Tracking wolves is not an easy endeavor. It requires an understanding of the animals’ habits, collaboration with local experts and most importantly, patience. This January, I set out to photograph winter wolves while on assignment documenting bison conservation work in Yellowstone National Park.
Wolves and bison have a fascinating relationship, both are keystone species that have suffered historic extermination across the country. Bison influence the landscape through their grazing patterns while wolves exert top-down pressure that balances prey populations.
Getting into the field before first light is crucial when trying to find predators. Most hunting occurs at dawn and dusk, which meant we were beginning our days in the darkness of Lamar Valley. This northeast section of the park is where wolves were first reintroduced in 1995. Today, it is widely known as one of the world’s top areas for spotting wolves in the wild.
My friend and fellow cameraman Carter Johnson-Chen carried the brunt of the driving during our 4 a.m. journeys into Yellowstone. Once we were into the valley, it was time to gear up. Microspikes, trekking poles and headlamps were our best friends on these frigid mornings. Temperatures were consistently below 10 degrees and in many spots, we were moving through waist-deep snow.
Carter using his headlamp and poles to discern the terrain in front of us.
A much-needed rest break during a snowy morning trek, these moments were always a highlight.
Setting up my camera gear above a herd of bison on a hazy morning.
Our sunrise views were breathtaking. Watching the valley come to life as light entered the scene was a surreal moment. Hundreds of bison roamed the prairie below us, gathering together as they trudged through the snow. Coyotes were a frequent sight on these mornings, sometimes hunting for prey in the snow, other times being chased off by bison that had enough of their presence.
After three back-to-back mornings searching to no avail, we employed a different strategy. It was time to team up with the park rangers and the region’s local community of wolf watchers. Our few days in the park was nothing compared to some of these spotters, many of whom spend every day observing the wildlife of Lamar.
As we began to learn about the different pack dynamics and hunting grounds, our plan shifted. We got a tip on a day-old bison carcass way out in the valley and began our trek to a lookout point in the area. Using a fallen tree as a marker, we set up a small camp of tripods and began our stakeout.
I’ll never forget my first time hearing a pack of wild wolves howl. Long before Carter or I saw the pack, we heard them. Establishing their location at the edge of the tree line, the pack howled in a haunting yet beautiful chorus of vocalizations.
For the next hour, we stayed quiet and low, careful not to disturb the pack’s natural behavior. From a few hundred yards out, we observed the Mollie’s Pack feeding and playing, an incredible encounter from this expedition.
A female wolf in the Mollie’s Pack stops above a frozen river in Lamar Valley.
Two of the Mollie’s moving in on a bison carcass to feed.
The Mollie’s Pack is Yellowstone’s longest-reigning wolf pack, named after Mollie Beattie, the first female director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Highly intelligent animals, wolves pass down hunting strategies from one generation to the next. They are complex social beings that form close familial bonds. Many experts believe they can experience a wide range of emotions, including compassion, love, anxiety and grief.
Yellowstone’s wolves will be featured in my upcoming documentary Frozen Prairie. More on that soon!
Eye to eye with one of Yellowstone’s apex predators
