General Information
I have never photographed Yellowstone except during the
3rd/4th week of September and the 1st week of
October. I shot the park for 7 years in a row from 1989 to 1995. I missed 1996
unfortunately. I will get to there again this year 1997, but probably in
October.
Toward the end of September: The Bison are coming out of the rut. The Elk are
in Rut. Moose are in rut. The Antelope are in rut. It is too early for muledeer
rut but the males are gathered together. Bears are very active, in an almost
feeding frenzy, packing on the fat before winter. What a great time of the
year!!! And the best part is most of the tourons are gone. I will not include the
touron stories but there are some doozies. I always find it amazing at how much
influence Bambi has had on people's interaction with a wild animal.
I have always camped at Norris campground, until it closes and then moved to
Mammoth. I really like Norris as it is centrally located. Norris meadow usually
has a good bull and his harem and can be photographed without too much movement,
just haul your gear down to the meadow. There have been years when the bull has
been extremely aggressive so ask before running out into the meadow to get
closer. This applies to almost any bull you photograph in the park. I like to
stay close to a good size tree until I understand the bull's personality. If I am
not camping I will stay in Gardiner rather than West Yellowstone, just personal
preference. I will also schedule a in-town stay every three or four days. Leave
the tent where it is and just stay in town. It makes the overall stay
easier.
If one looks at map of the park, the road is figure 8. A lot of wildlife
photography can be done on the upper loop.
Yellowstone Park map
www.nps.gov/yell/yellmap
Hints on where to go for what
Great Grey Owls - head for Canyon or Indian Creek also in Lamar Valley
near Pebble Creek.
Elk - head for Gibbon Meadow, Elk Park or stay right at Norris. These
can be found on the road between Norris and Madison. I have also had good luck
from Madison going toward West Yellowstone. One could always go to Mammoth and
shoot elk on the nicely mown green grass around the Park Headquarters buildings.
Actually there are some nice images to be made around the Park Headquarters, just
be very careful in composing. Depends on what you want in the background. It can
be fun watching the tourons scattering as a bull elk charges.
Antelope - head for the old Gardiner road. Or just outside of Gardiner
behind the high school.
Black bear -- This is a tough one. I have shot blacks in several places
and never seen them in the same place twice from year to year. Look for rosehips
and check the ground for scat. If the bears are in there the scat will tell you.
Just be very careful, I have gotten into this kind of area and if the bear was
down on all fours you could not see it. And the bear was there! Pucker
Power…
Grizzly - the last three years just about anywhere in the north loop of
the figure 8 of the park road. Just depends on where the bear wants to be. It has
been my experience that usually a grizzly bear will travel a route looking for
food. If the bear shows up at 3:30 in the afternoon the bet is pretty good it
will show up again around the same time the next day or the following day. It
just depends on how big the "foraging loop" is.
Moose - head for Willow Park. This is between Norris Junction and
Mammoth. The light in here is usually lousy until late in the morning but
sometimes a cow will be cooperative and stick around. If she stays the bulls
stay.
Wolves - the Lamar valley. For good wolf info check out Ralph Maughan's
web page at:
www.poky.srv.net/~jjmrm/maughan
Swans - around seven mile bridge on the Madison between Madison
Junction and West Yellowstone.
Coyotes - almost anywhere but check Hayden Valley. I have had good luck
there but this can take a lot of road running and looking with binoculars or
spotting scope.
Bison - I have seen bison all over the park. After the debacle of the
1996/1997 winter with the slaughter outside of Gardner I don't know. The Lamar
vally with bison against the steam rising from the geysers is nice. Bison
crossing the Madison river going toward West Yellowstone from Madison Junction is
impressive also.
Otters - very elusive but I have found them on the Madison between
Madison Junction and West Yellowstone.
Bighorn Sheep - try the McMinn Bench just inside the north entrance.
Use a spotting scope from the heavy equipment repair shop just outside the gate
before making the climb. There is no sense in wondering all over the bench
without a starting place. I have found them late in the evening and then verified
they are still there before heading up, unless you are a masochist and enjoy
carrying a tripod and all your photo equipment up the side of the bench. You are
starting at about 5300 feet and going up. Depending on where you go on the bench
it could be over 6000 feet. The sheep will see you coming and as long you
approach from below and don't push them, they will stay. I have gotten up there
fairly early and worked a group of 8 rams with another group of females and
adolescents near by. I had an adolescent ram almost blow in my ear as I was
concentrating on the adult rams, just curious to see what I was doing. Of course,
maybe he felt he could do a better job of composition than me.
As you can tell from the above I am a wildlife photographer. But if there a
high overcast shooting some of the geyser basins can yield some wonderful images.
Also what you see above is pretty much the standard places to shoot. I have found
Elk along the Firehole river and gotten some nice images. Blacktail Plateau has
yielded some grizzly images but this is sometimes closed due to high grizzly
activity. For someone new to the park and on a limited schedule this should give
you good starting places. I have seen and photographed Bald Eagles and Osprey
also.
Get out early in the morning shoot until the sun is high and the light goes
lousy. Head for Gardiner for a brunch and to a KOA for a shower. Then back into
the park to find out what everyone else has been shooting and where. Take a nap
and then head to where you will shoot until dark.
There is a circus atmosphere to this place in the fall. For a lot of people,
it is the annual rendezvous for wildlife photographers. I have seen as many as 30
to 40 500/600mm lenses in one place. Talk about a collection of big glass. There
are picnics and cookouts that are scheduled at different places. I know people
from California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Texas, New Jersey, Kansas,
virtually all over that show up every year. I sometimes think it is more for the
BS rather than shooting but a GOOD time is had by all.
If you see a bunch of big lenses heading for the timber rest assured there is
probably something worth while going on. Manners and ethics will go a long ways
to having some of the "pros" help you in locating photo opportunities. I will not
tell strangers where and what I am shooting or have shot until I have had the
chance to observe them in action or get a report from other people that I know
and respect. There are some real jerks that show up with in some cases equipment
that is to short in photo length and then push the animal to get a full frame
image. It doesn't take long for that reputation to spread and a VERY cold
shoulder get presented. Nothing PO's me more than to have some jerk push in front
of me and I am definitely not polite about telling them. I know a lot of shooters
that are the same way.
Equipment
The same as Churchill I have shot with everything from a 24mm/4 to 600mm/4
with a 2X. The first year I was there, I shot with a 400mm/f5.6. With careful
planning very good images can be had with that length. It may take 200 ASA to do
it. Once again my primary interest is wildlife. So a lot is done with my 600/4.
A good tripod is a necessity. Yellowstone is a place where a good
vest or fanny pack will be nice to have. I also carry 10% capsicum pepper spray
and a compass as I will get off the beaten path. When I head for the bush I
usually go with a shooting partner. I have gone high balling into the bush alone
after a grizzly that crossed the road in front of me. Gotten in a few hundred
yards and then asked myself "what in the hell are you doing?", gone back out a
lot more careful and noisy than when I went in.
If you don't own big glass, look at renting. It is really worth it in the
images that can be had. Big glass can also provide a good measure of safety not
only for you but more importantly the animals. NO image is worth
endangering an animal !!!!
Get a good map, not just the standard park hand out. It may come in very handy
if you find someone willing to share information. Usually you will be working
fairly close to a road. In working coyotes however, this may not be the case. If
you don't push the animal they will sometimes accept a closer approach. I prefer
to try to figure out how the coyote is hunting and then get to where it appears
the animal may approach me. It always works better if the animal approaches you
rather than the other way around. The park rules are pretty specific about how
close you may approach but with some rangers if the animal approaches you they
will not object. This varies from ranger to ranger and if told to move back, MOVE
BACK. If you are shooting big glass some will tag you as pro whether you are or
not. Since they don't have hippies to harass anymore, for some their favorite
target is a "pro photographer". This has gotten better in the last couple of
years due to a lot of big glass photographers working closely with rangers. If
you are working a restricted entrance area, with signs posted just off the
shoulder of the road, don't feel bashful about hollering at people if they go
beyond the signs. If you see an animal endangered or injured please report it. In
fact it is the law if you injure an animal (say hit an elk) to report it. Please
obey the speed limit as well and watch for tourons stopping in the middle of the
road and leaving their vehicle right there as they go traipsing into the
woods.
As noted if you have them bring a good set of binoculars and/or a spotting
scope.
Film
ASA 50 to 200 depending on the light (obviously ). Film brand is personal
preference but I like a slightly warm film for a lot on my shooting. I will take
E100SW, E100s and Velvia. For a 10 day stay in the park I will bring 200 rolls. I
have never shot that much but have had days where I have shot over 20 rolls. Bear
in mind I shoot a lot of in camera dups. Most of time I think if it worth
dropping the mirror once two or more should OK.
Clothing and Camping gear
Temperatures can range from 10F above in the early morning to 80F in the
afternoon. I use a three season tent and bring two different weight sleeping
bags. Food is kept in coolers in the camper topper on the truck. Dishes are
cleaned immediately after eating. Norris campground is fairly close (within a
mile) to where I have photographed grizzly. I leave the sleeping bags and pads in
the tent, anything thing more than that goes back in the truck.
Clothing -- from the above temps layering is the only way to go. As I said
earlier, usually the road/ vehicle will be fairly close at hand so shedding
clothes as the day warms is not a problem. I do not want to go back to the
vehicle to get warmer clothes however, when I leave will be when the action
starts. By the time it is warm enough to shed the action will have slowed
down.
Lodging
There are a good number of campgrounds in Yellowstone. Some are closed by mid
September. Check before you leave.
For park information check
www.nps.gov/yell/
For more information in and around Yellowstone check
www.yellowstone.net/
If you want Lodging in the park, try the lodge at Old Faithful. Even if you
don't want to stay in the park at least go view the lodge, it is impressive.
West Yellowstone is on the west entrance to the park. It definitely more
upbeat and touristy that Gardiner. There are more motels and restaurants than
Gardiner also. Gardiner is on the North entrance and is site of the original gate
built of rock.
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