Nick Price Photography

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Yellowstone Tracks

yellowstone animal tracks in snowPredator & Prey.  Yellowstone National Park

 

lamar river and animal tracksTracks In The Snow.  Lamar River, Yellowstone

 

yellowstone winterMouse & RaptorYellowstone

 

yellowstone winterSoda Butte Tributary & Tracks.  Yellowstone

 

yellowstone wolf tracksWolf Tracks.  These particular tracks belong to a member of the Mollies.  My friend Jeff Hull and I watched this particular wolf cross the road the night before and we went back to check out the tracks the next morning.  Yellowstone

 

yellowstone wolf tracksTwo sets of wolf tracks.

 

yellowstone wolfA super high iso image of a Mollie crossing the road.  My friend Jeff and I watched many of the 19 Mollies cross the road to find 3 or so of their other members.  The Mollies are generally bison hunters and have apparently left their home turf, the Pelican Valley, due to a low snow pack and tough hunting conditions.  The Mollies are on average 15 pounds heavier than other wolves in Yellowstone.  At the time I took this image the Lamar pack was only about 5 miles to the east and the Blacktail and Agate packs 2 to 5 miles to the west.

 

lamar wolf pack yellowstoneMany of the 11 member Lamar pack in their home turf, the Lamar Valley, Yellowstone.  This is an 11 member pack.  Not long after I took this image I watched a helicopter come roaring into the Lamar Valley with a side door open and a gunner standing on the outside rail.  It was the Park Service and they darted two of the Lamar members.  They also apparently on the same day darted two Mollies out of my sight.  If the darted wolves were not already collared, collars were put on them and additionally blood and tissue samples were taken.

 

yellowstone bisonBison & Wolf Tracks.  Slough Creek

At the time I took this image a lone wolf, presumably a male, came within a hundred yards of the Mollies and called and called to the Mollies.  The Mollies occassionally called back, and my intrepretation of the mollies' calls was, get the hell out of here.  It's mating season and this wolf was likely looking for a mate.  I am sure by now something played out and I will likely never know if this wolf was killed by the Mollies or if it was able to successfully mate with a female and then sneak off.

 

slough creek bison yellowstoneBison & Slough Creek

 

North Hills & Moon.  Lamar Valley.