2005

Download contest application form (Word document)

The black bears are once again roaming Pike County and that’s good news for amateur photographers and videographers.

Grab your cameras and catch the bears in action so you can be part of the "Catch-A-Bear" Photo contest for the Black Bear Film Festival.

This is the sixth year the Festival has asked for photos and videos of black bears in Pike County.

The 2003 winner, pictured at top, was taken by Robert Couture of Lords Valley, PA. He says, "This black bear cub was captured on film during a walk in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pike County in Fall of 2002. It took to the tree when confronted by a dog owned by a hiker. When the cub's mother and a sibling showed up, the dog, the hiker and this photographer retreated and the cub came down." Photo was taken with a Nikon FE 35mm mounted with an 85-205 Soligor telephoto zoom lens with skylight filter. Shot on Kodak Tri-X 400 film at shutter speed of 500 at f8 to compensate for skylight. 8x10 print by the photographer.

The 2002 winner, "Treed Bear", picture at right, was taken by Ray Bouckenooghe of Milford.
The winner in 2001 was Vincent Dyak’s "Picnic Bear",
2000 winner, "Mama Bear & Cubs".

The Catch-A-Bear project is the brainchild of volunteer Nancy Eisenhauer. Nancy started the project for the first Black Bear Festival with help from Alice Jane Loewrigkeit. The project has been growing since under Nancy’s leadership with help from Gail Schuster.

If you see a bear in the wild or in your backyard, get it on film or video and send it off to the "Catch-A-Bear" contest. Photos must be 8"x10", in color or black and white. Videos should be no longer than 5 minutes. Please note that pictures of bears at bird feeders are not likely to win, since the aim is to capture images of bears in the wild.

All entries must be photographed or taped in Pike County, Pennsylvania. Please include your name, address, phone number, and a brief description of how and where you got the picture

Please, please: Do not attempt to entice bears with food or get too close to them. Remember that they can be dangerous animals, and there is now a new Pennsylvania law against feeding bears, whether intentionally or unintentionally (such as with bird feeders). But if serendipity befalls you when you have a camera at hand, act quickly and you may be the winner!

Send your photos and videos to the "Catch-A-Bear" Contest, Black Bear Film Festival, Old Lumberyard, 115 Seventh Street, Milford, PA 18377, or drop it off at the Black Bear office at the Upper Mill on Mill Street. All entries must be received by October 10, 2005.

If your picture or video is chosen by the selection committee, it will be displayed during the Black Bear Film Festival, October 13-16 in Milford, and on its website, and winning entries may be used to advertise future festivals and made into merchandise. Download contest application form (Word document).

50/50 BBFF Raffle Tickets for this year's Festival will be available for $5.00 each.