Must see: 13 awe-inspiring images of life in the Canadian outdoors

HUNTING: 2nd Place

Photographer: Mike Fast

Where: Gold River, B.C.

When: April 2016

Details: Mike Fast was on a bear-hunting trip with friends on Vancouver Island when they decided to walk a ridge where they’d seen some sign. After a close encounter with a sow and her cubs, they watched the sun go down and headed back to camp. That’s when Fast took this winning shot. “We didn’t get any bears,” he says, “but when you get moments like this out in the wild with your friends, it makes it all worth it.”

Prize: Zeiss 4-12×50 Terra Riflescope