how i got that shot

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How I Got That Shot: Three Musketeers

While it is not unusual for a grizzly mom to have two cubs in Yellowstone National Park, three cubs is pretty rare, and a huge handful for her. Watching over three cubs is a challenge, as wildlife watchers learned first-hand shortly after this photo was taken. The mother bear had been seen frequently in the area between Mary Bay and Lake Hotel. In fact, she had a regular route that she took in a big circle between those two locations. If you watched long enough, you began to learn her preferred path and habits. Continue Reading →

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How I got that shot: Red fox hunting along the Yellowstone River

A red fox prowls along the Yellowstone River in October in Yellowstone National Park. (©Kathy Mendes - click to enlarge)

When I first spied the red fox in Yellowstone National Park, we were heading down from Canyon Village to the area around Fishing Bridge and Steamboat Point to try and find a grizzly bear we had seen the day before. It was late October, and I was in the backseat of our rented SUV, with another photographer driving and a third in the front passenger seat. There was a lot of snow on the road, so we were going slowly and as usual, since I was not driving, I was spotting: looking off into the distance for wolves, bison, coyotes, river otters or any other creatures we could find. Continue Reading →

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Got Elk? Luck and preparation yield an arresting Yellowstone coyote photo

A coyote is smeared with elk blood after feeding on a carcass in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. (©Meg Sommers - click to enlarge)

When I look at this image I remember it as lucky shot. But to paraphrase Louis Pasteur, "Luck favors the prepared." When this coyote crossed the road in front of me that January day in the Lamar Valley, I knew where the carcass was, and I had the right lens and tripod already set. The coyote crossed the road, looked back at us and I took the shot. I was lucky and prepared. Continue Reading →

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How I Got That Shot: Yellowstone river otter with cutthroat trout

A river otter in Yellowstone National Park enjoys a bounty of three Yellowstone cutthroat trout. (©Meg Sommers - click to enlarge)

North American river otters are a playful lot, and fun to watch. They generally have litters of two or three pups, and are normally not camera shy. Typically, the pups are raised by their mom, and dad is long gone. Otters in Yellowstone National Park can often be found year-round in the Lamar River. But in late June or early July, one or two families will move into Trout Lake, where the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout begin to spawn. Continue Reading →

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