On a side note, my 2024 Calendar is now available, featuring images of grizzly 399, 610, and other wildlife of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks: get your calendar here in my Etsy shop

After appearing out of hibernation in May of this year (aged 27) with a record-setting new cub in tow (read the story by clicking here, which will open in a new window), she and her cub spent late spring into summer in a relatively small area.

In the weeks after waking up, she was frequently seen in her usual area of Pilgrim Creek to Willow Flats and Jackson Lake dam. The summer heat typically pushes the bears into higher elevations but, perhaps because she had a new cub with her, #399 stuck around in the same area.

399 and Spirit earlier this summer: fine art print available on Etsy starting at $51
 

Berry season started early this year around mid August which increased sightings of 399 and her (fast growing) cub.  Berries are a favorite fall food for both grizzlies and black bears, as they fatten up before hibernation.  Both 399 and 610 with their respective litters where seen almost daily around the Willow Flats and Oxbow Bend area. 
Keep an eye also on Moose-Wilson road in the National Park as the road is bordered with berries (mostly black hawthorn and service berries) and is a hot spot for mostly black bears nowadays, but the occasional grizzly does wander in.

In the past week or two, the grizzlies have been on the move.  For the first time since coming out of hibernation, grizzly 399 and her cub have moved south!  They were seen entering private ranch land south of Wilson and Jackson.  It's familiar territory for 399 as she took her quads there in past years.  Hopefully she stayed out of trouble since she and her quads were observed raiding beehives and acquiring other food rewards from private properties in 2021.  Fingers crossed she and Spirit will make it back into the safe(r) environment of the National Park soon! The latest news today is that someone spotted the pair heading back towards Willow Flats in the National Park.

399 and Spirit
 

Elk hunting season has started in the National Forest surrounding the National Park.  This typically brings out the grizzlies as they feast on the gut piles left behind by elk hunters.  Keep in mind that 399's typical area around Pilgrim Creek is barely a few miles from the National Forest border, so she does frequent the forest outside of the National Park. 
This makes it an extra potentially dangerous time to go hiking in the national forest as you simply never know where you may 'bump into' a carcass ...

Grizzly 610 and her cubs were recently seen south of Signal Mountain along the inner park road, and, a few days later was seen near Spread Creek along highway 89.

Fritter (grizzly 1063) was seen a few days ago near Pilgrim Creek in the National Park.

Felicia and her (on their own) cubs spent the summer near the Continental Divide on Togwotee pass, east of the Moran entrance to the National Park.  Bad news, however, when the authorities relocated one of the cubs, allegedly because of conflicts with humans.  It feels like Felicia and her cubs have had a bullseye on their backs from Game & Fish for several years now, so hopefully they acted in the best interests of both the humans and the bears.

399 and Spirit cause a giant bear jam in the National Park
 

In past years, hunting season and the promise of easy protein meals have brought grizzly 399 back north into the national forest bordering the National Park's Pilgrim and Pacific Creek areas.
 

399 and Spirit in my 2024 calendar: get your 13-month wildlife calendar here on Etsy

399 and Spirit in the Pilgrim Creek area
 

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This 13-month calendar, "Wildlife of the American West", features some of my favorite images from Grand Teton, Yellowstone, the wild horses, etc.  
Of course, grizzly 399 and her record-setting cub also make a well-deserved appearance!

Supplies are very limited so I recommend you order one now if you want one: click here for my Etsy shop

Cover
 

January

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Time for another cute fox kit from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

This one posed beautifully (for a split second that is) on exposed rocks.

I brought my big 500mm prime lens which, at f/4, turned the bokeh nice and smooth.

Here are some of my favorite shots of this little kit...

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Here's a fox kit I photographed late this spring in Jackson Hole.

I got low to get at his eye level and shoot through the grass.  While his siblings played nearby, this one was taking it easy.

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Mom keeps her distance in the forest

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As I was laying on the ground to get eye-level shots of this beaver in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, I was surprised when he approached and stood up.

I was even more surprised when I saw what looks like a piece of floss between his fingers ... (just kidding)

Beavers' iron-filled, orange teeth are extra strong to be able to chop down trees.

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As you drive the valley between Little America and the park's Northeastern entrance near Silver Gate, sometimes it feels that you're surrounded by thousands of bison, spread out over the valley. Lots of wallowing and bellowing (grunting) going on and many couples of a big bull guarding a female are visible.

During downtimes, I'm finally getting around to editing my springtime images of Grand Teton National Park.  I got lucky to find a coyote den: my first one.

This coyote pair had (at least) 9 pups.  It was amazing watching the pups play while the parents were out and watching the excited pups greet a parent as they stopped by every few hours to 'deliver' food (as in, regurgitate food for the pups which was triggered by the pups licking the adult's mouth, just like it happens with wolves).

I have over 1,000 images to edit of the coyote pups alone ... 

Here's one of my early favorites.  This curious pup walked up for a closer look. 

Its left eye seems to have a small injury, probably from some roughhousing with its siblings!

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Mom is on her way to deliver food to the pups
 

Mom is collared by the National Park Service.

A cautious look from behind a bush.
 

Two of the pups.  The one in the front. the "runt", is smaller than its 8 siblings.

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The forecast for the next 4-5 days is all good: 50-60 F and a chance of rain.  Not that I don't know that more summer temps are likely to return, but these cool temps in August are a nice preview of the coming fall season.

Now that I'm staying here, I finally started processing and editing my images from this past spring in Grand Teton National Park.  I got to Jackson Hole in April and only left for Cooke City here last week so, having spent over three months in the Tetons this spring documenting the wildlife waking up from winter, I've got thousands of images to go through.

Here's one of my favorite images of a grizzly yearling cub, taken a few weeks ago in the Tetons.  This 1.5 year old cub is one of grizzly 610's three cubs.

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Note the mosquitoes hovering around the cub ...

610's three yearling cubs

Grizzly 610 eating a mouthful of clover

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This big grizzly (with a funny hairdo) appeared out of the rain forest and, being on the wrong side of the shallow salmon-filled creek, swam the deep glacier-fed lagoon.

Along the way he discovered that some salmon prefer the lagoon for spawning and he promptly started fishing!
 

He walked across a fallen stump on his way to the lagoon.

He entered the lagoon and didn't seem to want to get wet.

A brief glance at the photographer ... and decided his time was better spent focusing on salmon than on me.

Found one!

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Now to pose for the camera ...

Look at my catch!

Now he's just showing off ...
 

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Whereas a typical summer sees grizzly sightings dry up by late June; grizzly bears tend to avoid the summer heat in Jackson Hole which has been in the 80s and occasional low 90s since July started and head to higher elevations; the good news is that if you're planning to visit the Tetons this summer, you're not out of luck!

Here's the situation on July 25, 2023 ...

P.S. Fine art prints of Grand Teton's celebrity grizzlies start at $47 in my Etsy shop: click here
 

Grizzly 399

Perhaps because she has a (record-setting) new COY this year, she seemingly hasn't left her "core area" yet this year. 

After she came out of hibernation in her usual area around Pilgrim Creek in May, she's been hanging out in the area between Leeks Marina to the north, Two Oceans road and Oxbow Bend to the east, Jackson Lake dam and Willow Flats to the south, and Hermitage Point to the west.  She was most recently sighted two days ago along the Pilgrim Creek dirt road (which is open to traffic and leads to the National Forest).

399 with her COY "Spirit"

Spirit enjoying biscuitroot flowers at Pilgrim Flats

In previous years, especially having the "quads" in her company, she headed straight south in search of food after appearing out of hibernation.  This year, with little Spirit in tow, she seemingly hasn't even swam the Snake river at the dam yet.  All good signs that she's going to tough it out for the summer, endure the heat and stay in a small area around Pilgrim Flats.

Grizzly 399 and her quads in 2020: fine art print available here on Etsy

399 poses in a field of arrowleaf balsamroot flowers: fine art print available here on Etsy
 

610

Another grizz who has apparently decided not to "head for the mountains" during the summer heat this year.

610 Eats a mouthful of clover when a sudden sound makes her stand up: fine art print available on Etsy here
 

399's Daughter, grizzly 610, came out of hibernation near Signal Mountain with her three yearling cubs and headed straight south to lower elevations to find food. After hanging out between Signal Mountain and the Moose entrance, she returned north for elk calving season and since then has been regularly seen in the area.  She was seen as recently as a few days ago with her three cubs along Two Oceans road and Willow Flats / Oxbow Bend.

Felicia

After she kicked out her 2.5 year old cubs late this spring, all went on their separate ways.  All three (on their own) have been spotted as recently as two days ago up on Togwotee Pass near the Continental Divide.  Apparently these are some of the only bears who "got the message" that life is better and cooler these days around 9,500 feet!

If you drive the pass, "No stopping for bears" - signs are still up and Highway Patrol is actively writing tickets so please follow the National Forest's Bear Management directions and use safe pull-outs to watch the bears.

Here's one of Felicia's cubs after it was kicked out.

Fritter / Blondie / Bruno / 926

None of these bears have been (frequently) spotted this summer.

I did have an interesting encounter with 926's cubs that she kicked out this spring.  I was photographing a coyote den when a herd of elk came running in my direction a few weeks ago.  Turns out the two young grizzlies were chasing the elk, to no avail.  With foamy mouths after a long sprint and chase, they realized that the elk were too fast, and went on their way together.
 

Blondie: fine art prints available here on Etsy (use coupon code "MAMABEAR" for 10% OFF)
 

Bruno in full sprint: fine art print available here on Etsy (use coupon code "MAMABEAR" for 10% OFF)

It goes without saying that the more people come to responsibly watch and enjoy the bears, the more people will hopefully stand up in the coming months and years to speak out on their behalf.  Even though there is no ethically justifiable reason to allow trophy hunting these bears and about 95% of the population is opposed to it, some WY - MT - ID politicians, supported/pushed by some of the cattle & outfitter/hunting industries, keep relentlessly pushing for the grizzly bear delisting of the Endangered Species list, keep pushing to start the trophy hunt and keep pushing for these three states to take on grizzly bear "management" (aka. hunting and eradication, as we have been seeing in the case of their grey wolf "management"). 

Even "National Park bears" like 399 and 610 are not safe once the hunt is allowed.  These bears frequently venture out of the National Park into neighboring Bridger-Teton National Forest which would (more than) likely allow hunting. 

So, let's all enjoy the grizzlies and be mindful who you vote for as your vote really matters.  Politicians who are pushing to delist grizzlies include WY gov. Mark Gordon, U.S. rep. Hageman and MT gov. Gianforte.

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With nothing much to photograph until the moose would decide to get up and walk into a more open area, I killed the time by walking around.

A sudden movement, about 2 yards high in a dense patch of trees caught my eye.  

A shape bigger than the average bird I would expect to see landed in there on a small branch.

As I cautiously entered the thick and dark forest and tried to get a little closer to the dark shape, something to my left caught my attention.  I peered over ... and saw two baby owls!

Another owlet was sitting nearby so I found a total of four owlets in the dark conifer trees, well protected by a million branches.  Getting bigger, they were out exploring away from the nest.

It was tough getting clear shots of the owlets.  Not only were they half hidden between branches and pine needles, the light in there was so scarce that I had to lower the shutter speed and push up the ISO to 6400, higher than I typically feel comfortable with in near darkness, but nothing a little Topaz Denoise can't fix ... 
Since I was out hiking for moose, I didn't bring my tripod so I took bursts of images at a low shutter speed (with a wide open aperture) to get some 'in focus' shots of the owlets.

Here are some of my favorites.  My first ever Long Eared Owlets!

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The mosquitoes were terrible as he was bedded down along the river in a wet area.  As it was just me and him, I sat down on this hot day (80F) to await Hoback getting up.

You see, moose in general don't like the heat, even less than I do.  Since moose are so well adapted to cold weather; their coat makes them 'too warm' when it gets above freezing in winter; they prefer to stay in the shade during the hot days of summer.  You'll find moose active mostly at dusk and dawn, and laying in the shade somewhere during the warmest times of the day.  It is believed that moose are at risk of overheating when the temps get above 60 F or 23 C!

As a result, Hoback was laying at the edge of a cottonwood forest surrounded by tall willows. Their hiding from the heat doesn't make them any easier to find by the way.  Since some of the moose in the Grand Teton area are not afraid of humans (no hunting moose in the National Park will do that), you can walk through the forest mere yards away from a bedded down moose behind the next bush and never realize he (or she) is there!

Here's my favorite shot from this session with Hoback.  He got up to eat willows for a few minutes before the sun set and I was able to photograph his silhouette highlighting his dewlap (bell) and growing, velvet-covered antlers.  Note his two drop tines this year.  He's almost fully grown with the mating season starting in under two months: antlers are the fastest growing tissue and they can grow an inch a day.  In another month or so he'll shed the velvet exposing the bone underneath.
 

Summer 2023
Scroll down for pictures of earlier years.

 

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Hoback in the fall of 2021 with one drop tine

Fall of 2021.  Note the broken tines after a fight with another bull during the mating season

 

Hoback in the fall of 2021 play sparring with a younger/smaller bull
 

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The article includes history on Yellowstone's bison herd and my photography tips.

Here are some of my favorite images that PetaPixel chose to use in the article ...

The Flehmen response ... wait for it ...

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Bull moose drop their antlers annually in December - January and start to grow their new set in spring.  Now that it's July and the moose rut (mating season) starting in September, he is almost fully grown and looking impressive.

Back in 2021, Hoback was easily recognizable because one of his antlers points (called a "tine") pointed down.  In 2022, however, he did not have a drop tine.  You could still identify him by the hole in his right ear and several white dots on his nose.
This year he made it easy: he has TWO drop tines this year!

On the below picture, also note the scars on the left side of his face.  These are the result of a mating season clash with another big bull (named "Shoshone," who wasn't seen in 2022).  I have pictures of the fresh damages, taken in late fall of 2021, when the tip of Shoshone's antler was lodged in Hoback's head near his eye!  Keep an eye out for those images when I get around to posting them. (sign up below for my mailing list to stay posted)
Hoback's injuries seem to have healed although they may still be affecting his left eye, as he doesn't open it all the way.
 

Summer 2023
Scroll down for pictures of earlier years.

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Hoback in the summer of 2021 with one drop tine

Hoback in the summer of 2021 while shedding the velvet before the start of the mating season. 
Note the one drop tine on the left.

Hoback during mating season in 2021 with clean antlers
 

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Find it here: https://www.destinationwildlife.com/blog/searching-out-the-worlds-most-famous-grizzly-bears-update-2023

Here's my favorite image used in the article.  It's a close-up of grizzly 610 (who is 399's daughter).

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Coming up is the annual bison mating season and what better place to observe and photograph this than Yellowstone?

Yellowstone is the last remaining place with genetically pure bison, direct descendants of the millions of bison that roamed the landscape before most of them were senselessly slaughtered.

Even though the bison rut sees lots of action with bellowing, wallowing, dueling ... bison are still pretty much grazing 11 hours of the day!

Here's some of my favorite images of the behavior called "bellowing," during which the bull sticks out his tongue and loudly grunts.

This behavior is performed by the bulls and is believed to establish dominance within the herd.

Wait for it ...

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Who better to celebrate July 4th with than grizzly 399 and her new cub of the year Spirit.  Here they are in a variety of wild flowers in Grand Teton National Park. 

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Spirit enjoys a mouthful of biscuitroot

Grizzly 399 poses in a field of lupins and biscuitroot

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Spirit in a field of lupins and biscuitroot

Grizzly 399 and Spirit walk out of the forest into a field of biscuitroot flowers
 

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Whereas a trip to Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks may grant you a brief sighting of a majestic grizzly, being in the right place at the right time in Alaska pretty much guarantees daily up-close sightings.

Here I was in Southeastern Alaska, in the Tongass National Forest, hiking through the dense rain forest when I found this brown bear fishing for salmon.

As I always say: luckily the bears are more interested in the fish than me.  I used the big 500mm f/4 lens to get the shots.
 

Chasing the salmon

Almost there ...

The final lunge

Got one!

He gave me a look as if to say: What are you doing in my creek?

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Caught a big chum salmon

Heading to the shore to eat his catch 

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Little do they know they're being awaiting by hungry predators ...

Southeastern Alaska's Tongass National Forest is home to several salmon-filled streams.

I photographed this brown bear capturing several pink salmon.

He caught a male pink salmon.
These are also called "humpy" due to the large humpback they develop when they return to spawn.
 

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This year, 104,700 professional and amateur photographers from 174 countries participated in the annual photography competition and submitted a total of 445,700 photographs. The photographs were judged in three different stages and 123 million votes were received. Ultimately, in the 3rd stage of voting, 50 professional photographers from 50 different countries selected the winners.

I am honored and grateful to announce that:

• One of my images was selected to be a part of the annual Catalogue
• I was named as one of the Top 35 Wildlife Photographers in the World
• I was named as one of the Top 35 Photographers in the U.S. (across all categories, not just wildlife)
• The portfolio of images I submitted made it into the Top 10 of Wildlife 

Fine art prints of select images are available in my Etsy shop: click here

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A typical day sees me out and about until around 9 PM, followed by a quick dinner and bed time.

Photo editing typically has to wait until the quiet days of summer, so here's one of my favorite sequences from last spring.

Right place, right time when grizzly 399 came out of the forest and crossed the Snake river right in front of my camera.

Look at those claws!




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One last look before disappearing

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two play-fighting grizzly bear cubs.

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Select Wild Horse images are available as fine art prints in my Etsy store: click here.  Use coupon MUSTANG for 10% off and free shipping.  (offer expires Monday June 12, 2023)
 

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Find it by clicking here (Free subscription required)
 

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Blondie was last seen in June of last year, when she allegedly lost her new cubs to an attack by a male grizzly bear.

She typically appears out of hibernation in early June so fingers crossed she'll show up soon.

Here is one of my favorite shots of her from June 2022 when she stared into my big lens ...  (Scroll down for more images of Blondie)
 

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Blondie's ear tag is mostly hidden by her fur

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I'm cute and I know it!
 

The wave

Dancing in the snow

Young and innocent

Sibling attack

The incredible snowman

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Grizzly 399 came out of hibernation today in Grand Teton National Park with a new COY ("Cub Of the Year")!

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team leader Frank van Manen told WyoFile earlier that the oldest known age of actual reproduction for a wild grizzly was 25.

That means grizzly 399, aged 27, is the new record holder.  Amazing!
 

*** UPDATE ***
Since 399 appeared with her new COY, I've had requests for a fine art print of the happy occasion: I now have created a print which is available in my Etsy shop.  Find it here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1473617804/celebrity-grizzly-bear-399-and-her
Shipping is free as usual.


Print of grizzly 399 and her COY displayed in a living room

*************
 

Just the fact alone that grizzly 399 is still alive is amazing; only 9% of new cubs make it to her age in the wild; but to appear with a new cub ...

Here are some pictures of 399 and her new cub today in the National Park, shortly after she appeared.

The first brief sighting occurred in her regular area of Pilgrim Creek in the National Park around 2:45 PM today (May 16, 2023).  Crowds started forming along the park road as rumors started flying.  It wasn't until 3 hours later that she walked out into a sage brush field and showed her new baby to the happy park visitors.

Both mom and her new offspring look great.  Her cub looks to be in good health and pretty big (I guess it helps if you have only have to feed one versus the four she had in 2020!) and 399 herself doesn't look skinny at all, which you may expect after just coming out of hibernation and having given birth.

And now the first pictures ... 
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Healthy looking coy
 

Grizzly 399

​​​​​
Grizzly 399 and her new cub of the year


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Peaking from behind mom

A great looking duo
 

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In honor of Mother's Day, use 10% OFF coupon code "MAMABEAR" to order a fine art print of the grizzly bears, starting at $47 on Etsy: click here!
 

Grizzly 399

She hasn't been seen yet.  Last year, which was the last year she had her four cubs, she came out of hibernation on April 18 and, as her regular territory around Pilgrim Creek was still buried in deep snow, headed straight south to find food.  
This spring, there is a lot more snow in the high country, including around Pilgrim Creek. 

Grizzly 399 and her quads in 2020: fine art print available here on Etsy (use coupon code "MAMABEAR" for 10% OFF)
 

Assuming she made it through another winter (fingers crossed, she turned 27 this past winter) and if she doesn't have new cubs of the year ("COY"), it's reasonable to expect that she's awake by now.  Without cubs, however, she typically doesn't hang out near the roads as much so she could be out and about in the back country, away from prying eyes.

If she does have new cubs, it's likely she'll be in the den until around the middle of May.  Moms with new cubs stay in the den longer to give the cubs a chance to grow bigger before heading out.

Felicia

Felicia (grizzly 863) and her two 2-year old cubs have been out of hibernation for approximately two weeks now.  She immediately headed to lower elevations to find food and even briefly entered Grand Teton National Park!
 

Felicia's cubs playing in the snow a few years ago: fine art print available here on Etsy (use coupon code "MAMABEAR" for 10% OFF)
 

She'll kick out her two cubs any time in the next few weeks and rumor has it a big male boar has already been spotted paying extra attention to her, in the hopes of perhaps mating when the time comes.
 

Blondie

Blondie (grizzly 793), who just turned 16 years of age, hasn't been seen yet.  She is believed to have lost her three newborn cubs last spring.  If she doesn't have new cubs this year, she's likely awake by now but, like 399, without cubs to protect, she's unlikely to spend much time near park roads and humans.

Blondie and her three cubs: fine art prints available here on Etsy (use coupon code "MAMABEAR" for 10% OFF)

Blondie: fine art prints available here on Etsy (use coupon code "MAMABEAR" for 10% OFF)
 

If she does have new cubs this spring, chances are she won't leave the den until mid May.
 

Grizzly 610

Grizzly 610 (aged 17) came out of hibernation in 2022 with three new cubs.  She was last seen, with all three cubs in good health, in the fall so chances are good all four will be appearing soon in Grand Teton National Park. 

She came out of hibernation on May 5th and seemed groggy and sleepy as she walked around (and even took a nap on the park road!) near her den.  All three cubs seemed in good shape!

Grizzly 610 and her 3 COY last spring
 

Grizzly 1063

Grizzly 1063, aka. "Fritter" or "Bonita," is Blondie's older cub.  She appeared out of hibernation about two weeks ago but hasn't been regularly seen (yet) in the National Park, most likely due to the deep snowpack still on the ground forcing her to go look for food in the back country.

Grizzly 926

Grizzly 926, aka. the "Cunningham bear," is 610's daughter and 399's grand daughter.  She came out of hibernation with her two-year old cubs about two weeks ago.  She'll be kicking out the cubs in the next few weeks.  Since most of the other grizzlies are no-shows so far this spring, she's one of the most frequently seen bears at the moment in Grand Teton National Park.

926 with one of her two cubs

Bruno

Grizzly 679, aka. Bruno, is the male boar believed to be the dad of most of the above bear's cubs.  He is massive.  Male boars typically wake up out of hibernation in March and so did Bruno.  He has put in the odd appearance in the National Park this spring.

Bruno in full sprint: fine art print available here on Etsy (use coupon code "MAMABEAR" for 10% OFF)

Stay tuned for updates as more bears come out of hibernation ...

Wyoming newspaper Cowboy State Daily published my above images and comments in an article on May 5th, 2023. (read it here)

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There's winter at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, WY when the sheep congregate on Millers Butte.

There's the mining area around Morenci, AZ where sheep live year-round.  By the way, these are Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, not desert bighorn sheep that you find in Arizona's lower elevations.

And then there's Jasper National Park in Canada.  Jasper provides great opportunities for photographing bighorn sheep, especially along the road to the Miette Hot Springs and the road to Medicine and Maligne lakes.

Wherever you decide to go, it helps - as it does in all wildlife photography - that the subjects are 'used' to seeing people and occasionally willingly pose for the picture!

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Bighorn Surprise

Curious Ram

Threesome Ram line-up
 

Muddy Jasper

Bighorn sheep ewe goes for a drink

Rainy Day

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Here he is chasing a fish, and proving successful once more.

The Alaskan rainforest definitely taxes your photography equipment.  An almost constant drizzle and high humidity dictate the need for a water-sealed camera and lens.

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I cannot believe how different this image, taken last spring, is from this year's scene.  There is a LOT more snow this year.  The bison are still migrating to this area and I haven't seen a single area of green grass here so far ...

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This bull frequented the same area a little later in the season

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When a bison herd in Yellowstone National Park's Lamar valley made their way towards a creek, I got setup with my big lens and tripod.

The sun behind my back provided beautiful colors as the herd crossed the creek one by one.

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The sun behind my back provided beautiful colors as the herd crossed the creek one by one.

These big bulls can get up to 2,200 lbs (1.000 kg) and are an impressive sight!

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It was around the middle of October and the moose mating season was running on its last legs.

A mile out from my car, I spotted a cow moose, against a lovely mountain backdrop.

I couldn't believe my luck when this big bull moose appeared!

He's one of the biggest bull moose in the area, known as "Shoshone".  He hasn't been seen in a while so fingers crossed he's alright.

This print of Shoshone and the Tetons is newly available in my Etsy shop: click here.

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I love finding this bird on my hikes in search of wildlife.  This one gave me a few minutes with him before he moved on.
 

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A spawning area for salmon every summer, the Blue Lagoon attracts lots of hungry predators, including brown bears.

While this area is a rain forest and thus typically overcast and rainy, sometimes a beam of light comes out turning a spotlight onto the hungry bears.

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Find it here: https://petapixel.com/how-and-where-to-photograph-moose/

As this brown bear fished a salmon-filled stream in Alaska, I was setup next to the stream.  

He caught a salmon and, seemingly oblivious that I was there, devoured it a few yards from me!

Here I was with a 500mm lens unable to include the entire bear, but able to snap this detailed image, which must be what the bear's viewpoint was.

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This is the entire bear, fishing in the creek

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This bull was hanging out in dense vegetation surrounded by fall colors.

I was lucky to spend a few hours with him, all by myself. 

When he finally got up from his long rest, he crashed through the vegetation to visit a nearby cow moose.  She wasn't ready to mate so he promptly left her to go visit a different nearby cow.

You'd think that moose are so large that you can see them from a mile away ... but nothing is further from the truth.  These big animals are great at blending in.   All the time I spent with the bull, I had no clue there were two separate cow moose hanging out nearby!

Coming through!

Going for a drink

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Even though newborn cubs rely on mother's milk, the cubs mimic mom as she grazes throughout the day.

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If you haven't read it yet, check out my recent article on grizzly 399 and the future of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, published by PetaPixel:  click here.

His antlers covered in velvet, this moose was getting ready for the annual mating season in September and October.

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First we have a band of wild horses at Arizona's Salt river, against a beautiful mountain backdrop. 
Available in 5x15 and 10x30 pano.

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What it looks like in a home:

The second new panorama print is several bands of wild horses at the waterhole in Wyoming's McCullough Peaks HMA. 
Available in 5x15 and 10x30 pano.

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What it looks like in a home:

Panoramic fine art prints are available on museum-quality, archival matte or glossy paper.

Typically grizzly sows with newborns stay in the den a little longer. 

In the Yellowstone and Grand Teton area, they leave their den around mid May.

Male grizzlies on the other hand can wake up any day now in March, and female grizzlies without new cubs typically appear around mid April.

This all depends on the temperatures however so nothing is written in stone when it comes to expecting a grizzly to wake up!

Here's a newborn cub from the past spring in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. 

Mom was grazing nearby and is a fierce protector of her cub.  Remember to use a long lens to be able to keep your distance and even then, keep an eye on mom as she may not like your presence there at a good distance.

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