of Recall. She’s an absolute gem.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS I really like the videos you share, I love all the bears in the world. But I know that you are very careful with these puppies. Thank you so much for the affection you have with your subscribers!!! I wish you all the happiness in the world. 🐻🐻🐻🐶🐶🥰🥰
Amy! You've been holding out on us! Sitting on this excellent video all this time? I'm so glad you decided to share it with us. After watching it a few times, it started to occur to me that had you had a camera in your hands recording when Ava came running back to you with Sadie in hot pursuit, there would have been even more and better video to be seeing and talking about. I guess it all happened very fast but I'm fascinated to hear and find out your reaction when you saw them coming toward you. You articulated humourously how you changed from "Ava come!", to "Ava go!", but what was your reaction when you saw Sadie heading your way? Was there a time when you considered turning and running or did you have the presence of mind to instantly know that running is the wrong thing to do with a black bear advancing? When Sadie saw you, what did she do or how did she react? Did she immediately stop and go back the other way on the trail? You mentioned standing arms length from her. She stood looking, sniffing and surveying you? This is the part of the story you didn't go into detail about and for me it is most a most fascinating part. I'm sure your other watchers and subscribers would appreciate your further elucidation. You also mentioned other video clips you have in the bag that you haven't shared. Are they just run of the mill clips of bears doing their thing, foraging for food or do you have some that you thought perhaps too raw in some way? I, for one, adjure you to share them. Many thanks as always for outstanding videos and your calm soothing voice that we don't hear nearly enough. Rick in British Columbia
Thanks for the lovely comment and questions! 🥰 I sat on this footage for months because I was getting both yays and nays when I asked whether people wanted to see it. I finally opted to share it with the heads-up warning, up front. That way people could move on to something else if they weren't up for the tense moments. As for how things went down, I tried to explain things without taking too much time in the video. Here's a little more detail, though, since you asked: Immediately after I heard that bear-cub's cry, I knew WTH was going on and went on auto-pilot. I dropped what I was doing and began run-walking in the direction of the cries, to try to retrieve Ava. It all happened too fast for me to even remember I had a cell-phone in my pocket. Besides, I wanted both hands free to secure Ava once she returned to me. (Assuming she would return to me!) That's all I could think about at that moment -- saving Ava. I wasn't thinking about my own safety at that moment. There are two blind curves very close together on that part of our trails. Line of sight is almost non-existent during the warmer months when the foliage is out. For that reason, there was almost NO time in-between not seeing Ava and Sadie, and then suddenly seeing them. As soon as we all rounded the corner from opposite directions at the same time, with both Ava and Sadie running at top speed, we were almost literally on top of one another when we met. That's what I meant by being at arm's length. The meeting was extremely sudden! It could be that the element of surprise may have helped? (In addition to Ava's not being obviously aggressive, and Sadie's already recognizing my scent.) At the instant when we met, Sadie stood up on her hind legs. That stance is just bear-speak for being curious, as you know. It's not an act of aggression. I suppose, in hindsight, Sadie's standing may have helped assuage my fears somewhat? However, because she took that stance, I also couldn't help but look straight into Sadie's eyes. I think humans are supposed to avoid looking into bears' eyes, in general, lest bears consider our stares an act of aggression. But we were so very close, so quickly, I didn't really have time to take stock of the situation and react any differently, and look in a different direction. In more typical, calmer bear-encounters, I will speak gently, too, if I speak at all. I think that's what is suggested, anyway. This was an entirely different type of encounter, though. It all happened so damned quick, and was so immediately in-your-face, I automatically yelled at Sadie to go away. Given the circumstances, I still feel like that was the wisest course of action. I had to arrest Sadie's 'forward momentum' and encourage her to reverse course somehow. Standing tall (after leaning down to grasp Ava's collar, first) and yelling authoritatively did the trick. As for other video clips -- there aren't any quite like this. However, I have collected a bunch of gruesome predator-prey footage. Not so much the chases themselves, but the results of those chases, after the fact. Coyotes are formidable opponents. I've captured quite a few clips of coyotes trotting past my cameras with half-Bambis and pieces of domestic cats hanging out of their mouths. A long time ago, I posted one video that showed a coyote carrying a mature deer head. That was a rare type of video for my channel. I may post others in the future. I haven't decided yet. If I do, they will have warnings up front, in case the titles aren't enough to warn off more sensitive viewers. 😱
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Thank you very much for the reply and the explanation. You are to be congratulated on your apparent sanguinity in the face of what for most people would be heart pounding, adrenalin pumping, panic. Good for you! I pride myself in knowing all the things one is to do and not do with black bear encounters yet 10 or 15 years ago when a big male bluff charged me, I ran to the 'safety' of our house. It did the one step with a huff and watched me run. Its instinctive plan worked like a charm on me. Thank you also for your amazing consideration and kindness in replying to my questions/comments and for your practice of replying to all the viewers like you routinely do. That's incredible and that is one more thing that sets you above and beyond ANY other UA-cam content providers I've watched. I've watched a lot. You are special. Rick in British Columbia
Heck this is pretty scary atacks your atention fastly. i would put a warning sign 🤘 up because some watchers could get pretty upset unexpectedly possibly.
🤣 - yes, I have some sensitive subscribers, hence all the heads-up moments. A few folks didn’t want to watch bc it would stress them out, but some did after knowing that everything turned out just fine. 😁
The cubs were only 3-4 wks old. Where i live if you walk with your dog off leash and they chase wildlife at all. DWR will give you citations for dog running at large and harassing wildlife. I'm kinda surprised being you know how much wildlife you have there that you'd allow your dog off leash and neither of you were wearing bells to warn the bear to create distance.
honey - you obviously don’t have an Aussie Plus - these trails are all on our private property. We’ve cut in loads of them across nearly 30 acres. Maybe you missed the part about - “first time in 20 years”, eh?
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Yep but they can walk on a leash too. I think this encounter was a good learning curve for both new Momma n Dog. Ava seemed very concerned hearing the cub cry. Seriously if you and your dog wore a bell it saves allot of stressful encounters of any wildlife while exercising your dog. I haven't tried those ball throwers yet. The ones you can train your dog to fetch the ball and put it back in the machine n wait for it to throw it again yet. But Aussie are so smart. I think it wouldn't be hard to train her with one and she'd love it. It's amazing how quickly newborn cubs adapt and grow isn't it.
KEEP DOGS ON LEASH! You might want to look up how dogs are linked to attacks on their owners, because dogs always run back to their owners. You got very lucky.
Kent. This is on my private property. I purposefully spent thousands of dollars cutting these trails in, in part to help exercise my dog who is a herding breed who absolutely *must* be able to run and exercise. She’s excellent about recall - so - as I said in my video, I don’t always have her on leash. Our other dog, OTOH, stays on leash. He’s simply awful about recall.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Thanks for the explanation. First of all, I am glad no harm came to any of the participants. I was not trying to be snarky in my comment; I love your website and confess that I did not have the sound on in response to the warning that the video might be stressful to some viewers (like me). Seeing the little guy in distress, and then Ava in distress, was rough for me to watch even with the sound off. I missed your narration, however, where you explained things. Respectfully. Kent
Oh, the look on Ava’s face at the screeching baby bear! “I have messed up!!” 😅
yeah - that was really something.
She loves her cats, and loves watching the critters.
Talk about flipping the scenario! The chase scenes are just perfect and Sadie's physicality is impressive. Well done, thanks!
Whooo Hoooo, Patrick!!!
Thank you so much - both for your words, and for your donation. ♥️
I really need another batch of batteries, so your gift is perfect timing.
I was nervous about sharing this footage, but did my best. I *still* get chills every time I hear Sadie chuff right next to the camera, then see her tearing off after Ava! That’s saying a lot since I’ve been watching this same footage for a week now, since it took so much time to edit. 🤣 🐻 🐶 😳
Thank you again, Patrick! 🐻 🤎
Thanks for the link Patrick!!!
Heart stopping! That little cub didn't know Ava wanted to play (at least that's what I'm seeing), Ava saw a play friend, there was no aggressive posturing from her at all, sweet girl! Thank you for sharing this INCREDIBLE footage and I'm so glad no humans, dogs or bears were harmed during the making of this film ;)
🥰 Thank you for watching!
This was a huge project that took at least a week to put together, so I’m glad you had a chance to see it.
And yes! Sweet Ava loves to play. (She loves her kitties!) The only thing she is aggressive about IS play. 🤣 She’s a gadfly when it comes to play.
That poor little bear! Ava seemed more curious than threatening.
Yes. She definitely was! I’m sure it didn’t feel like that to the cub when she was first fleeing, then taking a tumble. Poor thing!
Ava’s a gentle girl. The only time she comes on strong is when she wants to play.
I laughed when Mama bear sent baby flying as she ran past.
It made me smile, too.
I love how that little cub (Topsy) kept running after her Mom instead of running away. So cute.
Wowzers! I'd never blame an Australian shepherd for her 'need to shepherd' and I'd never blame a mama bear for being a mama bear but what an intersection!
It still gives me goosebumps, even after a week of editing. So intense!
That Momma bear sure stood up for her baby!! Ava knew she was in trouble too!! So glad it turned out okay. Thanks for sharing!! Those little bears are the cutest things!! How wonderful it would be to cuddle one!!!!
I know! Wouldn’t that be great?
But can you imagine how that would go over with Sadie? 🤣 🤣 🤣
Incidentally, I love what a local wildlife biologist said about bear cubs. She called them “Tornadoes with Claws.” 😁 🌪️ 🐻
What a cute story..they all moved pretty fast 🤣🤣🤣
The way the little cub fell over!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Ikr, it was pitiful at the same time, it was adorably humorous. I'm glad you didn't post this video without your thoughtful and considerate editing, especially knowing how fragile and off balance T-cub was. Thanks Amy! You're the best! 🕊🏅🕊
Dogs dont do well with wild bears, though they tend to befriend "habituated" bears. I am sure it was a lesson for all of us. Glad it turned out ok for all involved. Great job Amy and thanks for posting!
AMAZING Footage!!!!!! The cub's facial expression @5:14 😯😯😯when it saw mama coming to its rescue, but was caught in the middle of mama scrambling to chase after Ava. The video was not stressful to watch, your calm voice made it enjoyable to watch, even laughed and then smile at the end of the story knowing no one was hurt.
🥰 So glad!! Thank you so much!!
Loved your comment. I’m so glad it worked! I was nervous about sharing this footage, so I tried hard to present it in the best way.
Beautiful bear family.
Come, Go, OK! Whewww! Last but not least...kudos to baby T bear for using a good set of lungs/vocal cords! Love the safety bells, great idea. 🕊
Don’t underestimate little Topsy!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Exactly! 😅 Haha! 🕊
What a great story, and very happy too for the happy ending!
Thank you for watching, Amy!!
Thank was great, thank you for sharing. I was still laughing on the 3rd playback! Ava learned a valuable lesson that day, glad everything turned out ok.
Just love it when little Topsy takes a tumble. That was so precious!
😳 Wow, you weren’t kidding, “stressful” is putting it mildly!!! I think my heart stopped 😅!! Kudos to you for remaining calm (at least you sounded calm)!! Amazing footage for sure!
I was surprisingly fine after that encounter. I knew Sadie wasn’t going to pursue us once we had distance between us.
It was a few days later after I switched out the SD cards from my cameras, and was reviewing the footage on my computer - that’s when my adrenaline shot back up and stayed high a little longer. 🐶 🤣 🐻
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Yes, I can imagine!!!!
My heart would have been in my throat… amazing video!
You have such a gentle and thoughtful way with this video, Amy. Thank you.
I'm so glad it ended well. It does look like Ava was herding the bear cub...maybe just her instincts.
VERY exciting, frightening few moments but all was resolved and quickly once Ava returned to you. I'm sure everyone sighed with relief when it was over, your audience as well! Thank you Amy, for sharing this and ALL your wonderful film footage. Your channel is my 'walk in the woods'.
🥰- at least most of ours walks in the woods are less eventful 🤣
Oh, dear. That could have turned out badly. I'm so grateful that it turned out okay. Bear bells are a good idea.
And so is talking and singing loudly, which I always do. 😊
I was definitely talking and singing on that day, just like I usually do. Sadie clearly heard me, too, as you can see in the video. She should have left the area earlier, as she had warning of our proximity. If I had received any hint of her presence, I definitely would have put Ava back on leash. I suppose both Sadie and I fell down on the job that day.
Normally, I put Ava right back on leash if there’s the slightest hint of wildlife nearby. Thankfully, it’s extremely rare for us to see any wildlife with our own eyes during our trail-walks. That’s why I’ve become a bit of a trail camera addict. I love getting to witness wildlife and my trail cameras provide that opportunity.
🐻 🦉 🐯 🦌 🦊
Wow Amy! I would have had a heart attack but you're so calm about it! I'm glad that Mama realized all was well once you got your dog on leash. And bear bells are a great idea. Thanks for sharing as always! But this one definitely gave me body goosebumps!
🥰 thank you!
What’a amazing is that that footage is *still* giving me goosebumps even though I’ve been watching it for a solid week (as I’ve been doing the intensive editing this kind of story-video requires.)
Both the bears and Ava are beloved creatures. I’m so glad everything turned out well.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Goosebumps galore! Your laborious editing is much enjoyed...and admired. You're so especially creative with your subject content. 🕊
Thank you so much! - One of your posts ended up in the “to be reviewed” folder again. Not sure why because it was perfectly lovely. Anyway, sorry for missing it until now. :-)
Amy, so very glad that you as well Ava, Mama Bear, and cubs were not injured! Talk about a split second. Outstanding contents, excellent editing great video. Thank you for posting.
🤎🐻🤎
🥰 thank you!!
Wow Amy. I am sure that Mama Bear knows who you are and she understands that of all the bears on the mountain you and Al love her best. Even the least astute bear would realized that tubs full of water and hammocks and big rubber balls don't just appear out of nowhere. She knows you.
🥰- I think she does know! My scent is everywhere. It’s on all the trail cameras, and throughout the gardens. (Ava’s scent is everywhere, too! 🐶 ) I don’t think Sadie would have have returned so often if she was truly fearful, so I take heart in that.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing that footage. It's a wonderful story to listen to and watch, as everything turned out fine, and no one was hurt. I don't think Ava meant that club any harm, I think she was curious and probably just trying to herd it. And, of course, mama bear Sadie just did what was natural when hearing a distress cry from her cub, she went into protective mama bear mode. Nature is beautiful and wonderful!
🥰 thank you for watching and commenting!
I'm glad it ended with nobody hurt! That mama bear seemed to have turned back pretty quick. Thank you for sharing
You know…. I could not fault a (literal) mama bear for protecting her cub. But poor Ava and poor you!! I don’t think I would ever recover! I’m so glad everyone came to their senses! And omg those cubs were so cute.
Both us Mama Bears were trying to do our job! But it seems both us Mamas fell down on the job that day, doesn’t it? 🙄
I do wish Sadie had left the area sooner - when she first heard us coming! You can see in the video when Sadie first hears us. She was clearly aware of our proximity at the time. Maybe she thought we were staying put and not walking in her direction?
I also wish Ava had given me a heads-up earlier, but she obviously didn’t know the cubs were nearby when I first stopped to check on the camera! Otherwise, Ava would have “told” me that bears were nearby, and I would have put her right back on leash! (Ava is like a walking bear-barometer in that respect.)
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS I just thought she was acting on instinct - when Ava came so close to her cub, she automatically charged at her. When she heard you maybe she realized there was no danger. As you said, it didn’t stop her and her babies from returning and playing as if nothing happened 🙂
Great video; action packed and all!
I think it is very daring of Amy to post this because this is exactly what humans should not be doing and it couldn't have been easy to put her story out there for all of us to see. The footage is amazing. Images to cherish forever because they may very well be the thing that saves your life or your dog's life. I think the lesson is habituating wild animals is not only dangerous for your pets and for yourself and other people, but it also puts the wild animal in danger. Had the bear attacked Amy or her dog the forest rangers would've been out there and the mother would've been put down (likely). Amy, thanks for your bravery in posting this and I hope Mamma bear and baby bears find a less human occupied place to visit. I'm glad your trail cameras were able to catch this and that your calm demeanor likely saved the day.
We've had black bears in the city limits of Pittsburgh - here it is not a matter of "habituating wild animals" and more a matter of demolishing the forests by developers - where are they to go? It's disgusting the amount of forests we're losing in this area.
So glad for the happy ending for dog and bear's.
That was amazing to watch! Thanks for sharing!! 🥰🐻
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Looks like Ava said "oh wait that is not a dog@"
🤣- or a cat! (she loves the cats)
So cute! ❤️ ❤️❤️
When little Topsy falls over! So precious.
Just AMAZING!! Almost gave me little HEART Failure 😞 but Cubs so cute 🥰 an Mama Bear just being MAMA an so enjoyed your Narration 😊 Thank you🙏🙏🙏🕊
I *still* get goosebumps when I watch this and I’ve been watching it all week! The part that really gets me is when you can hear Sadie chuff and protest right next to the camera before she comes into the frame. Holy Krap was that amazing!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
😂 That's one of those "soil your drawers" types of moments. Well at least your dog Ava has probably learned of valuable lesson and a bit of respect for a mama bear's cubs. And I agree, that type of breed needs to be herding something and a lot of exercise, but they're also extremely intelligent so I don't believe that will probably happen again. And that bear cub has learned a valuable lesson and so has the mama. No one got hurt but everyone learned a lesson. That's life and it's a good thing. That new mother is going to be watching her for her babies a lot better so that they don't get left behind and better yet those babies are going to learn to stay with their mama and know that she's going to protect them no matter what. This will teach them to be better mamas too.
🥰 thank you for understanding.
Some people are inevitably going to give me a bunch of BS about keeping my dog on leash, that it’s against the law, etc., etc. They obviously don’t have Aussies or Border Collies. Plus, this is on my own property. We cut trails in all over our dozens of acres in order for our dogs to walk. Sampson we always keep on leash since he doesn’t do well with recall the way Ava does. (He’s also a pretty stocky-terrier and is his Daddy’s familiar - he’s not into running, just like his Daddy. (Those two like to sit on the couch together for very long periods of time. 🤣)
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS nobody in the country anywhere keeps their dog on a leash. That's utterly ridiculous. It's your land and yes you share it with these animals because they don't know the concept of owning land and we do share this world with other beings who were here before us. They have actually more right to the country than we do. Your dog is an animal just like the bears are. They and we learn valuable lessons through each other. People who think that you should put your dog on a leash should probably think about the same thing with their children. Children are sent off to go to school by themselves with parents who know that there are predators out there looking to kidnap or molest them. So why aren't they taking their children to school and why do they let their children out of their sight in public? Are they bad parents? How often do we hear of these things happening? Every single day. Also I deal with a lot of people who have been sexually abused by people right under their own roof so where was the mother? I see parents going to the park playing on their phone and not paying attention to their children expecting other people to watch out for them. Nobody has a damn thing to say to you about what you do on your own property with your own animals. And if I see any comments like that I'm going to tell them. You might be a very nice person but I'm not when it comes to BS talk especially about animals. I'm an emergency vet tech and I've worked at a rehab "zoo" and animal shelters as well. I know animals and animal behavior. On the side I help people heal through emotional trauma and I understand the reason for some people's triggers is actually something to do with them not what's happening in your life or with your animals. Perhaps it would be guilt that they don't keep their own children safe.
Also I wanted to tell you that while working at the rehab zoo we found out about a bear that dared to go swimming in somebody's pool who lived out in the country. The authorities were going to put the bear down because it kept on coming back. Myself and a small group of people started protesting this and we started a fundraiser. I actually was able to do a bunch of cold calls to corporations and got a large amount of donations. We created an enclosure at that zoo for that bear and was able to save it. It's unfortunate that it had to live its life behind an enclosure and sometimes I wondered if death was better than imprisonment but I thought I was doing what was right at that time. I don't like a lot of people very much because they don't respect animals or nature the way they should. What I love about your channel, is that you obviously do and you allow us to appreciate nature through your videos. Thank you. ♥️
Oh my goodness! What an INCREDIBLE response - and what amazing stories you’ve experienced and shared! (And holy krap, YES about the sexual abuse everywhere, even under one’s own roof.)
You know how the saying goes about best intentions. We cannot do anything without our actions having ramifications much farther than we had ever considered - ripples in the pond, etc. What you did for that bear was absolutely admirable and so very beautiful. Hopefully the enclosure was large enough, and that it came with a water source! I hope the bear is happy! (Was the bear climbing a tall fence to get in? Wouldn’t blame it if it was!)
I totally understand your sense of misgiving about sentencing a wild bear to life in an enclosure, over life in the wild. But - since people were already considering that bear a nuisance bear, it’s likely it would have ended up being shot dead by the game warden, anyway! (Relocation really doesn’t seem to work, anymore. Relocated bears routinely travel hundreds of miles to get back to their home territories, as you know.) Also, the sad truth is that life in the wild can be absolutely brutal and full of terror and pain, too. You did the right and kind thing at the time. And you might consider doing it again, and no one would blame you. It was a beautiful act for a beautiful spirit.
Sometimes I dream about coming back in my next life as a bear rehabber. 🐻 🤎
And yes - *same* about people. Al and I live at the end of the road at the top of a mountain for a reason. I’ll never forget when we had a friend and neighbor from our old ‘hood come to visit us soon after we purchased our home here. After finishing making the drive up our very long, and treacherous driveway, she said, “You don’t like people very much, do you?” 🤣
Pretty much!
Although there are several wonderful exceptions. I’m so grateful for those good people in our lives, and in the world, even if we don’t see them much since the pandemic began. Al and I were already pretty hermit-like as it was, but ever since the pandemic hit, we rarely leave the mountain anymore unless we have to.)
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS I was able to obtain a large amount of money for that bear so it's enclosure was awesome and we had to purchase extra land to create it. Yes it did have its own pool and it's enclosure looked way better than where it probably lived. It wasn't a small enclosure either. Yes I felt very proud of myself at the time but I love animals and always have. That's why I changed from going to school to heal people to going to school to heal animals. I have regretted doing things for humans many times but never felt that way about an animal. Animals teach us many great lessons especially how to love unconditionally while people teach us how to hate.
You probably will not believe me but the only thing people have to worry about is the toxicity within their own body. I did not take any injections, I did not wear any mask, my state never locked down for a quarantine, I haven't been sick in 9 years because I eat only organic food, I don't drink alcohol, I drink filtered water, I don't take vaccines or pharmaceuticals, and I have never been injected by a vaccine as a child. I did not get all of the diseases other kids got like chicken pox and things like that. Poisons have to be introduced into our body for us to get sick like this. Don't hide from life because you're afraid of other people giving you something. People who were so afraid that they went and got injected, took the thing that they were afraid of getting and it doesn't matter if you're around other people or not. It destroys your immune system. It's the same thing that happened when people took the hepatitis vaccine and then we're told they had HIV which is an autoimmune disorder from a destroyed immune system. Sorry to say that if you've been injected but I have to say the truth. I hope you stay well.
You live in bear country! I make noise for them when I go downtown! Glad to see you bring out the bells!
We’ve only been living here for over 2 decades, now, so we do know how things are supposed to be done around here.
Al and I *always* make plenty of noise on the trails - with and without bells - whether all 4 of us are walking together, or whether it’s just me and Ava.
And when it’s just me and Ava on the trails, I talk and sing to Ava throughout our walks together, too, regardless of time of year.
I always take ‘wildlife temperature readings’ both before and throughout my walks. If either of our dogs catch scent of something nearby, it’s onto the leash Ava goes, even though Ava is truly excellent about recall. - Our other big rescue dog, Sampson, OTOH, always stays on leash because he is absolutely *awful* about recall. 🙄
I’ve always worked hard to stay aware, and to keep this sort of thing from happening, all while balancing a young, energetic herding breed’s inherent need to exercise at full-tilt.
Ava didn’t sense the cub until she stumbled upon it several paces away. Mama Bear Sadie clearly heard us coming, too. She heard me talking with Ava (as you can see in the video), but she didn’t leave the scene fast enough. Typically Mama Bears leave the scene much earlier than that if they sense human activity nearby. - I know that well from 10 years of trail-cam experience. - So, it appears both Mama Bear Sadie and I fell down on the job that day.
You could say we all learned a lesson, I suppose. Despite the close call, it’s pretty clear we all agreed to continue to co-exist because Sadie returned to our home repeatedly after this encounter - right up into Autumn and winter nap-time.
Ava continues to be excellent about recall, as she always has been, and I’m even more cautious than usual during our walks now, especially during the warmer months.
Regardless, Ava still needs at least some off-leash time in order to remain a sane and healthy herding breed dog.
I’m so glad you uploaded this video. It’s amazing & educational. I didn’t know about bear bells. Great idea! Please get Ava an extra treat with this. Good job training her so well.
Oh, OH!!! Thank you so much for your donation!
That’s just awesome. 🥰 🐶
I have to say, Ava is probably just innately good. I do work with her, but I worked about the same amount with all our other dogs who, with one precious exception, remained steadfastly headstrong. (The exception was the sweetest older female sprung from a puppy mill. She had a bent canine and multiple scars on her snout from trying to chew her way out of a cage - for 8 years! Chloe loved to stick around nearby, so we never had to worry about her running off. I was instantly and absolutely smitten with her. We only got to live with her for a little over a year before she succumbed to cancer, but what’s amazing year together it was!)
Ava was just fabulous nearly right out of the gate. So grateful to have her in my life! Perhaps her coming here from a place of abject fear made a difference. I worked hard to help her to blossom and gain confidence. That may have helped make the difference with her recall performance? The poor girl was terrified of all men and wouldn’t get near Al for a few months! She’s really grown now, and absoultely loves her Al now. She’s still my familiar and more “my” doggy than Al’s. That’s OK because Al has his own familiar in Sampson - our scruffy ragamuffin terrier rescue. They’re both more of the couch potato variety. 🤣 We love joking about that. 😁
Thank you again for your donation!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS RIP Chloe. 🕊💜🕊
Ohhh my Amy, that was certainly a scary moment. Man, that mama bear is fast! Glad everything turned out so well! 🐻💖🐻💖
Oh my god Amy, so glad everything worked out, Ava being a hearding dog she was just playing , I was going to ask you about the bear encounters. ❤🐻🐾❤🐻🐾❤🐻🐾❤❤❤❤❤
Wow intense. Hopefully your dog learnt an important lesson. That mama bear can’t half shift.
Yeah - no kidding!
All's well that ends well.
Phew!
Well, I hope all the animals learn something. I'm glad nobody was hurt. I laughed when I heard you calling your dog and thought for a split second how funny it was and he realized that by calling your dog you were bringing the bear to you. I think I would've yelled go also.❤
🤣 🤣 🤣 IKR!?
Pretty hilarious. (In hindsight. 😁)
I’m not sure why but I laughed at the up and down of the chasing. All it needed was the revving of a motor engine it was that fast. Poor baby bear got swiped by my
MumMa and Ava. Glad you posted this it was one I. A million.
😁 I laughed, too, once I got over the shock.
-Especially when Topsy fell over that first time. She was so precious and pitiful at the same time! Then there was the insult to (not-really-an) injury when her Mama knocked her aside a second time. 🤣
I just loved how little Topsy kept running behind her Mom to catch up, rather than following her brother and running the other way to safety.
Beautiful view at 6:55! That was a nice, calm, (stressful) story! Given your clientele, you were probably wise to warn us; but I thought it was very well told! EXCELLENT! It is good for people to see what can happen in an instant!
Thank you!!
Yes - I love gardening out on the patio! It’s just gorgeous out there. Especially at the end of the day. During the summer, Al will leave the back lights on for me since I’ll work out there until past dark.
(I love working there so long as the copperheads aren’t around. 🙄 They’re beautiful in their own way , of course, BUT, I’d prefer they remain farther away from the house. 😁)
I was really worried about how to present this footage, but think I struck the right balance.
Obviously this presentation isn’t for the mainstream - those folks who want to jump right into the stressful part. It’s not like there isn’t any of that online, already, so I figured I’d turn it into a story and provide some context.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS You did the right thing. And it wasn't that bad, but I think the warning was more than sufficient. I've been missing you -- too busy and not enough time! Take care; I haven't forgotten you! Yes, and I agree with you about Sadie. I think she caught her wild side just in time. Those bears know you mean only kindness and respect. I believe that.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Yep, you struck a good balance. Copperheads are not my ideal, close companions either. I recall your video of the Bob cat scurring away, with it's snake to-go dinner. Hilarious cos of the way it made the Bob cat walk, while carrying it. 🕊
🤣 🐍 waddle-waddle. I just wish the bobcats would go for the copperheads occasionally, instead of the blackies! Maybe bobcats don’t care for copperheads, either. 😁 (thank you for the kind comments. 🐻 🤎)
Beautiful video again thanks for sharing Amy ❤️
That is incredible
May I share this on my FB?
@mtngal5853 - of course!
I'm also thankful this turned out well. Thank you for sharing this.
It was so intense!
I’m grateful all turned out well.
Sadie was actually on our patio this morning a little after 6am! Love seeing her come by. She’s solo now, and quite busy during mating season. (She “emancipated” her surviving yearling, Turvy, a month or so ago so she could hang out with the boys.)
My ol friends dog was recently startled by a bear in the woods while exploring, and got chased right up to their back door. I told her and their family they had to watch your video of Sadie , Ava and your close -call! Keep those bear bells ringing! Stay safe in Those magical woods ❤
😳 Hope all ended well.
Thank you for checking in!!
XOXOX
Sadie was so fast! wow- who knew bears could run so fast? So glad Ava was safe.
YES! 😳
Bears are SUPER-fast if they want to be.
ua-cam.com/video/8abIG9kZMEw/v-deo.html
Amy, I’m so grateful that you and Ava are safe!!!!
I sent this to my contacts bcc. You are so educational.
It looks like mama bear bowled baby bear over more than Ava😂
Take good care of yourselves. Oh…. How did Al react😮
♥️ Al wasn’t there! And he didn’t see this footage from last spring until a couple days ago when I shared my first draft of the video with him. 😳 But he certainly heard about it. 🤣
Great video Amy! Perhaps Sadie also is used to your scent on the toys, hammock rope etc?
I think she is.
Thank you for another fabulous and positive video!
And thank you for watching this one!
It was a big labor of love, and leap of faith.
Thank you for posting this story. What a beautiful bear and an obedient doggie! That poor little cub got trampled by mom! lol But, it recovered quickly to keep up with mom. Bears are so resilient. Beautiful creatures!
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Yes - poor little Topsy got toppled big-time. She finally got a handle on her balance issues not long after this experience.
I sure hope she and her brother and mother survived the winter, even though it was a frighteningly lean autumn last year, with barely any acorns to speak of. (It was what the Kilham Bear Center called a “No Food Year.” 😞 Tough times for wildlife.)
Amy this is so awesome. Ava looked like she was saying hi are you lost want to be friends oops gotta go. Oh wow Sady was right there with you I believe she knows you for sure. Amazing how fast those little guys move Sady came barrelling through he bounced off of her onto his feet.. Ava is so beautiful so are Sady and babies. I totally enjoyed this video thank you so much Amy
🥰 🐻
Do you carry Bear Spray? I think (like you), the Mama knew your scent with carrying for their play area, and the trails. For whatever reason, I'm glad the Mama didn't get any closer?!
Cub: Mama it's me, Stop?!
I used to carry it regularly. I should probably start carrying one again, although I worry more about the coyotes than I do the bears.
I lost a pepper-spray canister a year or two ago. I late found it on one of the trails with teeth-dents in it. 🤣 That would have been one rude surprise if the bear managed to puncture that canister!
Thanks for putting the warning before I started watching . Thumbs up just for being so kind and preserving us from more stress than the world gives up .
🥰 Thank you.
I don’t like being subject to very upsetting footage without warning. -Especially when scrolling through a social media platform feed likeFacebook or Instagram Reels, etc.
Maybe I’m the minority, but I don’t even like watching all those ridiculously popular medley videos which feature human beings getting hurt or traumatized in all manner of ways - whether tripping/falling/being run into, etc. All I can think is, “Ouch!” Those videos always make me cringe. I’ve never been one to appreciate those instant replays of Olympic-level tumbles, either. (Like the clips titled, “The Agony of Defeat.” Remember those? As if the Olympians weren’t already feeling demoralized - we rubber-neckers just have to go and rub it in.)
I figure there must be more people like me who don’t want to see that stuff, either, hence the heads-up. At least the heavy-duty footage doesn’t start for a few minutes. There’s a nice slow roll-out, with a second warning, just in case, right before the stressful footage starts rolling. 😊 I also provide a soft landing, afterwards, to show how Sadie seems to have taken no offense, since she returned to the mountain to visit repeatedly, despite the tense encounter. I provide examples of some of her visits, etc.
Having said that, I have a pretty good collection of upsetting trail cam footage. As a trail cam enthusiast, I am thrilled with the captures. They are pretty amazing in and of themselves and it’s kind of a shame that I’m hoarding them all to myself. OTOH, those videos are definitely *not* “for general audiences. If I end up sharing any of those videos in the future, I’ll definitely be displaying warning notices up front!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Yup, I?m of those people who don't like seeing others get hurt, just seems ridiculous to me to watch it over and over , not to mention humiliating . don't see what is laughable .
If little Miss Ava is around you, grab that silly pup and give her a kiss on the nose, a belly rub , plenty of cuddles and a treat from me please .
Have a lovely day !
Whew! So glad this was a happily ever after!
Yeah, no kidding! 😳 😅
Omgosh ! That is some incredible footage Amy! I’m surprised but relieved that Sadie ran in the opposite direction once Ava was with you. I would have thought she would have torn you both apart. I think you’re right about your scent and likely Ava’s too, making Sadie not as freaked out. Is it normal for a ma bear to run back to her cubs and disappear after she scares away perceived threat? I’m just so surprised you or Ava were not harmed. Kudos on the brilliant footage. This should go viral. 🐻 😅
Thank you! 🥰
Yes, it’s *very* normal for Mama Bears to run off/saunter off/walk off with their cubs, away from any perceived threat. That’s really the rule, rather than the exception for most rural bears.
There was one notable exception, though - an absolutely ginormous male and his almost equally ginormous lady-friend. They were both sitting on their bums, just 2 feet from the trail I was on, hidden behind tree foliage. They didn’t budge an inch. They were obviously catching their breath in-between love sessions, and didn’t give a damn that I was standing there. (It was the middle of bear mating season.) It was pretty alarming how close we were, but the bears were obviously not concerned in the slightest. So, I turned around and took the long-way home to give them some more privacy. 🤣
Rewatching, I'm still amazed Mama Bear didn't take a swipe at ya?! Your Guardian Angel was working overtime with that one. That My Friend was A True Gift. I bet it took a while to get the lump out of your throat on that one?
A True Miracle Gift My Friend
Thank you so much for watching again - and commenting, too!
It really was an amazing experience. At the time, I was more worried about my girl, Ava, but I did feel quite a sense of relief for myself, as well, once I had a chance to relax and reflect on what happened. 🤣
❤ oh wow amy
Wow Amy! I watched this yesterday, while in the middle of cooking dinner , and I stressed! I remember you telling me that you’d had an experience, and hoped to put out a special video, but I had NO IDEA it would be this exciting! Thank God Ava knew to run like Heck! I agree, that Ava definately appeared to be herding and not attacking. What amazing footage you captured from multiple cameras! I bet that flipped your Zen moment on the mountain for a few days! Hopefully, Ava has a new respect for keeping distance from protective momma bears! Keep your bear bells on! And thank you for this crazy, and exciting adventure!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! It really was a huge deal! I was remarkably calm immediately afterwards. I knew Sadie wasn’t going to turn back around and bother us. I had Ava on leash, so we went our separate ways calmly.
It was later, when I switched out the cards on the cameras and reviewed the footage - that’s when I got an extra and more sustained adrenaline rush. 😬 Holy Krap.
I have an australian shepherd too - they are very smart dogs :) Sometimes, too smart 😂
Beautiful story lucky everyone were safe ❤️ best outcome that we al want for adorable 🐻🐻🐻 and sweet🐶 thank you for sharing ❤️
Thanks for watching!
Well done Amy! I understand the concern for the stressful part of the video. I thought the still pics of some of the encounter gave enough of a heads up but the video is so real that it still had an impact. The still pic of Ava and the cub doesn't protray the herding aspect of that breed but the video shows she meant no harm. The back and forth of Ava cornering the cub, the mom bowling over the cub chasing Ava and then again running away is hilarious. I've never encountered a black bear that close and can see how powerful they are. Loved the playing videos of the cubs also. Thanks
Thank you!!
Now i thought i got it with Grizzly encounters but this was what you said it was for sure. well taken Video.
well, that little brat bear snitching on Ava - when she just wanted to play!!! [am really glad you ALL came out ok!]
🤣 🤣 All’s well that ends well.
Hopefully Ava understands why she’s on leash all the time now! (At least until winter when the foliage is down, and the bears are primarily napping.)
It’s bear mating season now, and all sorts of bears have been passing through. Many are venturing a good bit outside of their usual territory in search of more mates. Some of the boys coming through here are absolutely ginormous. I use the marks on the Bear Tree as a measuring stick. When a male’s head rises above some of the most pronounced claw and bite-marks on that tree, I know he’s a giant among his contemporaries. Since male bears can sometimes be a threat to cubs, Mama Bears tend to be extra vigilant. I’m so very relieved Ava didn’t lunge or bark or act aggressively. Sadie figured that out and was OK with simply retreating. It was still a fairly terrifying split-second there, when she and I were face to face (her on her hind legs) - close enough to touch each other - and she was clearly deciding whether we were a real threat or not. Glad she figured out we weren’t - especially because I am one of her biggest fans. 😁
I haven’t edited the new footage yet, but I just captured more footage of Sadie last week. Her previous visit here with her Yearling was a total blast, but she has since “emancipated” her surviving yearling and is now out on the trail looking for a new mate. My cameras captured video of her courting with a new boyfriend. Those two were having a blast together! I’ll share some of that courting footage in the near future. Hopefully that courting means she’ll swing back by next spring with another set of adorable cubs. 🥰
Here’s the link to Sadie and her yearling in FAMILY GAME NIGHT, in case you missed it:
ua-cam.com/video/zJrb3F7YE70/v-deo.html
Amy, this is an incredible video, I appreciate your sharing this because it shows the mommy protecting her cubs and then showing great restraint . There was a scary moment, but all worked out. I'm going to share this with friends who really are not educated about wildlife ❤️
Thank you!
This one made me hold my breath, even though I knew everything was going to end well. I actually think it's important to share this kind of content too; we see those charming, wonderful animals and sometimes forget how instinct-driven they are: dogs *will* chase and bears *will* protect their cubs. I must confess I laughed out loud the second time I watched; the faces of both Ada and Sadie are priceless.
Thanks so much for watching this!
We’re coming up on the time when I’ll have to leash Miss Ava more often than not. Makes me sad, but it’s the right thing to do. Hopefully I’ll be able to exercise Ava enough within the fenced-in yard to keep her happy. Kinda doubt it bc she still hasn’t figured out how to play fetch, despite my trying to teach her - with treats as rewards. Oh well. I’ll just have to keep trying!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS I don't think I've ever heard of a dog that needs to be "bribed" into to playing fetch 😄.
Pretty sad, eh? Hilarious, too.
We’ve had mostly herding breeds and not retrievers.
When we lived near a lake, our dogs were always more interested in herding and chasing the other retriever-dogs who were chasing a thrown-stick into the water, rather than going after the stick for themselves. They just loved retrieving the retrievers. 🤣
WOW!!!! Amy, that really is some awesome footage!! I can only imagine how your heart must have been pounding. As you say, your beautiful dog didnt have any intention of hurting the bear cub, he was just inquisitive but my goodness did Sadie come running when she heard the cries and again, as you said, she was just being a good mummy! I am so glad that everyone remained safe after this encounter and I guess it also just goes to show that you should always be alert when in bear country because even after 20 years, things can still happen out of the blue. This could have turned out very differently but thank goodness it didn.t and instead you have some really, really amazing footage! Well done you 🙏🙏❤❤❤❤🐻
😅 huge relief - and an amazing experience all around.
I’m still trying to teach Ava how to play “fetch” so I can tucker her out inside the confines of her fenced-yard. I may try to teach her a couple agility things, too. (Like running around “barrels”, as my friend suggested.) So far, she’s just not into it - not even when treats are involved. I hope she’ll begin to embrace some of those games and challenges so that when the bears come out to play again, she will still get enough exercise. There are only a few safe spots for letting her off-leash, (a huge straightaway with direct line-of-sight.) At least we can put her through her paces there - with bells on. Al and I have her run back and forth between us a whole bunch. 🐶
Just wanted to tell you that I started my day with a big smile and a giggle thanks to this video. It was the first thing I thought about after waking up, and as stressful as the situation was for both for the animals and you, it’s actually quite hilarious knowing the safe outcome. Ava (sorry I got her name wrong yesterday) happily darting of to explore - is it a sheep, a toy…? Sadie running to the rescue and in the process tackling her cub, and you shouting “Come!”, “Go!”.
It was such a lovely way to start the day, smiling and thinking of what an adventure a walk in the great outdoors can be. So, thank you for that and I hope your day will be a nice one too!
Well thank YOU for starting *my* day off so nicely! 🥰
Hope you have a lovely day, as well.
I'm just catching up, having only recently come across your UA-cam channel. I'm a longtime fan of your husband Al's beautiful guitar music. This was epic crittercam footage! Your Ava was just doing what comes naturally, she didn't have her mouth on that cub at all. Mama was in righteous wrath, but I think you must be right about her finding you and your scent familiar. You guys got off with just a warning 😆. I've had Welsh corgis for 30 years, I know how those instincts kick in. I'd say those bear bells are pretty handy 😁. Phew!
Awwwww - thank you so much for this sweet note!
I’m so glad you found this video and took the time to watch and comment. 🐻 🤎 🐶
Better to be safe and take the Precautions, keeping Ava on a Leash. Never assume any of their behaviors. had this been a bear you were not familiar with the outcome could have been much worse. Glad it turned out great and you got that classic footage.
Yes. Thank you!
Even though I haven’t seen a bear out yet this late winter, Ava’s pretty much back on leash already, for the most part. We will let her run on the straight-aways when there are two of us humans walking and she makes a game of running between us at our command. Poor girl needs to run!
I wish Ava would just learn to play fetch so I could exercise her regularly within the confines of our smallish fenced dog-yard. Despite trying to bribe her with treats, she still hasn’t grasped the concept of that game. Simply running super-fast and making those wicked tight turns on a dime - those are her thing. That’s where her joy lies. At least she can exercise that way for most of the winter!
Oh my! How long did it take you to recover? The sounds! Those faces! Fascinating again! Thank you. Glad everyone is fine.
My heart was racing, for sure, but things ended up just fine, which sure helped. Oddly enough, I wasn’t feeling all that upset on our walk home. I knew Sadie was walking the other way and that she wasn’t interested in pursuing us past her initial dog-escorting service. 😁
I actually didn’t see or realize all of what had transpired until I switched out the SD cards on my trail cameras and viewed the footage on my desktop computer. I definitely relived the experience then, with a whole new added spin of adrenaline. I had been in a quandary about whether to share the experience ever since that day of editing. I finally decided to go ahead and present the footage with a little context.
TBH, I was feeling oddly fine at the time the encounter ended. Sadie and I do “know” each other, after all. She and I had routinely frequented the same areas, albeit separately, throughout all of 2021. (Maybe that familiarity is why she didn’t leave the area fast enough? She clearly heard me coming, as you can see in the video. Normally bears leave quickly if they hear or see us coming.)
As you’ll probably remember, I captured footage of Sadie being courted by a couple different male bears during the 2021 bear mating season. I knew there was a good chance she’d return again in 2022 with her cubs, and I was so looking forward to that! I just wasn’t planning on getting quite so close to those cubs. 🙄
Aw all that end well. your dog curious and chase. Lucky mum bear doesn't want stretch out scaring moment turn into something else when all becoming ok again.
Эми, спасибо, за видео, получилось замечательно, как хорошо, что вы любите мишек, и мы тоже любим мишек, и наша мечта их увидеть, и хорошо, что вы остались невредимыми с собакой🐻🐾❤️😍 Продолжайте также радовать нас своими суперскими видео про мишек 🐻Привет из Иркутска, Сибирь, около озера Байкал. 🎄⛄🌨️
Oh, thank you. 🐻 🤎
It must be SO beautiful up there, where you are right now!
We’re hardly having any snow this year thus far. 😔 Hope we get a lovely good snow or two before spring arrives. (The crocuses are already blooming. The too-warm weather has fooled them.)
Thanks again for watching and commenting!
Great video and story telling!
Thank you!!
It was a huge labor of love, as you can tell.
Leash-time coming up for Miss Ava soon, once the bears are out and about again.
What a great video thank you so much for that I live in the pocono’s in pa and long to see the bears again in the spring so glad no one was hurt and your dog is awfully cute 😊 7:09
Yes! I dream of the bears all winter and can’t wait to see them each spring. Especially the younger sows who I saw flirting during bear mating season. I always hope they’ll return to visit with their first cubs, just as Sadie did last year. 🐻 🤎
Thank you for the lovely comment!
i do agility with my dog at a facility that also breeds aussies and oh boy they do love to run and chase! glad everybody is ok
Oh yes!! Herders gonna herd! (and run)
Our fenced dog-yard is kinda small, but I was thinking about maybe setting up one or two obstacles for her. Thankfully, she’s not a super high-strung, super high-energy dog. She fits in with our lazier family quite well. But, still, she really does need to run routinely, so this time of year is tricky.
Thanks for watching!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMSthere are dogs of all temperaments who enjoy agility! some dogs are completely relaxed while waiting their turn, while others are screaming in outrage at the INJUSTICE of having to WAIT while another dog runs. it's good physical and mental exercise, as long as the dog enjoys it. mine is obsessed.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS also, do you have any porcupine encounters? I'm not sure if porcupines are native you guys. My dog recently came running back to me on a hike COVERED in quills. The emergency vet thinks she decided to roll on a dead porcupine, because they were mostly on her chest and back, while most dog-porcupine encounters end with the dog getting a faceful of quills from trying to grab them. Luckily, besides a fun surprise vet bill, she's completely healed up and was running agility courses after a few days of sore muscles. I'm pretty sure she has no regrets and would do it again.
@@jaynenunya6070 - Whoa!! Poor thing!!
So sorry your doggy had to suffer through that.
We’ve been relatively lucky here, although Sampson lost his leash privileges after nearly meeting his demise in the middle of a coyote pack. 😳 😱
I’ll just have to live vicariously through other people’s stories and trailcam videos when it comes to Porcupines. That’s OK by me. 🤣 I only rarely see skunks up here, so hope we can keep them and our doggies relatively separate since there’s more of a chance meet-up with one of those Pepes.
So, yeah - no porcupines in these neck of the woods.
I have to say, I would sure love to get to see otters up here, but that’s not gonna happen, either.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMSLuckily, porcupines can't shoot out their quills, so as long as you give them space they don't want to bother you or pick fights. My dog just chose the wrong stinky thing to roll on lol.
😮💨😳 I’m glad everybody was ok. This one was a nail biter. I thought Ava was a goner but I knew you wouldn’t show something like that! Mama bear Sadie looked angry. Lol. And I loved how she & the cubs relaxed at her little “home” (with the toys & tubs) after she calmed down.😅
Intense, for sure! But thanks for giving it a try.
I did try to tell the story with a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. 🤣
Alas, it’s back to leash-time. Our friends have already seen bears coming out quite early, only a ridge or two over from here, so it probably won’t be long before we start seeing bears over here. I just worry there isn’t enough food out there for them!
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMSI love bears and dogs so I am glad Ava will be going back on her leash for her own safety. 😆 I also understand your concerns regarding food although I’m still excited for the early exit from hibernation! There are a few where I live but I still don’t reside in “bear country”. That’s why I’m patiently awaiting for “Bear Simone” (Patrick Conley’s bear friend) to greet us soon along with her cubs. Asheville, NC seems like a haven for bears. I love them so I’ll be looking forward to your newer videos.
Thanks for the reply!😊 🐻❤️
Mama bear is smart! she recognized what you said immidiatry! Your response is so grate! In my country, thousand of bears are killed every year. There are not the people who can appropriate action. So humans are killed by bear then human kill bears. You are amazing!!
Thank you!
I always dread bear-hunting season. I worry about many of my favorite bears, especially. It’s always a relief if I get to see them again.
Where do you live?
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS I live in Japan.
Great video!!!!
I had a border collie years ago. The day I brought her home at about 9 weeks,she was on the porch. The neighbors huge dog came to visit and she flew off the porch (she could have hurt herself) ran over to him and ran circles around him. He was afraid of her! She rounded up bunnies and squirrels, rocks and sticks and lumber. It is sooooo ingrained in them to herd.. she was smart as a whip, but I would never get another herding dog unless I had a flock for them to care for. They have to be kept busy!
Those cubs are sooooo cute!!! They sounded a little bratty!
I had one of those green moth worms in my garden last year. It had those wasp eggs all over it.(They say very healthy gardens will attract that.). So when the wasps hatched, what did they do? Found a way to get inside one of my rooms and build a nest oon the window molding. Like my other wasps and bees that know my scent, I felt they wanted to winter inside with me. Yes,. Scent is instrumental on so many levels for anything that has the ability to smell.
Thanks for an exciting adventure!
The slo-mo, gave me a much needed laugh when the cub got pushed out of the way.
Ahhhh, fond childhood memories of one of my favorite cartoons, Yogi Bear!!!
💖🌈🕊️🦌🦃🐿️🐻🐕🕊️🌈💖
LOVE your comment and getting to hear about your BC herder experience, too! Thank you for sharing. 🥰
During the slow motion, did anyone else notice the small cub's reaction as mama bear raced toward Ava and knocked the cub on its keister? It reminded me of the paper towel commercials where something is spilled and in slow motion, people are saying "Nooooooooo". Amy - You might have been scared but it did not show in your voice.
🥰 - and yes, I just had to show the footage again in slow-motion. It was so amazing and pitiful at the same time. Poor little Topsy! At least she was on solid ground not too long after that. Took her a while, though!
I like this video
Thanks for watching!
Wowee Zowee!
Great video😂❤
Thank you!
The best part - slo-mo poor little Topsy getting toppled. 🤣 🐻 😁
What are the specs n brand of the trail camera's you use? How far apart do you set them up?
I love my Brownings. I’ve had several models over the years as they get discontinued and new models come out. (I loved the Recon Force Advantage, for example. It’s been discontinued.) Lately, I’m partial to the Recon Force Elite and Spec Ops Elite models. I also give other models a try, like Spartan (mostly for their wider angle, which is helpful in tight spots. Not even Browning HP5s can match that wider field of view.)
As for how far apart, it really depends.
There are some areas or paths which are a lot more popular than others. Sometimes I’ll have as many as 3-4 cameras (from different perspectives) trained on one spot that’s obviously a favorite area for wildlfe.
Along favorite trails I’ll sometimes post cameras on the same tree pointing both directions along the trail. I almost always have multiple cameras along any trail bc the wildlife love the trails as much as we humans do, and because you never know where along the trail an animal will jump on, or where they will do something fabulous. 😁
What are your favorite trail cams?
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Thank You. Your footage is the best I've ever seen from trail cams. It's wonderful. The Cameo's you get are so neat. So here and there i hear people say they aren't sure if they're glad they put them up. Because now they see thing's out there they didn't even realise came so close. 😂🤣 I've lived deep in a canyon of the mountains. Never needed a trail cam for the hair to stick up the back of my neck. I could just feel being watched at times. One time n i was in my 20s young n ignorant walking one of my dog's. Off leash. We just entered a real dense woody area and something about the ground looked to me like something they describe as a kill that Grizzlies bury a shallow grave thing for. I started kicking it with my foot and heard a bear grunt. I got so scared i froze in place a few sec lol. I turned around to tell my dog home and she was half way to the house. She left me in her dust. 😂🤣 She's no fool. So the next time i went for a walk i took all 3 of my dog's. Dumb idea off leash. They walked with me a ways then bolted. Took 4 days before they returned. Pretty sure they were ruining deer. I should have known better cuz if they could get loose they'd always be gone 3-4 days before returning. Once my youngest one came back with a face full of porcupine quills. It was so sad. That same dog got bit in the face by a rattle snake n survived. He never learned better. Or the other two egged him on to go first 😂🤣. A lady who lived further up from me was walking her 2 dogs off leash n they tangled with a raccoon. It tore them up so bad. It scared me a little cuz i had my raccoon since it was 3wks old at the time. But I've had a couple encounters at night with big male raccoons that were mean.
@@RedRose4141 WOW - those are amazing experiences. Bet you have to worry about mountain lions, too. They leave similar kills. - Yes, we learned the hard way that some dogs will mind us, and some won’t. That Sampson I was telling you about. He’s stubborn and will ignore us if there’s something he’s after. We nearly lost him to a coyote pack a few years back. It was AWful. I was tearing down the mountain, screaming the whole way down toward where I could hear all the yipping coyotes. I only heard one horrifically loud bark from Sampson in response. I was worried I was going to be too late! - I finally made enough distraction to break it up. Sampson, like your first dog, had already returned to the top of our mountain and joined my husband. Meanwhile I was still way down there with the coyotes looking at me. HAHAHA - we had to take him to the vets to get him fixed up. I pulled a coyote tooth out of his head a week after the attack! - Anyway, the stubborn boy obviously didn’t learn his lesson. Whenever he smells them he wants to keep following the scent. Just. NOPE. The boy lost his off-leash privileges for good. Ava is a gem. It’s such a pleasure to have a dog who listens and means to please! What a different world.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Gosh that's scary. Coyotes creap me out. In California they've gotten so brazen that they go after any size pet, children, scale 6ft brick walls and roam in daytime around people anywhere. Where you live have you seen Coywolf yet? I know in the north east states they've captured some n done a DNA so they know they cross bred. There's even polar bear and grizzly cross now.
Cougar is what made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. They are so sneaky. I never let my girls play outside alone while little. The back of our house sit right against the mountain. A few times at night I'd pull right in up the front of the yard to the 1st front doors to get inside quick lol.
Your sou right about dog's. I love how intelligent Border Collie and Aussie are and they're so loyal n sweet. My oldest daughter's Aussie she taught to stare at each other n raise eyebrows up n down. It was hilarious.
Now I want to teach Ava how to do Up & Down eyebrows, too. 🤣 That’s just awesome!
I taught my last Aussie Tilt-a-Head on command because it totally slays me. Ava hasn’t quite figured it out yet, though.
I also taught my last Aussie splooting on command. (Which I call “fraw legs” aka frog legs.) Ava’s got the splooting down, although she rarely lets me issue the command. She just voluntarily sploots when she’s happy now - probably because she knows it makes me ridiculously happy, too. I get an extra kick out of seeing bears sploot on camera. Maybe I’ll have to make a video-medley of splooting bears someday. 😁
As for trail cam footage quality, I do what I can with it! It can be challenging, as you know. I work via Final Cut Pro software now, instead of iMovie. I try to take good advantage of built-in filters and plug-ins. I wish I was better at masking, and key framing, etc. Just learning as I go.
Ava *still* hasn’t figured out how to fetch, btw, even despite repeated training sessions which always involve treats for the return of the ball/toy. She’s just not interested. We’ve actually only had one dog who was totally into playing fetch. It’s a shame Ava’s not a fan of fetch, because that would be a great way for her to exercise within the confines of the fenced dog-yard. She could get some good short-stint running that way. I’ll keep trying, but so far she’s just not interested. You’d think her favorite treats would make the difference, but so far, just nope.
How do we donate? Never knew about that
Thank you!! So glad you watched. :-)
There are a couple different ways to donate, to help with battery expenses and such. The best way for me is via this link:
paypal.me/FairviewCritterCams
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS donated! Thank you!💜
Animals stand up for what matters most, your dog was protecting you and the mother bear was defending her two cubs. But I was afraid the dog would hurt the bear cub. 🧸🧸🐻🏹..............................................🦮🩸🩸🩸
I half-joke that Herders gonna herd, and Mamas gonna Mama. That’s pretty much what was happening there.
Ava really loves to herd and follow. (She loves playing with our cats.) She had clearly never seen a bear cub before, though - not up close, anyway. Once I could emotionally remove myself from the intensity of the situation, I got a big kick out of seeing Ava’s expression once she finally caught up with Topsy. It’s like Ava was thinking,
“WTH are you?…..Wanna play?….
Oh! - Never mind! BYE!”
🐶 😱 🐻
I doubt Ava would have tried hurting the cub. She’s far less aggressive than she is curious. Our other dog, Sampson, on the other hand, would probably have tried to do some damage and he would have incurred damage in return. Quite possibly worse. That is precisely why Sampson doesn’t have off-leash privileges. He lost them a long time ago. Sampson doesn’t pay us any attention if he doesn’t want to. Ava, on the other hand, is the Queen of Recall. She’s an absolute gem.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS I really like the videos you share, I love all the bears in the world. But I know that you are very careful with these puppies. Thank you so much for the affection you have with your subscribers!!! I wish you all the happiness in the world. 🐻🐻🐻🐶🐶🥰🥰
Amy! You've been holding out on us! Sitting on this excellent video all this time? I'm so glad you decided to share it with us. After watching it a few times, it started to occur to me that had you had a camera in your hands recording when Ava came running back to you with Sadie in hot pursuit, there would have been even more and better video to be seeing and talking about. I guess it all happened very fast but I'm fascinated to hear and find out your reaction when you saw them coming toward you. You articulated humourously how you changed from "Ava come!", to "Ava go!", but what was your reaction when you saw Sadie heading your way? Was there a time when you considered turning and running or did you have the presence of mind to instantly know that running is the wrong thing to do with a black bear advancing? When Sadie saw you, what did she do or how did she react? Did she immediately stop and go back the other way on the trail? You mentioned standing arms length from her. She stood looking, sniffing and surveying you? This is the part of the story you didn't go into detail about and for me it is most a most fascinating part. I'm sure your other watchers and subscribers would appreciate your further elucidation.
You also mentioned other video clips you have in the bag that you haven't shared. Are they just run of the mill clips of bears doing their thing, foraging for food or do you have some that you thought perhaps too raw in some way? I, for one, adjure you to share them.
Many thanks as always for outstanding videos and your calm soothing voice that we don't hear nearly enough.
Rick in British Columbia
Thanks for the lovely comment and questions! 🥰
I sat on this footage for months because I was getting both yays and nays when I asked whether people wanted to see it. I finally opted to share it with the heads-up warning, up front. That way people could move on to something else if they weren't up for the tense moments.
As for how things went down, I tried to explain things without taking too much time in the video. Here's a little more detail, though, since you asked:
Immediately after I heard that bear-cub's cry, I knew WTH was going on and went on auto-pilot. I dropped what I was doing and began run-walking in the direction of the cries, to try to retrieve Ava. It all happened too fast for me to even remember I had a cell-phone in my pocket. Besides, I wanted both hands free to secure Ava once she returned to me. (Assuming she would return to me!) That's all I could think about at that moment -- saving Ava. I wasn't thinking about my own safety at that moment.
There are two blind curves very close together on that part of our trails. Line of sight is almost non-existent during the warmer months when the foliage is out. For that reason, there was almost NO time in-between not seeing Ava and Sadie, and then suddenly seeing them. As soon as we all rounded the corner from opposite directions at the same time, with both Ava and Sadie running at top speed, we were almost literally on top of one another when we met. That's what I meant by being at arm's length. The meeting was extremely sudden! It could be that the element of surprise may have helped? (In addition to Ava's not being obviously aggressive, and Sadie's already recognizing my scent.)
At the instant when we met, Sadie stood up on her hind legs. That stance is just bear-speak for being curious, as you know. It's not an act of aggression. I suppose, in hindsight, Sadie's standing may have helped assuage my fears somewhat? However, because she took that stance, I also couldn't help but look straight into Sadie's eyes. I think humans are supposed to avoid looking into bears' eyes, in general, lest bears consider our stares an act of aggression. But we were so very close, so quickly, I didn't really have time to take stock of the situation and react any differently, and look in a different direction.
In more typical, calmer bear-encounters, I will speak gently, too, if I speak at all. I think that's what is suggested, anyway. This was an entirely different type of encounter, though. It all happened so damned quick, and was so immediately in-your-face, I automatically yelled at Sadie to go away. Given the circumstances, I still feel like that was the wisest course of action. I had to arrest Sadie's 'forward momentum' and encourage her to reverse course somehow. Standing tall (after leaning down to grasp Ava's collar, first) and yelling authoritatively did the trick.
As for other video clips -- there aren't any quite like this. However, I have collected a bunch of gruesome predator-prey footage. Not so much the chases themselves, but the results of those chases, after the fact. Coyotes are formidable opponents. I've captured quite a few clips of coyotes trotting past my cameras with half-Bambis and pieces of domestic cats hanging out of their mouths. A long time ago, I posted one video that showed a coyote carrying a mature deer head. That was a rare type of video for my channel. I may post others in the future. I haven't decided yet. If I do, they will have warnings up front, in case the titles aren't enough to warn off more sensitive viewers. 😱
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Thank you very much for the reply and the explanation. You are to be congratulated on your apparent sanguinity in the face of what for most people would be heart pounding, adrenalin pumping, panic. Good for you! I pride myself in knowing all the things one is to do and not do with black bear encounters yet 10 or 15 years ago when a big male bluff charged me, I ran to the 'safety' of our house. It did the one step with a huff and watched me run. Its instinctive plan worked like a charm on me.
Thank you also for your amazing consideration and kindness in replying to my questions/comments and for your practice of replying to all the viewers like you routinely do. That's incredible and that is one more thing that sets you above and beyond ANY other UA-cam content providers I've watched. I've watched a lot. You are special.
Rick in British Columbia
Heck this is pretty scary atacks your atention fastly. i would put a warning sign 🤘 up because some watchers could get pretty upset unexpectedly possibly.
🤣 - yes, I have some sensitive subscribers, hence all the heads-up moments.
A few folks didn’t want to watch bc it would stress them out, but some did after knowing that everything turned out just fine. 😁
leave a picture of you and your dog and a special treat next to it.
The cubs were only 3-4 wks old. Where i live if you walk with your dog off leash and they chase wildlife at all. DWR will give you citations for dog running at large and harassing wildlife. I'm kinda surprised being you know how much wildlife you have there that you'd allow your dog off leash and neither of you were wearing bells to warn the bear to create distance.
honey - you obviously don’t have an Aussie
Plus - these trails are all on our private property. We’ve cut in loads of them across nearly 30 acres.
Maybe you missed the part about - “first time in 20 years”, eh?
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Actually i have raised Aussie's. They are herding dogs. They give chase whenever possible. They are born with that instinct.
Yeah, and they will go b@tsh!+ crazy if you don’t give them the exercise that they need - both mental and physical.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Yep but they can walk on a leash too. I think this encounter was a good learning curve for both new Momma n Dog. Ava seemed very concerned hearing the cub cry. Seriously if you and your dog wore a bell it saves allot of stressful encounters of any wildlife while exercising your dog. I haven't tried those ball throwers yet. The ones you can train your dog to fetch the ball and put it back in the machine n wait for it to throw it again yet. But Aussie are so smart. I think it wouldn't be hard to train her with one and she'd love it. It's amazing how quickly newborn cubs adapt and grow isn't it.
KEEP DOGS ON LEASH!
You might want to look up how dogs are linked to attacks on their owners, because dogs always run back to their owners. You got very lucky.
Well, of course!
That’s precisely why I worked so hard on this video - it’s a cautionary tale for others, even those people with “good” dogs.
This could have went so badly bears kill dogs and humans frequently especially a mother bear with cubs please be careful in bear country
It's a shame the dog got off the leash in the first place.
Kent. This is on my private property. I purposefully spent thousands of dollars cutting these trails in, in part to help exercise my dog who is a herding breed who absolutely *must* be able to run and exercise. She’s excellent about recall - so - as I said in my video, I don’t always have her on leash.
Our other dog, OTOH, stays on leash. He’s simply awful about recall.
@@FAIRVIEWCRITTERCAMS Thanks for the explanation. First of all, I am glad no harm came to any of the participants. I was not trying to be snarky in my comment; I love your website and confess that I did not have the sound on in response to the warning that the video might be stressful to some viewers (like me). Seeing the little guy in distress, and then Ava in distress, was rough for me to watch even with the sound off. I missed your narration, however, where you explained things. Respectfully. Kent
Thanks, Kent!