The Storm Rolls In

Yesterday the snow started. I cannot believe it is almost june and snowing. the bears don't seem to mind, and I love the cold. Below is a picture of a mother bison with her newborn calf in the snow, and a video of a black bear looking for grass that was not already covered in too much snow.

In Too Deep May 17th

So, I just got my D4 yesterday. Attached it to the 600VR today here in yellowstone and went out shooting. I was hiking back into the woods after a coyote when I heard some teeth popping, and a growl. A grizzly stepped out of the brush about 35 feet from me. I started backing up with the tripod and camera over my shoulder as the bear continued to walk towards me. I got to a pile of logs that I was afraid I would trip over if I tried to lift the tripod over it. I thought to myself, screw it, the gear is insured and it's not worth dying for. I left the gear and backed up to about 75 yds. when the bear stopped to sniff the tripod. I had my D700 and 70-300VR over my shoulder so I started to shoot. What I saw before me made me want to cry. The bear stood up, pushed the tripod over with one paw, then proceded to gnaw on it and jump up and down on it. I left the area, went back to my car, waited an hour, then hiked back into the woods to retrieve what was left.

I got there and the gear was covered in mud, and slobber. The hoods were off of the 600, the padding on the tripod was ripped to shreds. I couldn't see if there was any damage to the gear, because it was so muddy. When I got back to the apartment, I looked at the front element and there was a perfect nose print on it. I cleaned everything up, and apart from a tooth mark on the battery cover of the D4, a few scratches to the lens hoods, and the knobs chewed off of the wimberly, everything seemed ok. The tripod, was not so lucky. I am not sure if it was a result of chewing, or stomping, but the carbon fiber was splintered and broken. I took some test shots with the camera and lens and everything is still in perfect focus and calibration. I cannot belive after a hard fall, and a mauling by a 500lb grizly, that everything still works. 

The good thing was that I was ok, got out of there safe, and even though I had bear spray, I think Imade the right decision to leave the gear instead of risking trying to haul it out with me and fall down crossing logs.

And now, for the pics!

And the images I was able to capture before ditching the gear

I wonder if the bear likes Canon gear better than Nikon and thats why he pushed it all over?

Warming Up

It was really warm today, almost 80 degrees at the lower elevations, so the bears weren't doing too much moving, but got to get really close to a coyote along the Madison River. He spent nearly 30 minutes listening for a mouse, and eventually dove at the ground and caught one.

Finally, the cubs show up!

So this morning I drove all of the way to Lamar Valley, and saw almost nothing on the way there. After it started to rain and snow, I turned around to head home. I saw the herd of bison that was nearby acting nervous so I stopped the car. Over the rise, a very large grizzly is running towards the road, and bobbing around behind her are two tiny little cubs, likely just a couple months old. I only get a few shots off before she ran back towards the woods, and the rain and snow made it difficult to get a good image, but at least I know where one sow with cubs is now.

The past couple days were also pretty good. Got really close to a few black bears, and a very nice looking coyote.

Variety Pack...

The past three days in the park have been pretty crazy. A lot of snow has caused road closures, but the weather today was awesome. I still have not found the grizzlies with cubs I am looking for, but have definately seen a lot of things I did not expect to see. A baby bison that was just born, the rare and well camouflaged dusky grouse, a coyote hunting for mice, two young bull bison sparring, and a small herd of bison crossing the madison river. Definately a good past three days.

Today as I was leaving Jackson Hole on my way to Yellowstone, I was suprised to see a female moose browsing the willows along a small local creek, just outside of town. She looks a little mangy from the winter, but a good first moose of the trip.

Coming into Yellowstone I got to see a black bear with her two one year old cubs near the Hellroaring trail. I would assume that this is the same mother bear that had two cubs of the year last year. 

No Grizzlies for Today...

So tonight I went in search of the mother grizzlies and cubs that have been frequenting the Moose-Wilson Rd. in GTNP. I did not see any sign of the bears, but I did manage to make some great photographs. I visited an abandoned homestead known as Mormon Row, where I found this really cool barn and grove of aspen trees with the Teton Mountain Range in the background. Light was nearly perfect. I also saw a very large herd of cow elk, while not all that exciting in itself, it made for a nice start to my adventure.