Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

labountyphotos · **yellowstone -** 05-12-2010, 10:45 AM

recent yellowstone trip. Grizzly was at times within 30-40 yards. Black bear walked past me within arms length to get to the other side of the road. Neither shot has been sharpened.

houtex01 · 05-12-2010, 11:02 AM

"Within arms length"....that's pretty close...were you out in the open? Nice bear shots...

Ron

labountyphotos · 05-12-2010, 11:08 AM

He/she was grubbing around on the side of the road near Tower. He began walking parrallel with the road then suddenly turned and came across the road exactly where I was standing. My first instinct was to scuttle to the car but i sensed he wasn't aggressive and just stepped aside. He paid no attention to me.

dtran · 05-12-2010, 12:02 PM

You must be brave, Fred!

labountyphotos · 05-12-2010, 12:39 PM

just dumb. I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.

DEMDeepEllumMusic · 05-12-2010, 06:49 PM

I guess this was last fall? If it was they are looking for grubs and other fattening bugs to load up on if it was spring (grass looks kinda brown for early spring) you were very lucky because that is when they are pretty mean because they are nice and hungry for just about anything.

BTW two good shots- most people don't usually get within 300 yards of a grizzly nowdays unless they are at the river hunting salmon.

labountyphotos · 05-12-2010, 07:48 PM

Actually, it was this april, the 17th, i think. There was very little color to the grass and still lots of snow at altitude. Saw several grizzlies(sp?) and 3 black bears. Most of the grizzlies were 250 yards away on the lamar river sparring with 3-4 wolves over a dead elk. The wolves had killed the elk but the bears confiscated it. This went on over a few days. Shots were too far away to be very good. i was using a 500/4 with 1.4 but it still wasn't enough. I can crop them about 50% and they look ok but i don't like to crop.
had beautiful weather (60 degrees) a couple of days but snow and rain started coming in. I had to leave earlier than i wanted. Had to swing up into Montana and then down as the roads down through the park were still closed. Two and a half days of driving in rain, snow and 35-45mph wind to get back to texas. Slept in the cab of my tundra and woke up with 5" of snow in Trinidad, CO. 5000 mile round trip eating nothing but bearclaws and burritos but worth every minute of it. Yellowstone is the garden of eden. Just wish it were closer and i had more vacation time...and my wife would let me go again. She won't go with me. Says I travel too hard.

Orogeny · 05-12-2010, 07:55 PM

I'm heading there at the end of next week and I can't wait. This will be my first time there.

DEMDeepEllumMusic · 05-12-2010, 07:55 PM

No Slim Jims and goober peanut clusters?

I'm surprised that the grizzly didn't give you a rough time.

I went last year in early May, buffalo were calving and several of the lakes were still frozen solid.

I agree that it is a great place to shoot, wildlife, scenery and even people.

DEMDeepEllumMusic · 05-12-2010, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orogeny

I'm heading there at the end of next week and I can't wait. This will be my first time there.

If you are hiking and you see fresh scat that looks like a big sumo left it be very warry since that will indicate that a bear is probably very nearby and they can smell food for miles! (BTW it is best not to hike with a lot of snacks in your pockets there-not talking the short trails around the geysers but ones in the woods leading to remote locations).

Be prepared to walk a lot- if you can get down to the Tetons DO IT! Not much moose in Yellowstone anymore but a lot of elk and buffalo, moose moved south after the big wildfire about 20 years ago.

Ask a ranger if they are moving any of the cows and calves back into the park from Montana-if they are it is a great photo op- cows travel out side of the park to a calving area and the NPS moves them back by horseback every year- last year a newborn calf broke it's leg and was getting a lot of local news coverage as it tried to keep up with the herd. I think it didn't survive.

Have FUN!

labountyphotos · 05-12-2010, 08:19 PM

There were about 50 of us shooting the grizzly. You don't have to look for wildlife in yellowstone. you look for the crowd of photographers and wolf watchers. 400, 500, 600 and 800mm glass was a dime a dozen.
Those wolf watchers are a breed unto themselves. They know every pack, where they frequent, all their names and their histories. They stand on the side of the hills with their spotting scopes for hours just watching a wolf that is barely visible. They are delighted to share their knowledge and let you look thru their glass.
we had a treat one evening along the Lamar River as 2 different packs of wolves started howling and were then joined by the howling of several coyotes along the mountains behind us. A privilege provided by nature I'll never forget.

DEMDeepEllumMusic · 05-12-2010, 08:41 PM

Yeah over by the Lamar is a different breed of folks, just like on the geyser trails you may run into a geyser "follower" that can give you a pretty good idea when one of the lesser geysers will go off and for how long- there was one that did a MAJOR eruption that lasted over an hour long (now it did go in cycles of larger and smaller eruptions but never stopped). It is in the same basin as Old Faithful.

If you have a polarizer TAKE IT!

Shadow · 05-12-2010, 08:56 PM

I'll be there in a month. You're inspiring me.

Lots of "bear jams", huh?

Sounds like it's time for an 800mm F5.6, huh?

labountyphotos · 05-12-2010, 09:48 PM

800 with a 1.4 or 2x. will be crowd there in a month, however. Wasn't bad in april. much better than when i was there in sept. i had to sleep in my truck in sept as no campsites were available.
Park was much prettier then since it was still green. Just not much moving but bison. did see a moose after dark crossing the road.

Orogeny · 05-13-2010, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by labountyphotos

Those wolf watchers are a breed unto themselves. They know every pack, where they frequent, all their names and their histories. They stand on the side of the hills with their spotting scopes for hours just watching a wolf that is barely visible. They are delighted to share their knowledge and let you look thru their glass.

There is an interesting thread over at YNet forums about wolf watchers.

YNet Forums • View topic - Top 10 List: You know your a Wolf Watcher when...

I will be looking for them.