P H O T O E S S AY LEFT: With still-growing velvet-covered antlers, this whitetail pauses for a moment on a foggy morning in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. PHOTO BY BILL LEA RIGHT: A great egret catches a meal along the banks of Cherokee Lake in Rogersville, Tennessee after patiently waiting and without moving. PHOTO BY JOSHUA MOORE LOWER LEFT: A spring black bear cub looks up at its lifesustaining protector with all the love any offspring could ever have for its mother. PHOTO BY BILL LEA LOWER RIGHT: An eastern cottontail appears to pose for the camera in Washington County, Tennessee. PHOTO BY RYAN RICE Up close with CREATURES Our contributing photographers employed a combination of stealth, care and great lenses to be able to treat us to this array of mountain wildlfe upon the land. 40 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COMhttp://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM