Posts Tagged ‘Grizzly Bear’

Yellowstone Diary: May 15, 2012

We began the day with a drive westward through the Blacktail Deer Plateau.  There is a rock jumble near the junction of the Grand Loop Road and the Blacktail Deer Plateau Road, and in this area we often have seen yellow-bellied marmots.  The best chance for viewing this industrious animal is on brightly clear chilly mornings – they seem to favor basking in the sun from a vantage with readily accessible escape routes.  The images above and below were recorded at 08:00 MDT, using the Nikon D4 and the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II at 400mm.  Exposures were at f/5.6 and 1/2500s, ISO 800.  Handheld (invariably, ’cause that is why you buy this lens!!!).  The light changes rapidly in the early morning and I was caught a bit off-guard – thus the silly shutter speed (1/500s would have been plenty fast enough).

We continued further on down the road, and past Tower Junction to the Northeast Entrance Road.  We made a low-probability pass along the access road to Slough Creek Camp.  Near the south end of the road we found a small group of pronghorns basking in the morning sun.  The image of a young female (Below) was recorded at 09:00 MDT using the D4 and the 200-400mm f/4.0 VR II at 400mm.  Exposure was f/5.6 and 1/2500, ISO 500.

Slough Creek Campground had not yet opened at the time of our visit, however it was clear that the mounted brigade was fully active.  Images of the horse barn located near the campground (three images below) were recorded at between 09:15 and 09:30 MDT, using the D800E and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens lens at various focal lengths.

A uinta ground squirrel kept a cautious watch over us while we milled around near the Slough Creek trailhead.  The two images below were recorded at 09:30 MDT, using the D4 and the 200-400 lens at 400mm.  Exposures were f/5.6 and 1/600s, ISO 500.

We continued eastward through the Lamar Valley to the northeast entrance of the park without spotting a single animal – it’s like that some days…  From here we continued along the Beartooth Highway almost to the summit.  The image below of Index Peak was recorded at 11:07 MDT, using the D800E and the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens at 140mm.  Exposure was f/8.0 and 1/320s (+0.33 EV), ISO 100.

The road was closed just a few yards beyond the point were I made this shot (looking north).  Image recorded at 11:40 MDT, using the D800E and the 24-70mm lens at 52mm.  Exposure was f/8.0 and 1/500s (+0.33EV), ISO 100.

A Google Earth image of the location at which the shot above was recorded is shown below – exact center of the image:

 

On our westward retreat we stopped at the Lily Lake Campground, where I recorded the image of Index Peak shown below.  Image recorded at 13:00 MDT, using the D800 and the 24-70mm lens at 38mm.  Exposure was f/11.0 and 1/125s (+0.33EV), ISO 100.

Then back through the Lamar Valley, and then through the Tower junction.  Just a short drive west from the junction at Elk Creek Meadows we found a sow black bear (below) and two second-year cubs.  From the road to the position of these bears is several hundred meters – the image below is a modest crop of the original image.  Image recorded at 15:00 using the using the D800E, the AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR, and the AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, producing an effective FX focal length of 1000mm.  Exposure was f/6.7 (minimum value with the TC-17) and 1/1000s, ISO 500.

We then continued traveling westward all the way back to Mammoth Hot Springs – no animals.  We decided to drive south towards Norris.  Near the Grizzly Lake Trailhead we encountered the local resident shown in the following five images.  The top two images were recorded at 17:00 MDT, using the D800E, the 600mm f/4G ED VR, and the TC-17E II.  Exposures were f/6.7 and 1/1000s, ISO 1250.

The previous two images were recorded with Griz on the east side of the the Grand Loop Road.  Although the growing crowd was well-behaved, it became evident that Mr. Griz wanted nothing more than to cross the roadway – as anyone who has ever been present at the big show will attest, there are no (none, zero) gaps in the crowded mass of folks viewing the bear, and thus the bear crossing is a significant hazard for both bear and people.  Remarkably, the bear veered north along the road, then quickly west across the asphalt at the first opportunity.  The point at which the bear crossed was bounded on the west side by steep high ground, which forced Mr Griz along the inside track along the west side of the Grand Loop Road, within approx 10-30 ft (yeah, ft) of the assembled masses.  Discretion being the better part of valor, I jumped into the passenger side of the truck cab, picked up the D4 + 200-400mm, and commenced to reel-off images as Griz wandered by.  The next three images were recorded at f/5.6 and 1/1000s, ISO 1600.

This entry was mastered using an NEC model PA301W monitor calibrated to 140 candelas per meter-squared (cd/m^2).

Copyright 2012 Peter F. Flynn.  No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

One Grizzly Specimen

Okay, so it’s a code…  Grizzly Bear obviously, but the specimen bit refers to the location at which we found this, well, specimen, of Ursus arctos horribilis.  Said location was indeed on the lower flanks of Specimen Ridge in Yellowstone National Park.  Griz can frequently be observed higher up on this massif, in or near the treeline, but rarely right along the Grand Loop Road, which is where we encountered this animal.  A land shark on patrol in a sea of sage.

BTW, this is too close.  The EXIF data recorded that the subject distance for the image above to be about 40 meters.  I seriously doubt the data, since as I recall, the distance seemed more like 40 feet…  Park regulations specify that ‘Approaching on foot within 100 yards (91 m) of bears or wolves or within 25 yards (23 m) of other wildlife is prohibited.’  Park regulations do not specifically address what happens when the wildlife approach you, but retreat whenever possible is naturally the best course of action. In this case, we were definitely retreating while the shooting continued.

Some folks believe that the taxonomic designation for Griz is unfair to the nature of the animal.  I dunno, but if you were standing as close as we were when this image was recorded, I’d bet you would agree that U. a. horribilis is pretty much on-target.  A most impressive creature, huge but remarkably agile, and definitely worthy of respect. As the bear strode past us, we had a rare opportunity to observe just how powerful this creature is.  I’d estimate that the strolling bear was moving a pace well above 5 mph, and that a person would have to jog at brisk pace just to stay ahead of the bear.  We’ve seen Griz move at full speed too, which is a bit better than 30 mph (for an average bear that is).  Compare that speed with that of the fastest humans, who move along at just over 20 mph, and you get an important suggestion – don’t get into a foot race with Mr Speedy.

Images in this entry were recorded at around 13:00 MDT on May 16, 2011 using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIIKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR lens.  Exposures were f/8.0 and either 1/1000s or 1/1250s, ISO 1600.  I’d have liked to use a larger aperture, but the bear was moving so swiftly towards us that I thought it best compromise in favor of just a bit more DOF.  Was 600mm necessary?  Yeah, absolutely no doubt.  I do get a lot of comments in the field… ‘Boy, I bet my pictures would be a whole lot better if I had *that* lens…’  Well maybe, and while I’m definitely privledged to be able to get my mits on the lens, I issue the fair warning that using big glass effectively is one helluva lot harder than it looks…

A Google Earth image of the area where we encountered this bear is provided below:

Copyright 2012 Peter F. Flynn.  No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

Napping Grizzly

On a run down to Grand Teton from Yellowstone we encountered a small group of folks peering off to the side of the roadway.  This, of course, is the signature of some sort of potential wildlife encounter.  Often as not, it is a Mule Deer, but this time – score – a napping Grizzly Bear.  Here’s the thing, Ursus arctos horribilis does not usually snug in for too long, and soon enough, the big bear is off in search of its next meal.

Is there really a bear in those bushes though?

Yes, we’d recognize those ears, that shoulder hump, and that silver back anywhere.  Like I said, it *was* a napping Griz.  Now that its awake, Griz moves out with a purpose.

So how close is that bear anyway?  Let me just see…FX format, 400mm, and wow, that Bear pretty much fills the frame.  Dang close.  Now before anyone gets judgmental, I *did* look around and confirm that I was much quicker than most of the people nearby.  Anyway, by now the Park Service docent is freaking out, yelling for everyone to get back into their cars.  Good idea actually, at least for the plebs, but instead I dash up the road, well ahead of the bear.  I’ve used this strategy to pretty good purpose from time to time (but kids, DO NOT emulate this behavior).

Griz finally emerges from the underbrush and into a meadow.  A most excellent specimen of the species.

Images in this entry were recorded in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway at around noon of September 23, 2010, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED lens at 400mm.  Exposures were all at f/8 with shutter speeds around 1/800s (+0.33 EV), ISO at 1000.

Copyright 2011 Peter F. Flynn. No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.