Bighorn Sheep

Approximately 160 bighorn sheep reside in Yellowstone National Park, with adult rams weighing 175-320 pounds and adult ewes weighing up to 130 pounds. Bighorn sheep feed primarily on grasses and forage on shrubby plants in fall and winter.

North American Elk

Elk abound in the Rocky Mountains and are a common seen in Yellowstone National Park. This big bull was photographed in autumn in the northern sector of the park.

Black Bear Cub

Shy and wary of intruders, a black bear cub glances through two aspen trees. Only yards away in the bushes is a cinnamon-colored sibling eating berries on a bush. Although not visible, the mother bear was surely close by in the woods, creating a potentially dangerous situation for anyone venturing too close.

Conflict Resolution Coyote Style

On a bitter cold February morning, a coyote asserts itself over another for reasons unknown. Yellowstone coyotes weigh from 30 to 40 pounds, stand less than two feet tall and live an average of about six years, although one Yellowstone coyote lived to be more than 13 before it was killed and eaten by a cougar. Coyotes are easy to distinguish from their much larger relative, the gray wolf, by their overall slight appearance compared to the massive 75 to 125-pound stockiness of a wolf.

Monster Moose in the Wild

Deep in the Denali wilderness, a colossal bull moose trots along a shallow creek. Moose in Alaska often weigh over 1,500 pounds and stand over seven feet tall. The moose is the largest member of the deer family and the largest moose ever recorded was taken in the Yukon weighing an incredible 1,800 pounds.

Split Horn Sheep

Sheep occasionally crack or split their horns while digging for roots or foraging for lichens or moss during winter. This Dall sheep in Central Alaska caught a twig in one horn and carried it like a trophy.

Rocky Mountain Mule Deer

Brown Bear Debate

Taking a break from salmon fishing, these two brown bears played together at the McNeil River Bear Sanctuary on the Alaskan Peninsula. Male “brownies” can weigh up to 1,200 pounds, mainly because of their protein-rich salmon diet during July and August. Although normally solitary by nature, they tolerate each other during the salmon runs due to the abundance of food.

Prairie Racer - Pronghorn Antelope

Known for their speed on open stretches of prairie, pronghorn antelope can run 70 miles per hour and spring 20 feet in a single bound. Their chief predators are coyotes, raptors and mountain lions.

Mountain Goat in Black Hills

Sleeping Beauty

Long before sunrise, a sleeping bull elk rests along the shore of the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park. With a ridge on his backside and the river in front, the elk was fairly protected against predators like wolves.

Master of the Hunt

Only hours after a successful hunt, this timber wolf and his pack consumed most of an elk. According to biologists in Yellowstone National Park, an adult wolf typically consumes about one half elk per week. Wolves are near the top of the food chain in Alaska, Canada and now northwest Wyoming and Montana. Persecuted over the centuries, wolves were eradicated in the lower 48 states by poisoning, trapping, shooting and other methods now considered cruel and unethical.

Red Fox Kits

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a shy, nocturnal omnivore, typically hunting at night, dusk and dawn. It is an efficient and lethal predator, due to its acute senses of sight, smell and hearing. These two kits were photographed in early evening before entering their den in a woodpile in southeastern Nebraska.

Fox Tail

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a shy, nocturnal omnivore, typically hunting at night, dusk and dawn. It is an efficient and lethal predator, due to its acute senses of sight, smell and hearing. This kit was photographed in early evening before entering his den in a woodpile in southeastern Nebraska.

Fox Kit on Woodpile

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a shy, nocturnal omnivore, typically hunting at night, dusk and dawn. It is an efficient and lethal predator, due to its acute senses of sight, smell and hearing. Striking a perfect pose, this kit carefully surveys his surroundings before entering his den in a woodpile in southeastern Nebraska.

Forlorn Fox

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a shy, nocturnal omnivore, typically hunting at night, dusk and dawn. It is an efficient and lethal predator, due to its acute senses of sight, smell and hearing. As if lost in a daydream, this young kit contemplates his future on top of a woodpile in southeastern Nebraska.

River Otter Friends

Wildlife

Yellowstone Bison

Prolific throughout Yellowstone National Park, approximately 5,000 bison meander throughout the expansive landscape of the park year around. Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. In the 1800s, market hinting, sport hunting and the U.S. Army nearly caused the extinction of the bison, and by 1902 poachers reduced Yellowstone’s small herd to about two dozen animals. Bison are true survivors, fending off attacks by predators and the bitter cold Yellowstone winters.

Prairie Racer - Pronghorn Antelope

Known for their speed on open stretches of prairie, pronghorn antelope can run 70 miles per hour and spring 20 feet in a single bound. Their chief predators are coyotes, raptors and mountain lions.

Black Hills Mountain Goat

Brown Bear Roars

On his way to the river to catch a prize salmon, this big bruin on the Alaska Peninsula established his dominance with a piercing stare and adrenaline-filled roar.

Bull Moose in Autumn

Deep in the Alaska woods, this big bull moose glances back after hearing a twig break. Bull moose are often solitary, except during the fall rut when mating takes place. Bill took over two hours approaching this moose, always keeping trees close by for protection. A medium telephoto lens was used to avoid entering his "domain."

Coyotes after Buffalo Brunch

Bull Elk

Bull elk live along meadows and the forest edges and often weigh up to 1,000 pounds. In September and October bull elk “bugle” and lock antlers during the mating season. The bulls show dominance to gather females during the annual rut.

Dall Sheep on Denali Mountainside

Teton Black Bear Cub

A cinnamon-colored black bear cub watches through foliage on a hillside, while its sibling looks for berries nearby. Most black bear cubs are born around January, and January's full moon is sometimes called the “bear moon.” Having different colored cubs in the same litter is not uncommon for black bears, who typically live 20-35 years in the wild.

Marmot on the Lookout

Brown Bear Sow and Cub

Caribou in Denali

Cow and Calf Bison

Bison often meander in small groups looking for a fresh place to graze and rest. In this picture, a bison and her calf wander through open rangeland near Hayden Valley of Yellowstone National Park in September.