From two weeks ago today in the wake of a light snowfall that had fallen the night before. It was a cold and clear morning and a perfect one to spend at my favorite wildlife refuge. The big boy had yet to rise for the morning judging by the snow on his coat, instead opting to just lay under a bare tree. Off in the distance, a snow-covered mountain dominated the horizon. The sun was just starting to illuminate the landscape and all of the elements made for a pretty scene.
Bison bull weathers the storm alone
One of the big boys at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge for #TatankaTuesday. For the second weekend in a row, the Colorado Front Range saw a snowstorm hit. The conditions Saturday were not great for humans but they were great for humans to photograph wildlife. This handsome fellow was a highlight. Seeing him approaching from a good ways away, I sat and waited for him to draw closer. There was a stark loneliness about him and the wintry scene as he braved the weather conditions solo, the rest of the herd nowhere in sight.
Top Shots 2023 – Mammals
Creatures big and small passed in front of my lenses over my past photo year. No matter their size, all were special to see from the pika and mink to the bison, bighorn and pronghorn. Here’s a look back at my favorite mammal captures from my past photo year.
Snowy bison up close and personal
With a snowstorm potentially set to arrive on the Colorado Front Range this weekend, my mind turns to the snowy scenes that may be had. Among my favorites when the white stuff is flying? Bison. They always look impressive and majestic but the snow adds an element that is a lot of fun to see and photograph.
Going back to November for this capture, this bull was plodding along right next to the road. That gave me the opportunity to get some cool closeups, something that gets enhanced with the snow falling through the air and resting on the bison’s fur.
Snowy bison bull head on in black and white
Power! That is the word that comes to mind when I look at this picture. Taken yesterday, this bull was absolutely impressive, one of the largest at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Light snow was falling coating the landscape – and the bison – in white and really adding to the scene. I maxed out the zoom on my lens for an extreme closeup and decided I liked a black and white conversion for the image. The detail seen is way cool from the creature’s fur to the glint in the eyes and the rough texture of his horns.
Bison bull sports a fresh coat of snow
Taken yesterday morning as a winter storm descended on the Colorado Front Range. A stray band of snow had moved through the area giving everything – including the critters – a light coating of the white stuff. Certainly, these big guys are built to withstand the cold, far more than this photographer. 😉
Portrait of the king of the Great Plains
Whether in color or black and white, bison bulls are pretty danged impressive looking so here is one for #TatankaTuesday.
Taken this past weekend, this big guy was “talking” very seriously to another bull and I was hoping they were going to rumble but in the end, they kept their distance from each other. He did give me this nice portrait and the morning light lit up his fur and provided a glint in the eye.
It is #NationalWildlifeRefugeWeek and here in the Denver, we are privileged to have one of the best right nearby, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Late arrival red dog makes an appearance
The bison at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge have lately been confined to the western part of the refuge, preventing getting any decent pictures. Yesterday, they came to the fence line near an opening for a restricted road that goes into the area. That allowed some pics without the fence in the way.
As I and a friend were photographing them, I spotted something special hiding among them – a bison calf! This red dog was probably only a month or so old, far younger than its peers that were born in the spring and had already lost their red coloring.
It never did give us a clear shot at it, preferring to stay concealed behind its mother and the rest of the herd. Nevertheless, it was pretty cool to see – and of course it was cute as heck!
Big, bad bison bull and the full wolf moon
Going back to January for Throwback Thursday. Snow had fallen the night before, coating the landscape in white helping to set the scene. Above, the full moon was setting and getting ready to disappear behind the Rocky Mountains. A massive bison bull had splintered off from the rest of the herd and was on the move right toward me. All together, it made for a pretty cool scene.
That feeling you get when you realize it is only Wednesday
The look on this bison bull’s face is pretty much how a lot of humans probably feel about this time of week. 😀
Taken this past Saturday, a bachelor group of bulls was hanging out close to the road putting on a nice display. They were taking turns rolling around in the dirt, something which is somewhat comical to see given their monstrous size.
Bison will wallow like this to not only mark the spot with their scent but also to start working off that thick winter coat that they no longer need now that it is spring.