926F trots through the snow this morning, hoping to hunt for food but dissuaded by the crowds. A couple of minutes in the life of a Yellowstone wolf. In winter there are no bears for folks to see in Yellowstone and so it is all about the wolf. Documentaries have shown wolves in abundance and close to people during the winter but those days are gone and so many come with a dream of seeing a wild wolf up close, only to see them for a fleeting second as a dot on the landscape. Not always, but often. We have had some good viewing days but for the most part one really needs a scope to actually see the animal. Many times a day a car will stop and the occupants will demand to know where the wolves are. You got a wolf pack, a man will shout. It is all about the wolves. For the photographer who has dreams of capturing images of wild wolves it is a tough job with few rewards. It is tough because the wolves are elusive, often a long ways out, and because attempts to get close enough for a decent photo often result in upset wolf watchers who tend to be very protective of the wolves. Heck, I am protective of the wolves and I am a photographer. I totally get why the watchers get upset, because they love these animals and want them to live as peacefully as possible. I want that too. But, I also want photos. And, so, every day, I try to balance the wolfs need for space to go about its business and my need/desire to get an image. Most days the wolf totally wins out and other days I try real hard to find a middle ground - between the scope range and the camera range - that wont disturb the wolves. Rarely, though, are my attempts successful because the norm is for the animal and the watchers to get upset. If I dont upset the animal, the watchers are still upset. If I do - well, we dont want to go there. But, more than that, it is my own level of discomfort - when, despite my best intentions and attempts to not disturb an animal, it happens. I do, absolutely, prefer to see the animals at peace and comfortable with their surroundings. So, wolves and photography dont mix well. Not unless you have a wolf that doesnt mind getting close - but my experience has been that means you eventually have a dead wolf. I have been in Yellowstone nearly 2.5 years, trying to answer the question of the best way to photograph wolves without causing problems for people or wolves and have yet to find an answer. I think for some of us, we just have to try our best to err in favor of the wolf, understanding that nothing is perfect but we are doing our best. We do have some people who hang around the watchers to learn where the wolves are and then hike out to them. That is never a good idea, to hike straight towards a wolf. Because the wolf is not going to stand for it and will be getting out of dodge. And, it is just a crappy thing to do. In my entire time in the park I have encountered wolves while hiking only two times and both incidents felt terrible because the wolves were sleeping and I didnt know that they were there. I hate to have my naps interrupted and would imagine that the wolves do too. In this video, 926 trots along for quite a ways before spotting me. She stops, looks hard and then continues in my direction. I see her look towards me a couple more times but continue on and so I believe she is okay. And, then a whole bunch of people showed up (I had been by myself) and went up onto a small hill to watch, about 50 yards further back than I was, and she spotted them and stopped. She was willing to deal with one person standing still but it did not take long for that hill to become completely covered in people that just kept coming. It just goes that way somedays. But, we would have preferred that they were able to finish hunting the wounded elk. Deby in Yellowstone today https://youtube/watch?v=K24MAFBsMdo
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 04:52:58 +0000