Bison in Grand Teton NP
Bison in Grand Teton NP
The bison have finally meandered their way back to antelope flats. This thrills me no end because it means they are super close for me to get some photos. Antelope flats is about a mile away, so easy to just drive over and spend some time watching and photographing them. They are such interesting animals.
Let me say first off that I am not an idiot when it comes to these guys, or any other wild animals. I have respect, caution, and a telephoto lens. I am either standing right next to the truck, or in the truck to get these shots. I am also aware of any signals they may give off of stress, or they think people are too close.
Me in the truck. It’s pretty safe right here.
The big bulls especially will just wander through. They know where they are going, and they don’t seem to care a whole bunch if the truck is right in front of them.
This guy had a whole bunch of birds on his back. The birds eat the bugs from their thick fur, which I’m sure the bison appreciate.
The cows have started to come into season, which means the bulls are starting to feel their oats. Watching them fight and tussle with each other is awesome.
They aren’t just butting heads either. They try to hook each other with those sharp horns in the side, or on the face.
These two teenagers thought they should practice too. They have a ton of growing up to do to compete with the big boys.
I think this one was whispering in the other ones ear. Actually, I observed a lot of the bison licking each other. The males would lick the females on the nose, and vise versa.
All this activity will lead to more babies next year. These guys are so dang cute.
The grass this year is super tall, this gives you an idea of just how tall.
The more I get the chance to watch the bison, the more I appreciate just how awesome they are.
That is just amazing! I bet you could spend the entire day out there watching them! Beautiful creatures and photos!
I could spend the day watching them, easily. Thanks!
Good morning Mary! AWESOME indeed….and having a telephoto lens is definitely what you need for those wonderful nature shots you get. I am learning so much about what I need as well to get closer shots of the horses I enjoy. This summer has been a great discovery as far as what is available here, so close to me in terms of nature. But with the lens that came on my Canon, it’s hard to get close and interesting shots of the horses without getting too close for comfort- theirs and mine!
Your bison shots are remarkably taken, and wisely approached. Since I’ve been following you, your photography continues to evolve, and that movement from great to outstanding is what I want to see happen in all the artistic endeavors I pursue. Thank you for the inspiration; I often talk to my husband about your photos and he is going to get me LIGHTBOX! Thanks to you, I learned about it and a young sales associate at Best Buy demonstrated it to us. A LOT EASIER than Photoshop!
ENJOY and be safe, Anita
Thanks Anita. I always love to read your comments and the parallel you have with poetry. That’s interesting to me that you see my photography evolving. That’s a good thing.
Awesome bison photos. Thank You showing them.
Thank you. And thanks for stopping by.
I agree – you continue to evolve as an artist – nice work!
Thank you, that’s a pretty great compliment.
Love these! I think I have mentioned before that my High School mascot was a Bison, we were called the “Beachwood Bison!!!”
Woo-Hoo….Go Bison!
Wow, awesome shots of the bison. I love the shot with the birds on the bison’s back! And the little ones are cute. Awesome series, have a happy new week!
The little birds on their backs are so fun to watch.
I hate to be repetitive, but “awesome” really is the best word for these photos. I know buffalo and bison are very different, but the song “Home On The Range” just keeps playing in my head now! Magnificent creatures and magnificent photos, Mary.
Oh mary, your work is a lesson to me especially now that I am taking more and more photos. Poetry is no different only that the tools used are words thst capture the light, instead of a camera.angles, perspective, light and shadow and the editing and manipulation are all devices necessary for both arts. You rock!
Wow – amazing and awesome shots.
Wow, those are fantastic. (And thanks for mentioning the proper way to photograph wild animals!) Love the one with all the birds on him! And the little one in the grass. What an amazing thing to see just down the road from home!
Very beautiful! The last one is my favorite…..I think the idiots we hear about in the news just don’t see these as wild animals. For so very many people, their lives include almost no exposure to animals/nature. So seeing a herd of buffalo brings to mind nothing more than a herd of docile cows. And the selfie craze just fuels the stupidity!
What an awesome animal they are, and your photos are simply wonderful. Thank you for sharing them with us! I love to hear how you respect them too….if only everyone would do that.
Wow Mary, fantastic shots. I’m sure you’re thrilled with these captures. Simply wonderful :-)
Amazing photos. Will we perhaps see a nature documentary in your future?
Gorgeous photos and animals!
Amazing photos! So glad you do it safely from the truck. Loved the baby bison of course! Love Dolly
We saw a lot of these amazing animals when we were in South Dakota! Love the one with the birds! Glad you are staying safe IN the truck!!
Great shots – and respect, caution and a telephoto-lens is a good recipe for most nature photography.
Cheers – Stewart M – Melbourne
PS: I think I may have to get a truck!
What makes your post so great for me is the fascinating story you tell both with your terrific photos and with your words. What a great piece of photojournalism!
Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for stopping by and commenting.
These are so awesome!!
What a treat to see these, and to be able to safely photograph.