The Wildlife Photographer

Let me be clear–I am not one. I try from time to time, but I generally have to go to where the wildlife is tame to get any decent shots. For the most part, I prefer the grand landscape, the intimate landscape, or the natural abstract.

For those interested in some key “tame” western hotspots…

For bison–go just about anywhere in Yellowstone National Park, especially the open valleys between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower-Roosevelt or between Canyon Village and Fishing Bridge.

For elk–cruise the open meadows of Moraine Park or West Horseshoe Park in Rocky Mountain National Park, especially in September and October.

For wolves and GRIZZ, unless you have a missile-sized, massive, monster, telephoto lens (and a whole lot of patience to wait in the wild), you might try the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana. I like the way they treat their animals–it is somehow less zoo-like, despite their confinement. The humans seem to work hard at providing the critters a natural and stimulating environment, and all the animals are there because, for one reason or another, they cannot survive in the wild (injuries and/or behavior issues, generally).

Here is one of their more proud wolf residents, Akela:

The Proud Wolf (Akela). West Yellowstone, MT (Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center), 2014

And our favorite, Sam, an Alaskan coastal Grizzly who is just massive (here, he is weighing in at something over 1000 pounds). Imagine finding this guy walking up the trail toward you!

GRIZZ on Patrol (Sam). West Yellowstone, MT (Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center), 2014

GRIZZ (Sam), #2. West Yellowstone, MT (Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center), 2014

A large pumpkin–just like eating an apple (it is pretty hard to not note those incredible claws):

GRIZZ (Sam’s Pumpkin), #3. West Yellowstone, MT (Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center), 2014

Now, for those who really ARE wildlife photographers, I’m sure you’ll get a kick and a guffaw out of this short video. The woman who plays the interfering tourist is hilarious and, in my book, rivals Flo from the Progressive car insurance commercials. Here ya go: