wdcarrier Loc: Eureka, California

My first trip to Yellowstone was in 1969. I started going there for photography in 1976 and my last (and likely final) trip was in 2016. The mile long traffic backups on the roads when an elk, bison or bear is sighted; the over-crowded parking lots for motor homes at the junctions had replaced the near solitude I had experienced years before; and tourists with cell phones trying to get selfies cuddling up to bull bison or bears with cubs. Sadly, we are loving our national parks to death.

This is a collection of mammal portraits I have encountered there over the years.

American bison


Black bear


Red fox


Pronghorn


Rocky Mountain bighorn


Grizzly


Pika


Wapiti


River otter


Coyote

woodworkerman Loc: PA to FL

You were very fortunate to see so many. Thanks for sharing.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

Good set.

DJ Mills Loc: Idaho

Great set.
Thanks for sharing with us.
👏👏👏

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Outstanding set, Dean!

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Don't think so disparagingly about tourists wanting to cuddle up with bison or bears or wolves or such. If you think about it, you'd likely see there'd soon be fewer and fewer tourists to have to contend with. Maybe there'd even be more fat-n-happy predators, too.

Great wildlife pix, sir.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Wonderful portraits.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

It's not just Yellowstone. You described Nashville to a T (cept'n for the critter part)

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

My first trip was in 1948. Other than a gravel parking lot Old Faithful looks the same. We saw 32 Bears. -Dave

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

My first trip was in 1948. Other than a gravel parking lot Old Faithful looks the same. We saw 32 Bears. -Dave

wdcarrier Loc: Eureka, California

Hmmmm. My Dad and I had to stand to watch Old Faithful spout in 1969. Now there's rows of seats. The parking lot at the lodge was paved when I was there in 2016 with spaces for several hundred cars and RVs but we still couldn't find a parking space. Yes, lots of bears...but there always was.

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

I like the way you think.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Are you sure about that? Really? The way I think --based (in part) on having been, before retiring from the o-so-noble calling of, an NPS Park Wrangler-- would actually have involved the strategic placing of land mines rather than any illegal, unethical, or biologically detrimental 'feeding of the wildlife.' In one of the parks I worked, the Chief Ranger --more a field Ranger than an Office type-- agreed with me behind closed doors, but in public not so much. The park Superintendent (at the time) was more a political 'live up to the Congressionally mandated plan' type, so the 'resource management/protection plan' I favored never took shape, nor was it ever implemented. Damn!

Its not that I'm against tourism, per se; its just that I have an overwhelming distaste for idiots generally.

Deepest apologies for going so far off topic, OP, but......... Heyduke Lives!

lmTrying Loc: WV Northern Panhandle

Your second paragraph says it all. I agree. I will pose with my dog for a photo. But I will use a long zoom or telephoto to take photos of wild animals in their home environments. And I will never get between a mother and her cub. A lot of the "selfie" fanatics deserve to become lunch.

wdcarrier Loc: Eureka, California

We can close this case for many by having you take a look at this NPS photo. The subject in the foreground is a female grizzly bear.