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This is one of the things that I love about wildlife photography... you never know what's going to happen. And sometimes you see some amazing and beautiful things.
These were all shot with a Canon 7d mk2, Canon 500 f/4 mk2, a few bare, most with the Canon 1.4x teleconverter and some with the 2x teleconverter.
Very early one morning back in May I was in Yellowstone. I passed Tower Junction and was on Northeast Entrance Road headed toward Lamar Valley. I hadn't even gotten to Slough Creek yet when I notice several bison with calves grazing near a small alpine lake. There were reflections in the water and mountains in the background. I thought it looked kind of nice. So I pulled off the road, grabbed my camera and walked a ways down to get closer to the lake. I found a nice big boulder to sit down, lean against, and partially conceal me. It was still a bit too dark but it was quiet, nice, and serene. I thought to myself that looking for wolves can wait or I'd try them again the next day if this dragged out. So I just sat there for a while, all by myself, enjoying the setting, waiting for a bit more light, and playing with the camera.
My mind quickly runs through multiple scenarios of what might happen. Then the wolf made a quick move but the mother bison made just as quick of a move to protect her baby. The 2x converter is on now and it's still a bit dark; I couldn't help the blur. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-227FKsc/1/db7b25b5/X2/i-227FKsc-X2.jpg
Time to leave them be, walk back to the car and continue with the original plan.
It's not quite 7:30am and I still have the whole day ahead of me. How cool is that!
Fantastic photography and what an event to witness. Great detailed description with each image. I felt as if I was there watching it myself. Talk about being in the right place at the right time ! Great job and thank you for sharing these. I know exactly where you were at. So cool that you saw this happening right in front of you.
I'm thrilled for you, great job! Wolves and Coyotes !!!!
Oh wow !!! I was totally enthralled viewing the shots and reading the captions. I can only image how thrilling and amazing it was to witness these events. Wonderful set.
Judging from the coyotes' behavior, you're probably right to assume they were protecting a den. May is a good time to see them bringing food to the youngsters and there are adults who aren't the parents who watch over the pups while mom and dad are out hunting. May and early June are some of the best times to go to Yellowstone in my book. Bison, elk and coyotes are raising young and apex predators like wolves and bears are looking for the easier prey that the young animals provide.
Fantastic photography and what an event to witness. Great detailed description with each image. I felt as if I was there watching it myself. Talk about being in the right place at the right time ! Great job and thank you for sharing these. I know exactly where you were at. So cool that you saw this happening right in front of you.
I'm thrilled for you, great job! Wolves and Coyotes !!!!
Greg
Thanks Gregory! I had planned on looking for wolves that morning but got side tracked by the bison. As it turned out, it was hands down the best wolf sighting I had all week!
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dclark wrote:
"How cool is that!"
Very very cool!
Terrific set of images that tell an interesting story. Sometimes the best plan is to sit down, wait, and watch.
Dave
Thanks Dave. I find that's when I most often get the most interesting sightings. Sit quietly and just watch. Patience pays!
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Bobg657 wrote:
Wow, amazing sequence of events, it makes the cold and wet times worth it!
Thanks for sharing,
BOB
Thanks Bob. You got. The majority of time is spent hiking, tracking, searching, ... But when things like this happen, it makes it all worth it.
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morris wrote:
Great documentary work Hobbes. It must have been incredibly exciting to see live.
Morris
Thanks Morris! I was in disbelief the entire time. And worrying about low light, high ISO, and slow shutter speeds.
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birdied wrote:
Oh wow !!! I was totally enthralled viewing the shots and reading the captions. I can only image how thrilling and amazing it was to witness these events. Wonderful set.
armd wrote:
Crazy story. With so many apex predators around I hope you had a backup and I don’t mean a camera.
There was a short time there when I thought the entire pack might show up.
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jeffdjohnston wrote:
Nice work!
Judging from the coyotes' behavior, you're probably right to assume they were protecting a den. May is a good time to see them bringing food to the youngsters and there are adults who aren't the parents who watch over the pups while mom and dad are out hunting. May and early June are some of the best times to go to Yellowstone in my book. Bison, elk and coyotes are raising young and apex predators like wolves and bears are looking for the easier prey that the young animals provide.
If there are any hard core Yellowstone wolf watchers here, I'd be curious to know if you can identify the pack that these two wolves belong to based on their coat markings. Based on the area that I saw them, my best guess is the Junction Butte Pack.
My heart is beating harder and some adrenaline is pumping just seeing your photos.
Those brief moments where we have the opportunity to see raw nature in action are an awesome privilege that is so fleeting. They make all the other effort worthwhile.
