This is the first of a multi-post story. As I began sorting pictures from my recent wildlife photography trip to Yellowstone I quickly realized that I had far too many to put in a single post so I’ve split it into three.
I’ve been fortunate to visit many of our beautiful National Parks over the past few years, but in my opinion, none can compare with Yellowstone. Our first National Park, Founded in 1872, is little changed and offers a glimpse of what the West may have been like back in the day. The concentration and diversity of wildlife found in the park can be found nowhere else in the Lower 48.
Yellowstone is immense at over 2.2 million acres. Its geological variety offers volcanic geysers, deep river valleys and waterfalls, the prairie grasslands of the Lamar Valley, and the rugged giant peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
Spring is the perfect time to visit Yellowstone National Park. While Spring mornings may be chilly the afternoons can be perfect shirt-sleeve temperatures**. The Summer heat and crowds can be oppressive. Fall is a beautiful season in the park but the thing that draws me to Springtime in Yellowstone are the newborns emerging from their dens. Spring is the time to witness the next generation of wildlife as it steps out into the world. I was there June 3rd -9th and the conditions were perfect.
** Anytime you go to Yellowstone prepare for all weather conditions. It snowed in the park a week or so after I left.
Before I go further with this report, I want to thank Max Waugh of Max Waugh Photography for all his hard work in making this such an amazing experience. I was extremely lucky to land one of four spots in Max’s Spring Yellowstone wildlife photography tour. After 20-plus years as a professional wildlife photographer, exploring the park and guiding wildlife photography trips it would be hard to find anyone with more knowledge of Yellowstone’s wildlife. Thanks, Max!
Grizzly Bears
It was a little before 6 am as we rounded the corner approaching the Obsidian Cliffs area of the park when Max called out “Bear”. Up on the grassy hillside to our left was a sow grizzly named Obsidian after the area in which she lived. It was still a little dark and a hazy mist hung in the chilly morning air making visibility a little tough. Eventually, we spotted her three adorable cubs as they followed their mom out onto the hillside. We had this scene all to ourselves for the first hour before anyone else arrived or traffic became too busy. That’s the reward for rising at 3:30 am to be on the road by 4:15 am. It was so worth it!
Remember, click on the pictures to see them in full format. These guys pegged the needle on the cute meter.
This all happened in the first two hours of a five-day wildlife photography trip. I must admit I thought there was no way we could top this…. I was wrong.
Black Bears
We found this mamma with her two adorable cubs just off Tower Road. When we arrived, the momma was in a grassy area below the road with her two cubs up a tree.
Eventually, the cubs came down and followed their mom across the road but not before the cubs became distracted by this traffic cone.
Even in Spring, the traffic can get crazy with “bear jams”. Don’t be a drive-by wildlife watcher. We saw more than one person stop in the middle of their lane causing long traffic jams. When you spot an animal, find a place to pull over and enjoy the experience.
Bison
It’s an awe-inspiring sight to look out across the vast Lamar Valley and see many hundreds of Bison roaming the grasslands with their little “Red Dog” calves. The calves are full of energy running, playing, and chasing each other around. They are so cute and fun to watch.
It is hard to imagine a time when millions of Bison roamed the western plains and harder still to fathom how they were hunted to near extinction. In the mid-1880 a conservationist named William Hornaday began a campaign to save the Bison. In the early 1800’s there were an estimated 30 million Bison on the western plains. By the time Congress made It illegal to kill bison in 1894 there we fewer than 1000.
Gallery
The Yellowstone ecosystem is truly a wonder with its diverse landscapes and a wide array of wildlife. From the apex/keystone predators like Grizzly Bears and Wolves to the grassland grazers like the Bison, elk, and pronghorn Antelope to the Pocket Gophers and Ground Squirrels, all the animals in the park are part of the delicate balance of life that is the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It is truly something to be cherished.
For all we saw on this trip, there is so much more to see and I am eager to go back.
Part two of this series will include Fox Kits, Badger Cubs, an adorable newborn Moose calf, and baby Owls.
@BR Images 2023, all rights reserved
Bill….I needed time to sit with these photos and story for some time. What a thrill it must have been for you to be up close to so many amazing animals! Those bear cubs are adorable, as are the bison calves and the marmots. The tiniest hummingbird just blows my mind. All those animals up against one of the most incredible backdrops anywhere. Thank you for creating your blog so that we can see more and learn more from you.
Thanks Suezy. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Yellowstone is a magic place that I rediscovered on this trip. It will now be an annual pilgrimage for me in early June for as long as I can make it. Stay tuned for installments two and three as I have so much more to share.
Bill, you captured photos here that I have only dreamt about… beautiful! Those grizzly cubs are wonderful… crisp shots, looks like you were out playing with them while mama bear was looking away :-). Incredible to have such a sighting just hours into your trip. These are the stories that inspire. The opening shot of the bison and ‘Sunrise on the Firehole River’ add to this surreal introduction to your Yellowstone trip, look forward to seeing more. Congratulations on such a successful start of your trip, makes everything worth it for a nature lover and a photographer.
Hi Randy, Thanks for your kind words and encouragement in starting this blog, it really means a lot. We were so lucky to have these cubs to ourselves for the first hour. These are the shots I have dreamed of as well and it seemed surreal looking through the viewfinder at this scene. I got a bit too excited and needed to take a moment to calm myself and slow down. The mother bear paid no attention to us as she slowly lead her cubs down the hill in our direction. This may have been because there were only 5 of us or maybe its because generation after generation of bears raised in the park have been brought up in proximity to photographers. Whatever the reason as she came down the hill the photo opportunities got better and better.. I’m not sure this would be possible in the wilds of Alaska :0.