Sunday, April 11, 2010

Elk, Bison, Bear in Wildflowers

It would seem that wild animals love wildflowers as much  -- maybe more -- than we do. The top photo is a large bull elk who was enjoying everything about them. The photo was taken in Yellowstone, just south of Canyon Village. The middle photo of the bison stripping the wildflowers from their stalk was taken in Hayden Valley. The bottom photo of the young black bear was taken just north of Tower Fall.  When I go to Yellowstone I spend most of my time in the east part of the park. The west side has more geysers -- the east side more wildlife. The mountainous area between Tower-Roosevelt and Canyon Village is particularly productive for bear and bighorn sheep. Lamar Valley which is east of Tower Roosevelt is great for bison, pronghorn, and wolves. And the area between Canyon Village and Fishing bridge (Hayden Valley along the Yellowstone River) is great for bison, grizzly bears, wolves, and waterbirds like white pelicans. I have come across moose in areas just north and south of Tower Roosevelt. What time I do spend on the west side of the park is all between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris where I have also found moose and grizzly bears. But south of Norris through Old Faithful to West Thumb I try to avoid. It's not that the geysers aren't worth visiting. I have done that, though. And, I have one or two of the 675 billion photos that have been taken of Old Faithful over the years. It's probably a matter of what interests you the most. For me, it is wildlife.

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