This is another in a series of posts using photos from a recent 6+ week trip I took around the Western US & Canada, with a college buddy Chuck & my Australian Shepherd Gem, aka "the Mutt." I'd like to thank all who have looked at the prior posts & commented.

This post completes our visit to Yellowstone ... it is mostly wildlife which I like shooting the best. The final day & a half in Yellowstone were phenomenal. The biggest thrill involved 3 Grizzly Bears & 2 Grey Wolves in Larmar Valley. It began with a Sow & her last year's cub chewing on an elk carcass with Ravens earlier in the day, 200+ yards from the road. We went back there in the evening & they were back working on the carcass, but they seemed nervous & kept looking around. Initially I thought it was due to some buffalo moving through but they paid little attention to them. Then I thought maybe it was due to 2 Grey Wolves that came in shortly afterwards, but again, the bears paid them little heed. Then over the hill came a big Boar Grizzly ... & that was what the female & her cub were concerned about. They ran off 100 yards or so & watched the male come down the hill to spot above where they'd just been. We learned from a Ranger in the Grand Tetons Nat'l Park, that often female's will bring cubs down next to the road to protect them from the males ... as the males, who often try to kill cubs to induce the female to come into estrus, avoid the roads.

Then the female began walking toward the male with the cub following a distance behind (it seemed to recognize the danger). They met with a Grey Wolf looking on. Note, the female stays between the male & her cub at all times. Eventually, the 2 adult Grizzlies began nuzzling & batting each other with their front paws, even appearing to bite one another, but not fighting & ultimately the male did breed the female. All of this occurred at least 250 yards away, just after sunset, as the light was fading fast & the hill side was in shadow, plus I cropped the shots a lot, so they're a bit grainy. But I like them as long as I don't blow them up too much.

All in all, a wonderful time ... my favorite Nat'l Park.

The Antelope, Big Horn Sheep, Raven, & Black Bear were taken with a Canon 6d & EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The Grizzlies were shot with a Canon 7d II & EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens. The 2 scenic mountain shots were shot with a Canon 5d IV & EF 24-105mm f/4l IS USM lens.

Hope you enjoy these.
Frank

This is another in a series of posts using photos from a recent 6+ week trip I took around the Western US & Canada, with a college buddy Chuck & my Australian Shepherd Gem, aka "the Mutt." I'd like to thank all who have looked at the prior posts & commented.

This post completes our visit to Yellowstone ... it is mostly wildlife which I like shooting the best. The final day & a half in Yellowstone were phenomenal. The biggest thrill involved 3 Grizzly Bears & 2 Grey Wolves in Larmar Valley. It began with a Sow & her last year's cub chewing on an elk carcass with Ravens earlier in the day, 200+ yards from the road. We went back there in the evening & they were back working on the carcass, but they seemed nervous & kept looking around. Initially I thought it was due to some buffalo moving through but they paid little attention to them. Then I thought maybe it was due to 2 Grey Wolves that came in shortly afterwards, but again, the bears paid them little heed. Then over the hill came a big Boar Grizzly ... & that was what the female & her cub were concerned about. They ran off 100 yards or so & watched the male come down the hill to spot above where they'd just been. We learned from a Ranger in the Grand Tetons Nat'l Park, that often female's will bring cubs down next to the road to protect them from the males ... as the males, who often try to kill cubs to induce the female to come into estrus, avoid the roads.

Then the female began walking toward the male with the cub following a distance behind (it seemed to recognize the danger). They met with a Grey Wolf looking on. Note, the female stays between the male & her cub at all times. Eventually, the 2 adult Grizzlies began nuzzling & batting each other with their front paws, even appearing to bite one another, but not fighting & ultimately the male did breed the female. All of this occurred at least 250 yards away, just after sunset, as the light was fading fast & the hill side was in shadow, plus I cropped the shots a lot, so they're a bit grainy. But I like them as long as I don't blow them up too much.

All in all, a wonderful time ... my favorite Nat'l Park.

The Antelope, Big Horn Sheep, Raven, & Black Bear were taken with a Canon 6d & EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The Grizzlies were shot with a Canon 7d II & EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens. The 2 scenic mountain shots were shot with a Canon 5d IV & EF 24-105mm f/4l IS USM lens.

Hope you enjoy these.
Frank

I think I heard the Beartooth Mt. pass was closed this week due to snow, but the Mont. Highway web site says it is open. I assume you did not get to drive across it, as you haven't posted any photos from there. If you didn't go across it, add it to your bucket list. It is spectacularly different from Yellowstone. Plus gives you another excuse to return to Yellowstone, lol. Waterton, Just north of Glacier NP (in Canada) is quite beautiful, too. You mentioned Kootenai NP, did you visit there? If so, did you stop at Marble Canyon? Quite a scenic crack in the earth, even if not on the scale of the Grand Canyon, or even remotely resemble it! Been thoroughly enjoying all of your posting from this trip.

Yes, I was a bit foolish, but it turned into a great decision. I almost threw all the Grizzly photos away because they are grainy. It was getting dark, the shadows where I was shooting were hard & of the 2 dozen people there watching, I was the only one who kept shooting (I had a 500mm prime lens & thought I could get some detail). But I had to do some serious PP to get what I got. We even saw & captured they breeding, which was different than anything I expected to see. And to capture the curious Gray Wolf as well was a bonus. So Chuck was absolutely right ... best to have kept them ... & they don't look too bad in print, but still do wish they weren't so grainy!!!!!

This is another in a series of posts using photos from a recent 6+ week trip I took around the Western US & Canada, with a college buddy Chuck & my Australian Shepherd Gem, aka "the Mutt." I'd like to thank all who have looked at the prior posts & commented.

This post completes our visit to Yellowstone ... it is mostly wildlife which I like shooting the best. The final day & a half in Yellowstone were phenomenal. The biggest thrill involved 3 Grizzly Bears & 2 Grey Wolves in Larmar Valley. It began with a Sow & her last year's cub chewing on an elk carcass with Ravens earlier in the day, 200+ yards from the road. We went back there in the evening & they were back working on the carcass, but they seemed nervous & kept looking around. Initially I thought it was due to some buffalo moving through but they paid little attention to them. Then I thought maybe it was due to 2 Grey Wolves that came in shortly afterwards, but again, the bears paid them little heed. Then over the hill came a big Boar Grizzly ... & that was what the female & her cub were concerned about. They ran off 100 yards or so & watched the male come down the hill to spot above where they'd just been. We learned from a Ranger in the Grand Tetons Nat'l Park, that often female's will bring cubs down next to the road to protect them from the males ... as the males, who often try to kill cubs to induce the female to come into estrus, avoid the roads.

Then the female began walking toward the male with the cub following a distance behind (it seemed to recognize the danger). They met with a Grey Wolf looking on. Note, the female stays between the male & her cub at all times. Eventually, the 2 adult Grizzlies began nuzzling & batting each other with their front paws, even appearing to bite one another, but not fighting & ultimately the male did breed the female. All of this occurred at least 250 yards away, just after sunset, as the light was fading fast & the hill side was in shadow, plus I cropped the shots a lot, so they're a bit grainy. But I like them as long as I don't blow them up too much.

All in all, a wonderful time ... my favorite Nat'l Park.

The Antelope, Big Horn Sheep, Raven, & Black Bear were taken with a Canon 6d & EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The Grizzlies were shot with a Canon 7d II & EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens. The 2 scenic mountain shots were shot with a Canon 5d IV & EF 24-105mm f/4l IS USM lens.

Hope you enjoy these.
Frank