The subject says it....

I'm heading up to Glacier NP in less than 3 weeks and we're looking for the best wildlife photo ops. We're backpackers so it's no problem hiking 10 or 20 miles in if that's where the best ops are at.

Thanks for the suggestions!!

Davej.

Hey Dave, welcome to this site. Why dont you introduce yourslef and tell us a little about who you are. I'll be glad to help you out. . . Here's some info to get you started.

Logan Pass - highline trail and or, hidden lake trail
Many Glacier - Iceberg Lake Trail, Bullhead Lake Area

You really should be morespecific, and explain what your up too. I do share a ton of information, but I'd like to know about who you are and what your up to.

The places I mentioned first are well known and often very crowded - at times like yellowstone and elk photographers!

So, I' might be able to help you a little more if you give us a good idea of who you are. Again, welcome to the site, I hope your able to find a place here to share your knowledge with all of us, there are a lot of good people on this site!

Hey Tony...thanks for the quick reply.

...a little about me. I shoot with Canon gear - a 20D (w/a 300D backup) with a 10-20 on the wide side to a 50-500 and the tele end and a handful of other glass in between. Been a backpack/kayaker for years and have been adding digital photography to my hiking since getting the 300D.

This year my brother and I heading up to Glacier NP for 7 or 8 days for a more photographic backpacking trip. We're looking for bigger wildlife and would prefer to get away from the main crowds for most of the trip - primitive camping.

Hope that explains better what I'm wanting to do. If you're needing more info, just let me know.

Thanks again!

Dj.

Bigger wildlife meaning large mammals. . .
East side:
crests and ridges for sheep and goats
valley bottoms for moose, many glacier valley is a good place;
mid to high elevation for bull elk - they are not like yellowstone elk, so do think youre going to walk up and photograph them like you would in Banff or Yellowstone
Bears are in the berry patches right now, go there to find them.

Keep an eye on the fire, right now you cant even get to the east side over the sun road, and hwy 89 is closed. Looks like the fire is going to get much larger today - high winds expected!

Thanks Tony.

Do you have any more 'specific areas' that you've had better than average luck finding large mammals? Favorite few trails that you'd recommend? We'll definitely check out Many Glacier Valley. We're going to be there in mid August, if I didn't mention that.

Hope the fire doesn't get any worse (although it may allow for some intersting photo ops).

Thank for the help and great job moderating!

David Janaskie
Dallas, TX

I have given you as much inforamtion as I can on this subject. I cant even be sure you will find what your looking for as it is. it's like fishing, sometimes I go and shoot 2000 frames on an evening other times I go for three days and dont shoot one. so, I've done my best, I cant tell you exately where to sit, these animals are wild and they move around a lot! So, for example if I told you go sit on rock A, they more than likely would be on rock B - I really meant that, they do move and while I can find just about any animal I want in the park, given the access and time, I cant tell you where they will in three days or where they will be when you are there. They animals in the park, with the exeption of the goats, really do change their habits from year to year. I think predation helps to keep them on the move. I dont know how much more you need to know, I gave you the trail names and EXACT waterbodies, what are you asking for when you say favorite few trials - I LISTED 4 in my first post. If you want, you can hire me and I'll find them for you.

Take care, good luck and have nice trip!!! Be sure you come back to this site and post some of your shots for us to see.

Thanks!

Tony,
Somehow, when I read your 1st post, I missed reading the Logan Pass/Many Glacier part. Don't know how I skipped it.... So my last post was in reference to your post #4559 only....which gave some good generalities. BTW, I was not asking for what rock to sit on, didn't mean for it to come across that way. Just looking for as much info as I can regarding what animals frequent what specific areas of a park I've never been to. From my previous experiences in other parks, I just found that it's not uncommon for certain animals to frequent certain specific areas. No guarantees...just better odds for a big park.

We're looking for some more backcounty hiking and photography...I'm sure we'll figure it all out and have an awesome time. From the pics I've seen of the place...can't see how we'll go wrong.

dj.

Okay, good luck. again, please let me know how things went. as per the animals in glacier, goats are a sure thing, sheep usually, but not always, this year they have been scarce. Elk, bulls are tough to find and they are very weary. mule deer bucks - there are few but the big ones' are scarce. Your best bet for sheep is the highline trail, logan for goats, and the lower valley bottoms for moose - never forget, the grizzly bear. they can and will be anywhere at any time, dont think because your in the open or in steep country that there wont be a grizz. Never think your out of thire reach. Just be safe and travel smart.

Take care,

I've got to echo Tony's comments on this. While I'm not an expert on Glacier I have made several trips there spaced out over several years. Goat and sheep I take as a given along with the plentiful Columbian Ground Squirrels. I thought I had the Elk figured out also until my trip there last month. In all my previous trips a large group was always is a meadow by Two Dogs in the evenings and early morning. This past trip I only saw one Elk there in 3 days. The bears are also an unknown. The first trip I was running into them everywhere I went. A few years later I didn't see any and then last month I got eye to eye with a black bear on the very last night there. We also saw one in the same area the night before but it took off before I could get positioned to shoot. The bear was on the road near the St. Mary's campground yet Tony commented that it was an area he's never seen them in. Moose are plentiful in Many Glaciers as he said. I shot both a large Bull and and cow in that area in one day and heard of a bunch of folks seeing a cow and calf around also. I shoot Moose all the time in Utah so I don't go looking for them at Glacier. Anyway, like Tony says, the critters are wild and constantly changing there habits. Odds are though with a week in the park you should find plenty to shoot and with the fire I would think they be on the move and concentrated more than normal. Have fun and enjoy that beautiful park.