Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Sometimes, occasionally, there was wildlife to be seen if you could get through the people ;) Though it's tempting, don't ever approach so close as these people did to the wildlife, especially the larger denizens of Yellowstone. Instead use a telephoto lens, like I did!

Don't need to ask where the name "Yellowstone" came from after you gaze down on the canyon, the rocky earth is absolutely vivid with it.


The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone (at the top center), located in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Yellowstone Bison

More shots I'd taken at Yellowstone a few years back. Without a doubt the absolute most dominating creature in the park are the Bison. They are every where. One morning I'd even seen a bull casually passing the day in our campground.


It's August, the time of the Rut. The bison cow is getting some serious lovin' in the form of licking and groom from a bull who's singled her out to be his own. And this Bison bull has only one thing on his mind! Each mature bull will pick out one female to be the object of his affection, never leaving her side and never letting any other bull get any ideas that she's up for grabs. If another does get ideas, that's when tempers flare, leading to anything from a mock charge on up to full scale warfare between rivals. Seldom are the battles lethal, but they can often become serious, and injuries are common. Occasionally when I young bull takes on an old monarch and succeeds in driving him off, this will mean the end of the old bull's days of dominance, spending the rest of his life sucluded as a lone hermit.

Yellowstone Pronghorn

Here's some scanned shots taken with my old film camera, while staying for a week at Yellowstone National Park up in the northwestern corner of Wyoming.

A Pronghorn buck fleeing away from the photographer :/ And such was often the case. The pronghorn dwelling in the park were among the few critters that still exhibitted a healthy fear of man.

A large hunk of intact petrifried tree - what makes this so unique? It's still standing upright as it had grown originally!

A couple of pronghorn in a thick stand of Big Sagebrush. They felt a little more at ease in the heavy cover.

The only shot I got of a pronghorn in Yellowstone, relaxed and out in the open.

Late Winter Elk

Spring's Not Far Off!