Grand Tetons - Wildlife
A little road trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and spending several days in Grand Tetons National Park in May this year. Known for its amazing scenery, that did not disappoint and I’ll write about later, the wildlife there was simply amazing. I did go with a couple of goals in mind. I wanted to capture a moose and hoped I might come across a grizzly bear. Accomplished both.
Along the Moose-Wilson road there is a turnout that overlooks some beaver ponds. I spent quite a bit of time here as a pregnant mama moose was spotted there. I did get a chance to see her on one afternoon and when I returned the next morning she had her calf bedded down near the water. I set up overlooking the area where the newborn calf was and waited for a couple hours hoping the little one would try getting up. Patience certainly paid off as I got to see the wobbly little calf taking its early steps to go find its mom who wasn’t that far away.
While I was out exploring I swung by the old Cunningham Ranch and while there spotted grizzly 926 running across the open field with her two yearling or sub-adult kids. They were pretty far away but was pretty pleased that I saw a grizzly. On my last day in the Grand Tetons I was back at Moose-Wilson Road and chatting with some folks there who had come across a herd of bison not too far off the road a bit north so I decided to make the drive. While driving up there I spot 926 once again but this time just off the road in a small clearing. I captured a few shots of her and her kids. As a side note, 926 is the granddaughter of the famous Teton bear 399.
I also came across nesting sandhill cranes and their newly hatched colt (yes, colt, not chick), elk, and a variety of other wildlife. Here are a few photos. Click on one to open a lightbox to scroll through.
