Bear Jam in Yellowstone National Park
If you are ever visiting Yellowstone National Park, there is a pretty high chance that at some point you will become quickly familiar with the idea of a ‘bear jam’. No, this is not some form of delectable treat to spread on toast, although I think someone should make a specialty jam with this name. This is a Yellowstone version of a traffic jam. Quite literally, roads will come to a screeching halt when there is a bear visible on the side of the road. This also happens with bison for a bison jam.
Be Safe!
Your first goal in a bear jam is to just be as safe as possible. People will stop VERY quickly and simply abandon their cars as they jump out to get an glimpse of a bear. One driver I saw clearly did not put the car in park or set the break. They were half way out of the car while it was rolling forward before they realized what was happening.
You may not be able to get off the side of the road. If you can’t, then nobody else can either, so you can’t worry too much about it. Just watch out for people not paying enough attention to their cars. Try not to get hit or let your car get hit. I’m convinced there are likely car accidents because of bear jams.
Also remember that the recommended safe minimum viewing distance for bears in Yellowstone is 100 yards. This is for your own protection. Bears are very fast and can be aggressive if they feel threatened. The reality is if you end up in a bear jam, you will not have control over how close you are to the bear. It may be better to try and watch from the safety of the vehicle with the windows rolled up.
The park service provides a wealth of Yellowstone safety information to reference.
Cameras are everywhere!
Once you have gotten yourself safely stopped, try and see where people are pointing their cameras. If you have not seen the bear yet, this is the fastest and easiest way to figure out why there is a sudden traffic jam. You may want to be careful you don’t become the point of interest for someone else’s camera. My daughter wanted to see better, so we opened the sunroof for her to stand up through. People started taking photos of her rather than looking for the bear.
The other thing to notice related to cameras, is that 99% of the people stopping are holding cell phones or tablets. They are taking pics and video as best as they can. If you are a photographer, they are also doing a good job of helping you see where to point your camera. They can also be very much in the way if you are trying to get into position for a shot.
Be observant!
If you are accustomed to wildlife photography, you know to try and anticipate where the animal will be for the best photo. That was the case for me with this image. I was able to watch the bear just long enough to see where it was heading, and I saw a nice opening between the trees. I had just enough time to get in position for when the bear would pass between the trees. Lucky for me the bear did not change direction. This was the best of the few frames I was able to get. The bear never turned to look at the crowd, but gave a nice profile view while walking.
People can ask some funny questions!
Once the bear has gone out of sight, people will linger to talk about what they just saw. This only extends the bear jam. It may feel a little frustrating, but you have to roll with it. If you are the one with the good camera equipment in the crowd, people will automatically assume you have a clue and likely an image worth seeing. Be ready to scroll through your images with others looking over your shoulder.
You may also need to be ready for a short QA session. Are you a professional? What else have you gotten photos of? Can we see them? It is amazing what people will ask. The true winner though was a lady who asked if she could take a pic of my camera’s viewscreen for this frame. I didn’t have an issue with that until… once she saw that the screen showed the basic EXIF data, she asked if I could not show that. She literally said to me “can you turn that stuff off so people will think I took the photo”. At that point, it was all I could do to contain hysterical laughter.
I politely told her no, it could not be turned off. She got her quick pick of my camera, and I assume she did her best to crop out what she did not want.
Enjoy your bear jam!
No matter how crazy they may seem, being in a bear jam in Yellowstone is a special even to be cherished. They don’t happen that often, and many people visiting the park never see a bear. If you are fortunate enough to see one, make the best of it, be safe, and enjoy!