Work it Baby, Work It!

Oct 25, 2023 | Wildlife Photography

Common Raven captured by Z 8 / Z70-200f2.8

The Common Ravens in Yellowstone Nat’l Park are smarter than the average Raven. And they know it! For example, in the winter time they have learned how to unzip the cargo bags on snow sleds to get sleeders lunches out. They know which windows in snow coaches are open and how to fly in and grab food and get back out.  And there are those who don’t read the signs and feed them outright. Then there is me. What these ravens don’t know is that my beautiful bride had a pet raven, Edgar who taught me a few things, one being the raven chortle. This soft speak is what pairs use to commuicate. Though I have no clue what I’m saying, the raven are totally confused to hear it coming from a human. So while it was looking for a handout which wasn’t coming, I made the chortle causing it to cock its head. If you look in the lower photo, you can see me in the reflection of its eye. With the little bit of snow on its mandible and that great background far off in distance, all I could say was, work it baby, work it!

Common Raven captured by Z 8 / Z70-200f2.8

Movin On Down, ‘Tis the Season

Oct 17, 2023 | Wildlife Photography

Rocky Mtn Bighorn Sheep captured by Z 6II / 180-400VR

With late fall comes a general down slope migration by many of North America’s big game (other smaller critters do it as well). The reason is pretty simple, easier grazing and movement. Snow covers up and eliminates the food Moose, deer, sheep and other ungulates require at higher elevations. Simply moving down in elevation can bring a cornucopia of food sources. At that same time, the deeper snows are left behind making getting around and getting away from predators more effective. One of the great fall migrations happens in the northern region of Yellowstone Nat’l Park. Vast numbers of elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and some Bison move down through Gardner to Paradise Valley. It’s not like the dates are on a calendar to intercept them but if you can get there, you might find some really mellow critters that if you take your time, become the perfect house guests, they will literally come up right to you for some dramatic images. So keep it in mind when you’re out looking for big game. Movin on down, ’tis the season.

Night Night Time

Oct 6, 2023 | Wildlife Photography

Kodiak Brown Bear captured by Z 9 / Z400f2.8

The day the calendar changed to October, life got a whole lot more charged for the Kodiak Brown Bears. October brings for most hibernation and that pressure puts the bears on a mission to eat everything they can to have the fat stores to see April. Females, either those that are pregnant or with cubs especially feel the extreme need to eat. That’s why you will never find me looking for Browns or Griz to photograph in October in Alaska. That feeding pressure they feel makes them do the unpredictable and that’s where folks get hurt. I will miss them during the winter, but I have a few images and stories to entertain me until I’m with them again next year. They are a brilliant critter and I wish them sweet dreams. It’s night nighttime.

1200lbs Teddy Bear!

Sep 27, 2023 | Wildlife Photography

Kodiak Brown Bear captured by Z 9 / Z400f2.8

Every afternoon for four days, we found this female doing what these bears do best, nothing! Biologically speaking, if you wanna put on a ton of fat (ok, half ton) you eat a lot and then do nothin. This female has this down pat! An eight or nine old female, she is most likely pregnant and will give birth in the den over winter. You don’t get this old nor this size being a light weight, she has earned the respect of other bears by being a heavy hitter. She walks with an attitude and with a glance clears out the other bears from where she wants to feed. But with us, well, this is as much attitude we would receive from her. Floating by, I was leaning back as far as I could to get the framing you see with the 400mm. As the current took us down the river, she got bigger and bigger in the frame until I could no longer focus on her. We were just an arm’s length away when we passed her by which time she was board with us and had put her head down and closed her eyes. A prime example of a 1200lbs teddy bear!

“I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!”

Sep 21, 2023 | Wildlife Photography

Kodiak Brown Bear captured by Z 9 / Z400f2.8

Having spent a couple of hours on the river fishing myself this day, I can understand how it tuckers ya out. But I didn’t eat anything I caught (at least not right then) like these Bears do who at times, seem to inhale them. It’s late September and it’s time to put on as much easy fat as they can. They eat and eat and then to make sure it turns into fat for the winter, they go to sleep. Some go up in the hills into a nice day den and others flop where they are on the wet beach. We were literally floating down near sunset last night shootin from the boat handheld, watching the action when we spotted this individual. We watched this bear pulllllll itself up this small rise overlooking the river, its eyes roll back in its head and then, flop over the outcrop! Out cold! The whole scene unfolding as if to say, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!

Back in the Neighborhood!

Sep 19, 2023 | Wildlife Photography

3yr old Kodiak Brown cub captured by Z 9 / Z400f2.8

With amazing skill and total calm, Willy got us flown into bear camp just in time as the wind cam back up so we just had to hunker down by the fire and eat killer lodge food. Oh darn! With the breaking of the day, after another killer hot breakie we headed up the river to find out old friends from May, a little denser coat and a whole lot fatter! The salmon run is going and they are cleaning up, literally! The family group started off with us where we left off in May so there was no time wasting, great photography as soon as our feet it the water.

It was soooo entertaining watching the kid imitate mom chasing the salmon up and down the shallows. Mom (12-13yr old) slowly strolled the shallows picking the best salmon to eat as she went. The three “panic attacks” have yet to master mom’s skills. Which is fine to us as it makes capturing them splashing shots like shooting fish in a barrel (get it?!)! It’s going to be a mighty fine week, always special to be back in the neighborhood!!!!

error: Content is protected !!