Overview
Along the Finnish and Russian Border lies an area of land as empty and wild as it gets in Europe. Amongst this Taiga Forest roams one of Europe’s most impressive and threatened predators, the Brown Bear. Waiting patiently in our specially designed hides, a snap of a twig can be heard and there in front of our hide is this magnificent animal only a few feet away. Large dominant males are an awesome sight, and this location has some of the largest males visiting each evening. The Bears in Finland during the autumn are mainly nocturnal but at this location they still visit during the afternoon. We have timed this trip to be at the peak of the Autumnal colours and these old growth forests look spectacular at this time of the year, add the beautiful Brown Bear to the scene and it really is a stunning mix for some great photography. Other predators can visit the hides at this time of the year and in the past, we have seen Wolverine and Wolves too. Red Squirrels and forest birds could offer a rewarding daytime option and we have the opportunity for a couple of early morning Black Grouse photography sessions at an Autumnal Lek. The Autumn colours are at their peak and there are some nice landscapes in the vicinity of our base and at this time of the year we could have the chance of witnessing the Northern Lights. All in all, this is a jam packed few days of photography that these northern forests can deliver at this time of the year.
Itinerary Open +Close -
Day 1: We are all due to travel to a local airport in Finland via Helsinki where we will be met for the transfer to our base for the duration of the trip. We’ll arrive too late for any hide-based photography for the bears this evening. Over dinner we can discuss our plans for the trip ahead. (We will send out the flight recommendations nearer the time as the precise destinations can change based on flight schedules that year).
Day 2: After the long day travelling the day before I suggest you use this spare day to relax, ready for our first afternoon encounter with the bears. Breakfast will be at 8.00am and then lunch will be served at 2.00pm. We can spend the morning photographing from a hide that overlooks a small feeding station for the local birds and Red Squirrels. The small birds visiting the feeding station can be Crested Tit, Bullfinch and Siskin.
Dinner is around 2.00pm and then we get ready for the short journey to the bear hides. Each hide offers completely different images, so a good mix is what we are looking for. The walk to the hides is short only 5 minutes or less. The forest hide is set in the pine trees, and the activity can last all afternoon here as this is the first port of call for many of the bears; it is a beautiful setting in old growth pine trees. The other hide overlooks a swamp with beautiful colours and bears wandering across the open area. The last location is a small pond where the bears are fed around the edges. It is a good mix of different habitats which will greatly enhance our portfolio. We leave the hides at around 7.30pm as it is dark by then and so you don’t spend the evening in the hides. We head back to base camp for a coffee and snack.
Days 3 – 5: Each afternoon follows the same routine and after lunch we transfer to our chosen hide for the Bear photography session. We must be in the hides by 3.00pm so by now we will be well into our routine. You will spend 4 afternoons in each of the hides so giving you a varied portfolio. You can have a couple of hours with the bird feeding station if you want it is your choice in the mornings after breakfast. We can also have an image review during the day so we can see what we a taking as we go along. If the weather is in our favour, then we could have the chance to visit an Autumn Black Grouse lek, this is an amazing experience and one that we will look to do if the conditions are right.
Day 6: After breakfast we will be returning to the local airport for our flights home.
What our customers say
“The number of bears and how long we got with them exceeded my expectations”.
“The guiding/planning was good”.
“Exceeded my expectations. Wasn’t expecting to be so close to wild bears! Loved it”.
“Ellie is always friendly and helpful and the guides in Finland were great too. Nothing was too much trouble”.
“The cooking at the lodge was lovely. All freshly prepared and more than enough to eat”.
Showcase gallery
Guest gallery
