Spring, and Gordon arrives in the forests of Minnesota. The bears are just leaving their dens, and Gordon must earn their trust before he can start filming. He meets up with a young mother black bear, Lily, and her cub 'Hope'.
Summer, and Gordon returns to Minnesota hoping that all is well. But he finds that Hope has been abandoned by her mother, and now faces an uncertain future. Worrying about the starving cub, Gordon steps in to help keep her alive.
It is now Autumn. Hope has survived and her life has taken an unexpected turn. But the bears are now threatened by hunters. Rather than cameraman, Gordon becomes a body guard in an effort to protect the bears.