I didn't run into you anywere there in Yellowstone while I was there, I wondered if I would or not. Was your overall trip good. I had a good time as you can see here.....
http://www.pbase.com/wes242/yellowstone_fall_06

Hey Wes,

I ran into some of the DPReviewers while at Yellowstone. I think I missed Will Bates by about 10 minutes at the West Gate. I have a very pragmatic approach to these things - i.e. I have no problem getting together with folks so long as it does not interfere with what I am doing.

I spent most of my time in the Tetons - it is my first love in the NPS system. I spent a much shorter time in the Park. Having said that, I had something VERY awesome occur - I heard a mountain lion (or a lynx/bobcat) in the morning while I was up at Mammoth. It was really cool - we never saw it, but we DEFINITELY heard it.

The week was filled with craziness which I have not really unloaded on anyone (except Tony, LOL, who got a dose of it). It was both a great and horrid vacation at the same time. Having said that, the weather conditions were perfect - and I got some great shots....though I also failed to get some things done that I really wanted to do.

I checked out your pbase gallery, BTW. Some of it is really good. That sunset you have in the clouds on the water is magnificent. LOL, I see that you got some nice wolves again - where the heck did you do that? I was in Lamaar twice and Hayden twice and saw nothing. What is worse, is that it is obvious that they were by the side of the road. WHY CAN'T I see wolves in Yellowstone, LOL?????

James

I am still yet to love the Tetons, I keep going back but everytime something there disappoints me. I think after watching a show "Top Ten National Parks for Veiwing Wildlife" listed the Tetons as number 1 and me not see much there frustrates me. I do see stuff there, but I wouldn't put that at the TOP. I need to do more hikes there, thats when I find the good stuff in the Tetons.

I would have loved to heard that wildcat, I am still yet to see one in the wild and get a good shot. I have ran into a cougar once last year, but he darted up the hill side once I came around the corner. I did have one morning though were the air was filled with the sounds of many coyotes howling and barking. It was one of the most neat things I have every heard.

I to went out to Lamar and saw nothing, even in Hayden Valley there wasn't much going on. I did find that wolf in the middle of the road as I was driving to Hayden Valley before the sun came up. Just a few mile west of Canyon Jct between Canyon Village and Norris. To bad they always have collars on them.

A few of us are going to look into a winter snowmobile trip out that way in January, I would love to see some wolves in the snow! If not then I will be back next May for sure.
As for my next adventure, I will be heading back to Mexico in couple weeks!

You guys need to get out more. Not because you WILL see more, but because you will realize that magazines and TV shows are meant to sell advertising. Your chances of seeing more wildlife increase with your frequency in the field, assuming your doing it correctly.

I also think should not believe all that you read or see on TV. That said, I've been chasing wildlife all over the west for most of my life, first trip to Yellowstone was when I was two and back then you could feed the bears, in fact you had too to get them off the car - or vw van in our case.

Back to the point. I've lived in glacier park for 6 years and have the opportunity to cover A LOT of wild lands from Montana to central Alberta - year long, with some of the best trackers and biologists in the country and I can tell you that we come up without the footage we want far more times that we get what we went after.

To our credit, we know the terrain, and the animals. We have about every advantage but still we come up short. So you have to be persistent and patient.

Don’t be discouraged and don’t stop trying. Some days you can’t miss, other days and sometimes weeks, you can’t buy an animal. So, no matter what you hear or read, there still is an element of luck involved. If I were asked to give any advice it would be to go in search of animals based on the animals rules, not your own. Animals are active when they need to be and in areas that they feel are safe. If that means you go our when the weather is bad, than that's when you go. These parks are not zoos. They still are some what wild. Go in search of wildlife when they are more likely to be active. Learn as much about their habits as you can, and then be ready to put in a lot of long, hard, cold and un pleasant hours. . .

"You guys need to get out more. Not because you WILL see more, but because you will realize that magazines and TV shows are meant to sell advertising. Your chances of seeing more wildlife increase with your frequency in the field, assuming your doing it correctly."

Hey Tony,

This is absolutely correct. While I have been covering the same old territory for years - it has only been for days at a time, not weeks or months. My biggest impediment to being out regularly is TIME. Hopefully there will be more of that in the near future.

-James