Black Bear Swats Cub

I have posted photos from my Father's camera trap before. He has property near Wayland, NY and uses no scents or other attractants. Here are two more that are worth sharing:

Black bear and cub
(Wayland, NY 6/11)

In this first black bear photo, notice the cub in the tree in the upper right corner. The photo is from the last week of June. This is the third year in a row that this location has produced black bear photos. That is an apple tree right behind Mom, but the apples are far from ripe. Perhaps she is just checking out the scene to determine whether it is worth coming back for fruit later in the season. I plan to check that tree for cub claw marks :)

Black bear swats cub
(Wayland, NY 6/11)

This second photo is an action shot. It appears that Mom has just given the cub a swat and the cub is recoiling. Of course, we can only speculate on the reason. I assume this is a disciplinary action. Was the cub not supposed to climb that tree? Maybe the cub was supposed to have stayed in the tree! Perhaps the swat has nothing to do with the tree at all. Is it time to wean the cubs? If so, this may be Mom's way of saying "No milk for you!". Although we can never know what went on, this remains an interesting photo and one worth sharing with you all!