John Goering
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- Joined
- Sep 30, 2014
- Messages
- 498
Moose encounters. This guy keeps messing up my irrigation line intake. Adopted wallow. Geeezzze are those critters big, especially up close.
Album Wildlife
- Thread starter Yellowstone 1
- Start date
- Joined
- May 16, 2016
- Messages
- 1,507
The family went to the US Virgin Islands for Xmas 2024. I had seen a photo of a sea turtle and decided that I wanted to get my own, but I figured I would not be lucky. Well it turns out the Salt Pond Bay had a bunch of them hanging out ignoring all of the tourists swimming around them. The water was about 15 feet deep, so easy to photograph them once you found one.
The rays on the other hand move fast, very hard to photograph
The eels don't stop and pose either
Not a bad way to spend a day in December
The rays on the other hand move fast, very hard to photograph
The eels don't stop and pose either
Not a bad way to spend a day in December
John Goering
Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2014
- Messages
- 498
Yesterday's close encounter
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2018
- Messages
- 713
Earlier this year I was mowing the field behind my office building. I noticed a lot of milkweed plants so I zigzagged around the larger stands leaving a patchwork of tall/short stubble (much to my business partners confusion -- perhaps he thought I was tipsy).
Here we are a bit later in the year and I think my efforts are bearing. . . caterpillars. I've noticed a number of Monarch butterflies hovering around and I know they utilize the milkweed.
Here we are a bit later in the year and I think my efforts are bearing. . . caterpillars. I've noticed a number of Monarch butterflies hovering around and I know they utilize the milkweed.
SteveR
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- Joined
- Sep 22, 2016
- Messages
- 1,002
A family of 4 grizzlies provided a couple of minutes of entertainment from the car as they casually fed on berries at roadside on Wednesday.
I didn't manage to get all 4 in the frame at once as they moved in and out of view:
Making the most of a good berry crop this summer:
Looking to be in good shape for winter. Thankfully they are protected here in the provincial park:
I didn't manage to get all 4 in the frame at once as they moved in and out of view:
Making the most of a good berry crop this summer:
Looking to be in good shape for winter. Thankfully they are protected here in the provincial park:
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2018
- Messages
- 1,781
After days of seeing many Moose in several ponds in Grand Teton NP, we observed a bull and cow in rut.
We spotted them on the opposite shore and they seemed to be headed towards our lunch spot (opposite right side).
We sat down for lunch, kept observing everything around us and eventually I spotted some furry ears moving in the bushes, close to the water edge, upwind from us. Then the cow walked into the lake. A French couple showed up next to us.
We knew the bull was around somewhere. I didn’t like the bull was out of sight, so I tiptoed up to the trail and immediately saw big antlers moving in the trees. The bull was headed our way, so we backtracked down to the lake and he passed by
We waited a while, then we followed and saw him again. Now the cow was out of sight, but we kept looking.
The bull started digging a pit, then lowered his hind to pee! The four of us were “hiding” downwind behind several trees, everything was fascinating so we failed to notice the cow had now made its way to the bull. So much for keeping an eye out on the cow….
That scent is amazing! Zoom in
The bull rubbed his antlers where he peed
Then she laid down next to the bull and kept sniffing, the scent was clearly irresistible. Amazing scenes followed:
We were downwind from them during the scenes above, but we eventually continued on trail (upwind). A few more people showed up and suddenly the cow got up, walked away and settled down further away. Sadly, she clearly got disturbed, we were too close and/ or too many had arrived. He got up and slowly followed her.
She settled down further away
The bull shook off the debris
They settled down again. But I wish we left earlier before she got up.
We spotted them on the opposite shore and they seemed to be headed towards our lunch spot (opposite right side).
We sat down for lunch, kept observing everything around us and eventually I spotted some furry ears moving in the bushes, close to the water edge, upwind from us. Then the cow walked into the lake. A French couple showed up next to us.
We knew the bull was around somewhere. I didn’t like the bull was out of sight, so I tiptoed up to the trail and immediately saw big antlers moving in the trees. The bull was headed our way, so we backtracked down to the lake and he passed by
We waited a while, then we followed and saw him again. Now the cow was out of sight, but we kept looking.
The bull started digging a pit, then lowered his hind to pee! The four of us were “hiding” downwind behind several trees, everything was fascinating so we failed to notice the cow had now made its way to the bull. So much for keeping an eye out on the cow….
That scent is amazing! Zoom in
The bull rubbed his antlers where he peed
Then she laid down next to the bull and kept sniffing, the scent was clearly irresistible. Amazing scenes followed:
We were downwind from them during the scenes above, but we eventually continued on trail (upwind). A few more people showed up and suddenly the cow got up, walked away and settled down further away. Sadly, she clearly got disturbed, we were too close and/ or too many had arrived. He got up and slowly followed her.
She settled down further away
The bull shook off the debris
They settled down again. But I wish we left earlier before she got up.
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2018
- Messages
- 1,781
We were finishing up breakfast at a TH and a young black bear was zigzagging straight towards us. I scrambled to remove the food bowls and get the tailgate closed up. Then he changed direction, only got an iPhone shot.
Next up, we saw 3 moose in a pond, they were there for a couple of hours. First a cow eating in the pond with a young bull resting on the shoreline plus another young bull resting and barely visible on shore in high grass. Eventually the young bull went into the pond and finally the third followed the other two out of the pond, crossing the trail several times. Then things got very hectic, as many people had arrived. We left, as the 3 moose were surrounded from all sides by people. Here are the photos before it got crazy
Next up, we saw 3 moose in a pond, they were there for a couple of hours. First a cow eating in the pond with a young bull resting on the shoreline plus another young bull resting and barely visible on shore in high grass. Eventually the young bull went into the pond and finally the third followed the other two out of the pond, crossing the trail several times. Then things got very hectic, as many people had arrived. We left, as the 3 moose were surrounded from all sides by people. Here are the photos before it got crazy
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2018
- Messages
- 1,781
A few days ago I was chatting with two WA girls about hikes, their trip, etc.… Next morning they stopped by because they lost two pairs of Birkenstocks overnight! The fox had picked up their expensive leather shoes, but the fox left the boys shoes behind . I read about this prior to our Grand Teton visit, but I forgot to mention it to the girls. Next evening I saw 4 young adults set up their tent on the same site, so I approached them and told them what happened on that site the prior night. They were happy to get a heads up and they all kept their shoes inside!
Here is a poor iPhone photo of the CG fox, from last year
. I read about this prior to our Grand Teton visit, but I forgot to mention it to the girls. Next evening I saw 4 young adults set up their tent on the same site, so I approached them and told them what happened on that site the prior night. They were happy to get a heads up and they all kept their shoes inside!Here is a poor iPhone photo of the CG fox, from last year
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2017
- Messages
- 1,293
You must have been thrilled to observe all this! How long would you guess you were watching for?
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2017
- Messages
- 1,293
Great pictures of the moose! (There really should be a plural noun for more than one moose...) I love seeing the water dripping from its mouth, plus all the spray from shaking.
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2018
- Messages
- 713
I'd love to say there were some thrilling wildlife sightings in 2025's backpacking trips, but it was not the case.
There was a distant moose on the first day of the Gallatin/Sky Rim/Specimen Creek trip, but that was it. That was the first time I had been in Yellowstone and did not see a bison.
Moose near Windy Pass.
Hugh said he saw a grizzly bear running down a dry creek bed on the Boundary Creek trip, but the rest of us missed out on that one. Other than that, it was the usual chipmunks, pika, and other small critters scattered along the trail.
I've found the backcountry is not the best place to see wildlife in Yellowstone though, and it proved true again as we were heading to our cabin for the night.
The elk are always hanging around Mammoth in September. This bull was wandering amongst the cabins, and we watched him charge a guy walking out onto his cabin porch. Imagine stepping out to see that!
The highlight though was seeing a wolf up close-ish as it was munching on an elk carcass in the middle of what I think was the Gibbon River. Several more (wolves) were sunning themselves farther up the road in a distant meadow. Of course, the road was choked with vehicles trying to take a look. . . which admittedly is what led us to stop and check out what was happening in the first place.
There was a distant moose on the first day of the Gallatin/Sky Rim/Specimen Creek trip, but that was it. That was the first time I had been in Yellowstone and did not see a bison.
Moose near Windy Pass.
Hugh said he saw a grizzly bear running down a dry creek bed on the Boundary Creek trip, but the rest of us missed out on that one. Other than that, it was the usual chipmunks, pika, and other small critters scattered along the trail.
I've found the backcountry is not the best place to see wildlife in Yellowstone though, and it proved true again as we were heading to our cabin for the night.
The elk are always hanging around Mammoth in September. This bull was wandering amongst the cabins, and we watched him charge a guy walking out onto his cabin porch. Imagine stepping out to see that!
The highlight though was seeing a wolf up close-ish as it was munching on an elk carcass in the middle of what I think was the Gibbon River. Several more (wolves) were sunning themselves farther up the road in a distant meadow. Of course, the road was choked with vehicles trying to take a look. . . which admittedly is what led us to stop and check out what was happening in the first place.
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