When you find a bull this time of the year, when the mating season is winding down, most of the time the bull is pretty tolerant.  His hormone levels are returning to a normal level and he's not in a competitive mode any longer ...

But, if 'your' bull decides to tear up a bush right in front of you, that's typically a sign that he's getting annoyed and the wise thing for you to do, is to retreat ... 

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

Few things beat the experience of having a big bull elk bugle right in front of you!

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

The leaves are going fast in the Rockies as fall approaches.  Soon, the mating season will finish and the moose will quiet down, for a well-deserved rest.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

Bull moose are on the move looking for moose cows during the mating season.  This big bull crossed the river towards a single cow on the other bank.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

Mister Moose, as he stared into the camera.  The moose rut is in full swing throughout the Rockies, from Colorado into Alaska.

When you find yourself in the presence of a moose, always keep a big object nearby to hide behind.  A tree will work.  Even though moose look docile, I trust them much less than grizzly bears as moose can do the unexpected without much warning.
 

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

Hiking along a river, I found a smallish bull moose during mating season.  

As I waited for him to do something interesting, he took off and walked into an open sagebrush flat.

Lo and behold, here comes a different - much bigger - bull.

They sparred and the small bull took off running!

Here is the victor of the fight.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

It doesn't get much better than to see a bugling elk crossing the Snake river among fall colors.

This bull elk was hot on the trail of females during mating season.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

I found this fox on a hike in Montana's Beartooth mountains.

Clearly uninterested in my presence, he gave me several good poses. 

Here, he climbed up onto a fallen log to get a better look at the rodent activity in the tall grasses, before continuing on his hunt.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

The velvet is gone and the bull moose are starting their mating season with their clean, fully grown antlers.

This guy has to be patient for a few more years before his antlers are big enough to compete with the big bulls for the females.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

It's not just the moose mating season.  The elk are having their annual rut also.

The time of the year when the forest is filled with the eerie, awesome sounds of bugling!

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

The berries are ripe in the Rockies and you know what that means ...

If you want to find a bear, look up in the berry bushes!

This black bear was munching away near Yellowstone National Park's Little America area.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

Now that the moose mating season is about to start, it's important to remember the ladies.

The moose cows will be visited and chased around by a constant stream of bull moose over the next month and a half ...

This cow moose is taking a well deserved rest.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

It's almost time now for the bull moose to shed their velvet and start the mating season ... 

Can't wait!

Here's a big bull moose in the Beartooth mountains of Montana.
 

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

A young bison crosses a shallow river.

Mating season is about to wind down, giving these bison a chance to prepare for the coming and typically brutal winter.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

A grizzly family (mom and her 3 cubs) make a meal out of a domestic cow, killed by a vehicle.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

Foxes are fun to watch, especially as they hunt.

This fox was on the hunt for rodents and voles in the tall grass. 

Suddenly, they stop their cautious walk, point their ears and gaze towards one specific spot, and pounce!

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

The bull moose's antlers are getting close to being full-grown. 

Still covered in velvet, the bulls will start to rub their antlers in a few weeks from now to expose the white bone antlers underneath, and start the annual mating season.

I found this bull among silverberry bushes, which they like to browse.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

The bull moose's antlers are getting close to being full-grown. 

Still covered in velvet, the bulls will start to rub their antlers in a few weeks from now to expose the white bone antlers underneath, and start the annual mating season.

I found this bull among silverberry bushes, which they like to browse.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram

Stay tuned for a new wildlife image every Monday and Friday morning!

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

A bison bull stares dreamily into Yellowstone's Lamar Valley.  The bison mating season is in full swing!

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram 

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

It's that time of the year: the bison rut (or mating season) has started!

Here's a cheeky bull "bellowing" (which sounds like a loud burp) to signal to the other bulls that he's a force to be reckoned with.

P.S. If you like wildlife images, make sure to subscribe to my free newsletter below and to follow on Facebook or Instagram 

Wildlife Fine art prints start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

It's hot in Jackson Hole with temperatures frequently reaching up into the 90s!

I recently saw grizzly 399 and Spirit in their expected territory in Grand Teton NP.  Surprisingly they haven't "headed for the hills" and cooler temps yet.

And I have to say, Spirit is looking great.

Being an only child seems to be helping this young one to grow into quite the grizzly bear.

Fine art prints of the Teton Grizzlies start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

This past winter was relatively mild and full of promise: would “Felicia” appear out of hibernation with new cubs?  What about young grizzly “Fritter”: would she finally have her first cubs ever?  And, would 28-year old grizzly 399 make it through another winter to continue raising her record-setting cub “Spirit”?

Grizzly 399 and Spirit

As you will have heard by now, grizzly 399 and Spirit appeared out of hibernation at the end of April! 

Since the average grizzly in the wild lives to be 20-25 years old, grizzly 399 continues to defy expectations as she successfully made it through another winter – she turned 28 in the den in January – and continues to raise her (one) cub Spirit.

Close-up of Spirit as he followed 399 into the forest
 

Spirit looks great and is almost her size!  No doubt that raising one cub to adulthood is a lot less taxing on her body than it was raising the quads (her four cubs between 2020 and 2022).  Spirit is now 1.5 years old and if all goes well, will be “kicked out” by mom next May.  It is still unknown whether Spirit is a male or female cub, but looking at how adventurous the cub is, suspicions are strong that it’s a male as male grizzlies tend to be more independent.

I’ve been lucky to see them on several occasions already this spring.  As usual, they tend to hang out most in the area between Willow Flats and Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park. 

"Bear Jam" as 399 and Spirit cross the busy park road
 

That being said, whereas 399 was visible very regularly with her previous quads, since having Spirit in 2023, she’s been more skittish in my opinion, making for less frequent sightings and tougher photography. 

Last year, when Spirit was a newborn, they hung around her usual area for most of the summer.  Now that he’s big enough to cover greater distances, it’s possible she’ll take him to higher elevations (away from park roads) during the heat of summer, although that remains to be seen.

Here’s a picture I took recently of Spirit, as he stood up for a better look at his surroundings.  399 Grazed nearby peacefully.

Fine art print of Spirit available on Etsy, starting at $54: click here
 

Grizzly 1063 aka. Fritter or Bonita

The daughter of grizzly “Blondie” (#793), Fritter was born in 2017 and “kicked out” by mom in 2019.  At 7 years of age, she is definitely able to have babies so for the past year or two, we’ve all been expecting her to appear out of hibernation with her first set of cubs.  This was finally the year!

Fritter leads her first set of three cubs through a wildflower meadow in Grand Teton National Park
 

She appeared at the end of May with her first set of cubs: three coy! (COY = Cubs Of the Year)
The cubs are tiny and, of course, very cute.  Fritter seems to have learned from her mom, Blondie, that it’s a good idea to stay close to the humans with her cubs, as male grizzlies (“boars”) tend to avoid humans.  That’s a good thing since boars will kill grizzly cubs in order to push the female back into estrus so the boar can mate with the female.

Fritter has been hanging out with her three coy in the area around Leeks marina, Colter Bay and Pilgrim Creek.  She shares this habitat with 399 and Spirit.

Fritter with a mouthful of Biscuitroot flowers

Grizzly 610

Grizzly 399’s daughter, 610 kicked out her 2.5 year old cubs this spring, as expected.  Since then, both 610 and the three cubs have been rarely seen.  610 Tends to be seen around Pacific Creek, Oxbow Bend and Willow Flats in the park.

I had the chance to see them together before she kicked out the cubs.  All three cubs looked great and ready to start life on their own!

610 leads her three cubs across Willow Flats in Grand Teton National Park

Grizzly 793 aka. Blondie

After the heartbreak of losing her three coy in 2022, Blondie appeared in 2023 with a new set of coy.  She and her two cubs didn’t appear near park roads until the fall of 2023, but all looked to be in good health.  Assuming they made it through another winter successfully, they haven’t been spotted yet this spring.  Fingers crossed!

Grizzly 863 aka. Felicia

Last but not least, Felicia came out of hibernation in May with new coy!

Felicia's new cubs of the year
 

After successfully raising her previous two cubs to adulthood in 2023 and setting them loose on their own, she gave birth to two new babies in her den this past winter. All three are living life in her usual area outside of Grand Teton National Park, up on Togwotee pass east of the park in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

When you go up the pass to see her, please remember to park only in official pullouts to keep it safe for visitors and the bears.

Fine art prints of the Teton Grizzlies start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

This year, 111,253 professional and amateur photographers from 174 countries participated in the annual photography competition and submitted a total of 465,000 photographs. The photographs were judged in three different stages and, ultimately, in the 3rd stage of voting, 50 professional photographers from 50 different countries selected the winners: 3 of my images made it to the 3rd round.

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)

Here are the winning images:

1) This image made it into the catalogue:

2)

3)

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

35AWARDS Certificate35AWARDS

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

The only grizzly sow in the Tetons who has COY so for is Felicia, up on Togwotee pass in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Much of the grizzly bear action so far this spring is happening in Yellowstone.

It's hard to beat springtime for cute baby animals!

Grizzly Bear Fine Art Prints start at just $47: click here for my Etsy shop

  Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

These cowbirds follow the bison herd around and eat the insects that are attracted the bison.

Interestingly enough, since the bison herd is typically on the move, these cowbirds have no time to build a nest and stay in one spot.  What do they do?

They simply lay their eggs in other bird nests and rely on them to raise their babies!  This is known as "brood parasite."

Bison Fine art prints start at just $47: click here for my Etsy shop

 Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

This cute beaver explored the world outside of the lodge.

Select wildlife images are available as fine art prints in my Etsy shop: find it here.

Want to stay updated on new wildlife sightings and images?  Enter your e-mail address to receive my monthly update.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

What does it do?

Let's say you want to take a picture of a bird taking off, or a critter lifting its head up, or some other action that typically happens in the fraction of a second.  In the past, this meant keeping your finger on the shutter release button and directing all your attention to the critter.  When you think something was going to happen, you'd press down on the button and start taking pictures at high frame rate.  What you ended up with were hundreds or thousands of images of nothing happening, or more often than not, missing the defining moment because you weren't paying attention ...

No more! The Pre Release Capture on the Nikon Z8 and Z9 cameras allow you to press down the shutter button halfway, and after the action happens, like the bird taking off, pressing down the shutter release all the way.  This makes the camera magically go back in time and save all the images of the bird take off to your memory card!

Here's a Snow Goose that had been sitting in the water for a looong time, while I was waiting for take off pictures.  I used the pre capture on my Z8 and, after the bird finally took off, pressed down on the shutter and got the entire take off sequence.

For more information on where to photograph thousands of Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes along New Mexico's Rio Grande in winter, check out my recent article published by PetaPixel: Bird Photography in New Mexico's Rio Grande Valley.

You can find it by clicking here.

 Are you interested in learning how to setup your camera for better wildlife pictures?

Check out my book: Beginner's Guide to Bird & Wildlife Photography

River otters are, of course, most at home in the water.

Their streamlined body and agility allows them to catch fish like native Cutthroat Trout in the Tetons and Yellowstone.

But did you know they move swiftly on land too?

Otters have been clocked in at 15 mph while running!  That's not fast enough to outrun their main land predators like coyotes or bobcats, so they're typically found in or near the water.

Here's a group of otters moving from the Snake river into a nearby pond.

In the Snake river, they are relatively safe from predators

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Want to stay updated on new wildlife sightings and images?  Enter your e-mail address to receive my monthly update.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

They are both officially awake from hibernation.  Great to see that both made it through the winter, especially 399 at her old age of 28 now.

Today, I was in the park all day looking for her, but no one saw her.  Fingers crossed she'll be visible in the upcoming days and weeks for pictures.

All I got so far is pictures of 399 and Spirit footprints in the snow.

Wyoming newspaper Cowboy State Daily reported on 399 this morning and used my images and comments: read the article by clicking here.

If you want a fine art print of grizzly 399, I have several available on Etsy, starting at $45 with FREE UPS shipping

Click here to shop grizzly 399 on Etsy



Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Want to stay updated on new wildlife sightings and images?  Enter your e-mail address to receive my monthly update.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

You can find it by clicking here.

 Are you interested in learning how to setup your camera for better wildlife pictures?

Check out my book: Beginner's Guide to Bird & Wildlife Photography

This bull moose, named Shoshone by photographers for easy identification, was the biggest bull around in Grand Teton National Park for several years.

It's been two years now since anyone has seen him, so it's feared that he's no longer alive.

That being said, this past fall, I saw a young bull moose with very similar antlers: possibly his son, ready to take on his father's role in a few years when he's fully grown!

Shoshone in the early fall with velvet-covered antlers

Moose fine art prints are available on Etsy (click here), starting at just $47 with free UPS shipping.
 

  Interested in learning how to make better wildlife images?

Check out my book on Amazon.com

I love that lens and since moose are not too skittish in the area, the focal length works great to get close shots as well as scenics.

Elk, due to the annual hunt in Grand Teton National Park and in the surrounding Bridger-Teton National Forest, are expectedly less trusting of humans.

On this afternoon, I was walking in a riparian habitat near the Snake river and spotted moose in the distance.  To my surprise, as I made my way quietly through the willows, I stumbled upon this bull elk grazing peacefully.  He was barely 30-40 yards away and I got a few shots before he wandered off.

Elk fine art prints are available on Etsy (click here), starting at just $47 with free UPS shipping.
 

  Interested in learning how to make better wildlife images?

Check out my book on Amazon.com

It doesn't always work out as you need a clear silhouette, unobscured by other dark elements that may make the animal blend in too much. 

Or, in this case, growing fluffy velvet-covered antlers on one of the biggest bull moose in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Moose fine art prints are available on Etsy (click here), starting at just $47 with free UPS shipping.
 

  Interested in learning how to make better wildlife images?

Check out my book on Amazon.com

Scroll down for more pictures of this encounter.

If you want a fine art print of beavers, I have several available on Etsy, starting at $45 with FREE UPS shipping

Click here to shop on Etsy

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Want to stay updated on new wildlife sightings and images?  Enter your e-mail address to receive my monthly update.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

When will 399 make her first appearance with Spirit?

If you want a fine art print of grizzlies, I have several available on Etsy, starting at $45 with FREE UPS shipping

Click here to shop grizzly 399 on Etsy




Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Want to stay updated on new wildlife sightings and images?  Enter your e-mail address to receive my monthly update.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

They spend the night together in the water, which makes it hard for predators to get to them.

New Mexico's Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Are you interested in learning how to setup your camera for better wildlife pictures?

Check out my book: Beginner's Guide to Bird & Wildlife Photography

The only road accessible by car is in the northern section of the park from Gardiner to Cooke City.

The rest of the park's interior is off limits to visitors with the exception of snow mobile tours, and, how I did it, via a snow coach. Think a van on giant wheels that allows it to drive on top of the deep snow pack.

Yellowstone's bison herds are divided into the southern herd, which spends most of its time between Hayden Valley and the Madison area, and the northern herd which goes between Lamar Valley and Gardiner's Paradise Valley.

Here are some shots of bison around the Madison river.  The cold temperatures at sunrise silhouetted this bull bison against the steamy river and frosted trees.

Bison Fine art prints start at just $47: click here for my Etsy shop

 Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

heck out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

New Mexico's Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Are you interested in learning how to setup your camera for better wildlife pictures?

Check out my book: Beginner's Guide to Bird & Wildlife Photography

Here are some of my favorite images of grizzly bear 399 and her cub of the year, christened Spirit, from last year.

And finally, 399's record-setting cub in 2023 ("Spirit")

If you want a fine art print of grizzly 399, I have several available on Etsy, starting at $45 with FREE UPS shipping

Click here to shop grizzly 399 on Etsy



Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Want to stay updated on new wildlife sightings and images?  Enter your e-mail address to receive my monthly update.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

Even though the fox looks like a mid-sized dog, it typically only weighs around 15 pounds (7 kg) and most of its appearance is fur.  The largest Red Fox males can be up to 30 pounds.

Easily recognizable by the white tip on its tail, as the name suggests, the main body of the Red Fox is typically red colored.  That being said, some Red Foxes are ... black!

A genetic mutation causes these Red Foxes to produce more melanin, which causes the black color.  Melanin is the pigment that provides hair its color.

Fun fact: melanin is also what makes a raven and crow entirely black.

Even though at least one of the parents of this cute melanistic Red Fox was red, and some of its siblings were red, both parents have to carry the recessive gene for the offspring to have a chance to be completely black (minus the white tip of the tail of course).

Fine art prints start at $45, click below for my Etsy shop
 

Sitting near one of the den entrances
 

Playing with one of its siblings
 

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Want to stay updated on new wildlife sightings and images?  Enter your e-mail address to receive my monthly update.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

Situated in the Sonoran desert, you may wonder the same about the Phoenix metro's human population of 4,6 million.  That was the first thing I pondered after I moved there in 2015.  I lived in the Phoenix area for 3.5 years until I finally got enough of the heat in 2018 and started my nomadic journey as a wildlife photographer and writer.  Seeing so many people live in a barren desert, swimming pools filled up in the backyard, it makes you wonder how much longer this can continue, with ground water levels being depleted at an alarming rate (for example, click here)... but that's a story for a different - not wildlife photography - blog.

In comparison, the Salt River wild horse population is around 450.  Life in the desert is not easy for them but the river is their save and grace.  Especially during periods of drought, they rely on the river's eelgrasses.  Here are a few pictures of the wild horses munching on them.

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

The spring migration is on for snow geese.  As an estimated 50,000 of them spend winter in New Mexico's Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge along the Rio Grande, during spring they migrate north to their breeding grounds.  

Most snow geese that spend winters here in New Mexico go to Canada or the Alaskan tundra, but it's astonishing that some of these birds breed as far as Siberia!  

That's quite a journey flying at 35 mph.

Snow geese typically take off "all at once". 

It's as if one of them gives the go ahead and in a loud "woosh", they're suddenly all in the air.

Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

Check out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

In a pristine snow-covered landscape, elk herds tend to move in single file.

Wildlife Fine art prints start at just $47: click here for my Etsy shop

 Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

heck out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2

 

I made this image at 500mm in order to keep a safe distance and to blur the fore- and background.  Bending down to be at eye level is definitely one of the best tips for wildlife photography, to create a sense of intimacy.

Bison Fine art prints start at just $47: click here for my Etsy shop

 Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?

heck out my book, available on Amazon

Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below.  Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.

Please correct the marked field(s) below.

Thank you for Signing Up

Sign up if you love wildlife.

 

1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2