Yellowstone Wolves

I spent 16 days in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) in May. Living 3-4 hours away from this area, you can imagine how challenging this was for me. I had to use 6 vacation days, drive there 3 different times, and spend at least a few dollars to make this happen…. and boy was it worth it! I came away with many different (and amazing) experiences. The most unique of those was with the Yellowstone wolves, specifically those of the Wapiti Lake Pack which resides along Yellowstone Lake.

It is no secret that wildlife struggles to survive during harsh winters in the GYE. It is common practice for predators, including bears and wolves, to feast on these deceased animals as they recover from the winter. During this wolf encounter, they were feasting on an elk that did just that, passing away during the winter and becoming submerged in Yellowstone Lake. I was able to catch some action shots as they sat on the carcass ripping meat off the bones.

This encounter was in the early spring, we can only assume there were pups located back at the wolf den. Wolves feed their young by eating more food than needed and regurgitating it to them back at the den. This is the safest way to provide the pups with solid food and diversifies their diet outside of getting milk from their mom. The feeding process induced many breaks because it is a strenuous process for the adult wolves. Have you ever ate too much food, then had to take a nap afterwards? This is the same concept. The wolves took these breaks by resting on the shore, resulting in some cool shots. It is extremely uncommon to see wolves resting and unbothered by humans. However, on this day, the uncommon seemed very common because these wolves where extremely comfortable and relaxed.

This, possibly once in a lifetime experience, came to an end when park rangers had to force the wolves away from bystanders and the road. It was the most unique two to three hours I have ever had in Yellowstone National Park. I came away with two shots that I consider to be great, both of which are available in my shop and gallery!

Black & White Wapiti's

Lone Wolf of Yellowstone Lake

If you want to learn more about wolves, are curious about this experience, or have any wildlife photography related questions do not hesitate to reach out to me! You can use my contact page or reach me via Instagram!