Caribou

Before we get to today's "5" Star Photo, I'd like to welcome new visitors to our Blog. They are: Bahrain, Guyana, Kuwait, and Turks & Caicos Islands. That brings the total number of countries (that I know of) to 88. I "love" that the "love" of wildlife is common regardless of differences in political views, religious views, ethnic, and nationality.

Several years ago while in Jasper National Park looking for Caribou I drove up to Medicine and Maligne Lakes where I had seen them before. When I got to the frozen, snow covered Medicine Lake I saw seven caribou out in the middle  ---  maybe 300 yards away. So, I stopped the truck, got out, grabbed  my camera and tripod, and slid down the embankment (not intentionally) and on to the lake. I was still much to far away for a photograph. So, I walked out on the lake a hundred and fifty yards or so, thinking that was a safe distance. I set up my tripod and started taking photos. Soon the caribou started running parallel to me. But, then, all of a sudden, the bull turns (as do the others) and starts running straight towards me. I realized that I am not going to out run the caribou, especially in the snow, so I remain "calm" and motionless. And once they got 50 yards from me they stopped. I took a few more photos, said thank you to them, turned, and trudged back through the snow and up the embankment. By the time I reached the truck I was dripping with sweat. You see the temperature had risen to minus 7 degrees. Here are two of those photos:

Caribou

Caribou