Grizzly Bear Feast

Okay, so this isn't exactly the best photo in terms of focus and detail. However, it gets a "5" Star Rating simply because of what it depicts. Here is a very large adult Grizzly Bear eating what is left of a Bison with 40-50 Ravens on the ground (there were another 40-50 circling in the air). The photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park.

Grizzly Bear

Grizzly's Sharing Dinner

Yellowstone National Park provides a safe environment for people to see potentially dangerous Grizzlies. These two Grizzlies were devouring an Elk. What started out as about five people watching, an hour later had grown to at least 50. Several Park Rangers were there to be sure all were safe. Occasionally, the bears would look up (as in this case) just to see how many humans there were. But by enlarge, they were determined to get every last morsel out of that elk. It made for a nice "5" Star Photo:

Grizzly Bears

Grizzly Bear among the Wildflowers

Continuing with my series of "5" Star Photos: Grizzly Bears. This particular bear I found between Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. He was searching for bugs around fallen trees. With the wildflowers in front of him, it made for a nice photo:

Grizzly Bear

Grey Wolf: What qualifies as Luck?

What is "Luck?"  If "luck" was to see a Grizzly Bear in the wild, what would you call seeing a Grey Wolf in the wild? Very Lucky? But what if you saw both a Grizzly Bear and a Grey Wolf? What if you saw them both at the same time? And, what if you were able to photograph them together? Are we talking lottery kind of luck yet??

Okay, so you put yourself in the place with the most potential. How about Yellowstone National Park? So, I am at Yellowstone looking for Grizzly Bears and/or Grey Wolves. I was down in Hayden Valley when I saw at a distance what looked like a hundred or more Ravens circling overhead but off to one side. I thought to myself, must mean something big. And, if something big, maybe something big is eating it causing the Ravens to wait their turn. So I pull off the road and start hiking, camera and tripod in hand. After a couple hundred yards I come to a rather steep hill. So up the hill I climb. I get to the top and WOW!!!! I can see down below (about 100 yards away) a very large adult male Grizzly Bear chewing on a Bison. This was back in the "film" days, and I was running on empty (or close to it). So, I had to conserve film. With digital, I would have taken 300 photos easily. But as I paused (to conserve film) I looked around and saw a lone Grey Wolf sitting, patiently, about 75 yards further away. 

I should point out that I made no attempt to get any closer. This distance was going to have to do. I had my 400mm super telephoto lens and hoped that would do the trick. 

After watching for about 30 minutes, the Grizzly Bear stood up, turned and started walking away from the Bison (and from me). At the same time the Grey Wolf stood up and started walking toward the Bison. As you might imagine I am literally shaking with excitement. I am anticipating -- hoping -- for the moment when the Grey Wolf and the Grizzly Bear pass each other in the same frame.

So, just how lucky is this:

Grey Wolf and Grizzly Bear

Crossing Paths

Sometimes you happen to be in the right place at the right time. Such is the case with two photos of animals which normally don't get along and aren't seen together.

First up, Bighorn Sheep and Elk. Now this isn't a great photo. But, I honestly don't know how I could have captured these two herds which were on the side of Clemon Mountain (25 miles northeast of Yakima, Washington along the Naches River).  They were at least 400 yards away from me. But if I was any closer I would not have be able to get both herds in the photo

Bighorn Sheep and Elk Herds

In the following photo a fully grown male Grizzly Bear,weighing probably 1000 pounds or more was feasting on a buffalo. The Gray Wolf was patiently sitting about 75 yards away. As soon as the Grizzly Bear stopped eating and started walking away, the Wolf got up and started walking toward the buffalo. It provided me the opportunity for the perfect photo, Bear and Wolf together.

Gray Wolf and Grizzly Bear

Predators with Their Prey

Life of the predator is not easy. Often unsuccessful, they keep trying until they capture their food. I have seen Coyotes gang up on a rabbit without success. I have seen Bobcats chase after rabbits without success. But, often enough they succeed. Here are a few photos:

American Marten with Squirrel

Bobcat with Desert Cottontail

Coyote with some Carcass

Gray Wolf with Bison Carcass

Grizzly Bears with Elk

Northern River Otter with Salmon

CARNIVORES: Grizzly Stores Part III

I should probably tell you my first Grizzly Story, although there is no photo. I was fly fishing with my youngest daughter Ashley. I had taken her on a fishing trip into some of the back country lakes in British Columbia. In this case it happened to be Plateau Lake. To get there required using a very difficult and challenging road -- 4x4 high clearance and winch required. We were the only ones at the lake. We got out in our float tubes just at dawn the first morning. The water was still and the mist coming off the lake provided an idyllic setting. We were in the shallow end fishing up against the shoreline. Ashley was about 75 yards away from me when I heard a thump, thump through the woods. To my astonishment it was a fully grown male Grizzly Bear. Since Ashley had the camera I couldn't take a photo. I waved my arms to get Ashley's attention so she could come closer and take the photo. A minute passed and she was no closer to me (and the bear). In fact she may have been further away. So, I wave my arms again signaling her to come with the camera. This time I got the Grizzly's attention. I was in water about three feet deep, and the Grizzly Bear was no more than 10 feet away from me. As he stood up my mouth and eyes opened. This was the most amazing and beautiful animal I had ever seen in my life. He was 8 feet tall and probably weighed well over 1000 pounds! I was awestruck. The Grizzly could have easily waded out in the water a couple of feet and done what ever he wanted with me. I could had hit him with my fly rod I was that close. But, no, he wasn't interested in me. He went back down on all fours and "waddled" up the shoreline about 50 yards and then disappeared into the words. It was only then that my heart started pounding. It was truly a one-in-a-lifetime experience. 

So, I don't leave you today without a photo, here are a couple of Grizzlies I caught in Yellowstone late one Spring:

CARNIVORES: Grizzly Stores Part II

Back in 2003 I was in Yellowstone when I came across fifty or so cars lined along the road. I immediately pulled over at the nearest spot not even knowing what people were looking at. When I got to the scene it was two medium sized Grizzly Bears eating an Elk that probably died during the winter. There were a dozen or more professional photographers, amateurs, families with children, etc. I stayed  for about an hour. While I knew that sooner or later the Grizzlies would get up and walk away, I decided not to stay longer. By this time there were over a hundred people and two or three rangers so getting around wasn't easy. This is often the Yellowstone story. And, here are some of my photos:

I am off now to Flagstaff, picking up daughter Ashley at the Phoenix airport (who just landed a job on Wall Street -- not, financial, but with an architectural firm). We are all going to celebrate grand-daughter Ruby's birthday in Flag. So, a couple days off for me. See you Tuesday.

CARNIVORES: Grizzly Stores Part I

The Grizzly Bear population is nothing like what it once was. The California State Flag has a Grizzly Bear on it, yet accounts suggest that the last Grizzly Bear in California was shot and killed in 1922. Population estimates are 25,000 in Western Canada, 16,000 of which are in British Columbia. Population estimates for Alaska are about 30,000. Population estimates for the lower 48: less than 1,000, most of which are in Montana, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons (Wyoming). There maybe as many as 100 in Idaho, and less than 30 in Washington. 

Finding, photographing, and especially getting a good photo of a Grizzly Bear is a significant challenge, given their very few numbers. The most likely places to look are Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, where the numbers are higher and access is better. I was traveling in Yellowstone about 10 miles north of West Thumb when I came across a mother Grizzly and her cub. There were several people already stopped and looking. Soon a ranger came along to make sure no one got too close. Eventually there were 30 cars or more. But, the Grizzly was a good hundred or more yards away and never turned in our direction. The photo below was the best I got -- even with a 400 mm lens I needed to zoom in with photoshop to get the following out of focus photo:

I still get excited about seeing a Grizzly, but I am always hoping for a good photo. Had the Bear been closer, and looking at me while standing -- that would be a photo. Unfortunately, the Wildlife Photographer doesn't always have cooperative subjects.

Eating: The Carnivores

More photos of wildlife doing what they do. This time eating:

Grizzly Bears eating an Elk that didn't make it through the winter.

A Grey Wolf eating a Bison that didn't make it through the winter.

An American Marten with a squirrel that he had captured.

A Coyote with the remains of a rabbit he had captured.

And three Northern River Otters eating a pretty good size salmon they had just captured.

Grizzy & Moose in Wildflowers

Lighting is always tricky for the wildlife photographer. The Grizzly Bear in wildflowers (top photo) ended up a bit overexposed. He was in direct sunlight. I didn't have time to get into a better position. I don't like running to get to a better angle -- especially, when I am photographing bears. Fast movements tend to cause bears to change what they are doing -- i.e. fight or flight. Anyway, so the wildflowers aren't really showing their colors in that photo. In the case of the Moose (in the bottom photo) the wildflowers are in the background and so don't stand out quite as well because their colors are more muted. I like both photos because both the grizzly and the moose have turned their heads to look at me. Just wish the colors came out better.