Yellowstone Grey WOLF
Yellowstone National Park covers 3,500 sq miles – it is just under half the size of Wales. There are approximately 60 wolves in the park, split into 8 packs. So, the chances of encountering a lone wolf is, to say the least, slim, and one on a recent kill even more unlikely! Access to the high peaks is limited in winter to tracked vehicles, and daytime temperatures can sink as low as -25 degrees centigrade with an annual snowfall of 10 feet! It is a hostile environment.
We had a tip-off that a wolf had killed an elk on the banks of the Yellowstone River – an opportunity to good to miss! Access to the park is not permitted before 7.00am but our “snow coach” drivers took a chance and got us to Yellowstone River at roughly 6.30am, just around dawn. There, on the bank opposite, was the remains of an elk, lying mostly in the river.
It was a cloudy, dull morning, so not the best of light, and therefore high ISO was needed to maintain a reasonable shutter speed. It was interesting to see that even the crows kept a respectful distance, and the coyote did not risk being in the vicinity of the wolf.
We had roughly 15 minutes with this excellent specimen. Our drivers got a roasting on our return, but it was worth it!
