Join us for exciting nights near the Russian border to photograph bears. We will visit one of Europe’s best locations for bear photography. At this time of year, mother bears with cubs often come out to feed, along with older cubs. The bears typically appear early in the evening, providing great light for photography. If you’re lucky, you may even witness mating behavior.
We will visit Martinselkosen Eräkeskus wildlife centre, Europe’s largest facility for bear photography. The owner, Markku Määttä, used to run the border guard station “Pirttivaara,” patrolling mile after mile along the Russian border—but he never saw a bear. In 1990, the station was closed, and Markku had to find something else to do. Noticing that bears were fed in other parts of Finland, he thought, why not here too? In 1996, he started providing food for bears in the forest, and year by year, more and more bears began to visit. At its peak, up to 50 different bears may come to the feeding site during a single season.
Unlike other bear sites in Finland, Martinselkosen regularly attracts mother bears with cubs. The centre has so-called pro-hides with space for two photographers. There are hides in the forest, by a lake, and on a marsh with beautiful cotton-grass. They feed the bears with dog food so that the food is not visible in photos. It’s not uncommon for bears to come within ten meters of the hides.
On several trips here, we have also witnessed mating bears and bears fighting.
Daily schedule: We head out into the field at 4:00 PM and stay until 7:00 AM the next morning. The hides are small and basic—there are no toilets, so buckets and bottles must be used if necessary. During the day, we stay at the “base camp,” the former border station. Here participants have rooms with beds for rest, and a dining hall where you can edit and transfer photos. Showers and a sauna are available.
