YELLOWSTONE'S WILD WORLD

We began today at 13 degrees below zero!  Yes, beyond cold.  Particularly when I was out there photographing the newest wolf prints alongs side the road in Soda Butte Valley.

Rick had signals on the Lamars and they were close but we did not get to see them.  They must have a back door out that allows them to come and go in secret.  We saw a few birds but I don’t think enough to say there was a carcass.  Although, later in the day, two coyotes were up that way and they kept looking over their shoulders.

As I was heading west, from Soda Butte Valley, I noticed a very large bull elk coming out of the creek and heading to the trees.  A second bull stood in the trees.  It is amazing what is hidden in the forest.

Oh, and coming into Lamar there were 5 frosty bulls heading out, probably to Slough Creek, and one of them was the one that I photographed last summer with a large tumor on his hind end.  He is looking good but they all looked cold and miserable.  Grouchy would be another word for it.

There were a couple of big shows today, for me anyway, and both were at the Confluence.

The 4 bull moose were very close to the road and in the creek.  Two were fighting, fighting and fighting.  They put on quite the show for us.  Hard shooting though in those frigid temperatures.  But the action was worthy, even though not much light.  The minute the sun peeked over Norris the moose were done with the show and headed to some willows for breakfast.

They aren’t Teton moose but they are handsome guys all the same.  And, it was nice of them to put on a show.

The direction of the sun made more moose photography impossible but I love the mystery of the fog, the frozen earth and trees and the sun rays pouring over the mountain.

I then played a little bit with the frosty landscape.

And then I went to look for wolves.  From the radio talk I could tell that they were looking for wolves in Little America but had not found them.  About the time that I got out that way Doug found a carcass near the Peregrines, which he said had two animals on it but they must have left in a hurry.  The carcass was nearly done with and the signals on the wolves, which had been really good, began to get fainter.

Everyone looked and looked but Calvin finally found them up high on the other side of the river.  They were bedded in some rocks but chose right about then to get up and move higher, making them hard to find once again.  I could see them fairly well the first time but the new spot was way far, though I could see 763 raise his head a few times and a couple others get up and move.  They were all still there when I headed towards home in late afternoon.

So, I went back to the Confluence for the second show of the day – the big horns.

The are some really nice photographers in the park right now and they love to tease me. Well, imagine their surprise when all of them found me photographing big horns.  Separately they told me that things must be slow and I must be desperate to be photographing the sheep.  But, what they didn’t know what that I had been waiting for the perfect weather and light when they were in the right spot.  Today was not perfect but pretty darned good and I had some fun photographing them with a short lens.

There are many more for me to edit but this is enough for now.

And, I found this guy over by Wrecker, also with nice light on him.

So, for a slow day in the park, where we passed each other many times and made gestures of nothing, nothing, nothing, we all had a pretty good time with the moose and the big horns.  I sure did take a lot of photos – many more than usual for these days.

Scarface got slipped in because I someone wants to purchase this print.  I have it framed and on my wall and love looking at the old guy.  Will be hoping to get more shots of him in the spring.

Have a good night.