Bad example

A couple of young of elk setting a bad example for grade school students on how to resolve disputes! This was a shot from this past fall during the elk rut where the local elk herd had taken over the schoolyard one early morning (not all that unusual around here) forcing many students to take detours to enter the school. I love this image as it showcases how urban wildlife and humans coexist in our small mountain town and illustrates the curiosity of these students watching the two young elk spar. * I checked with the schoolboard since there were students in the background and they loved the image and okayed its release!

Perseverance!

Not the biggest by any means but this coyote who has lost the use of his right eye and is missing a chunk out of his left ear is one of the toughest animals to survive the harsh conditions of the Canadian Rockies.

A shot from this past elk rut where these two young elk were honing their sparring skills outside my son's preschool one morning while a large bull who controlled the harem feeds close by.

Gray wolf on the move

A member of the Bow Valley wolf pack checks me out as he crosses a road to meet up with his partner on the other side. Roads present these predators and other wildlife in the park with easier travel means but come with added risks especially during early or late hours when they are typically most active and visibility is limited. This shot was taken this past October which was almost 6 months after the alpha male of this pack was sadly killed by vehicle on nearby highway.

Moose on the move

I was fortunate enough to observe and record this bull moose stripping the velvet off his antlers by vigorously rubbing them on trees this past September - behaviour that signifies the start of the annual moose rut. Though I was able to photograph several other moose during that time, I was not successful in finding this particular bull moose after that day until late October when this shot was taken. By then the moose rut was over and this bull moose was traveling alone moving effortlessly through deep snow as I struggled in my snow shoes. When I saw that he was headed towards a creek I decided to cross the frigid water and waited there in hopes that he would cross. Moments later, as if he heard my thoughts, he decided to cross the creek at the perfect spot which allowed me to capture this moment!