Black Hills Mountain Goat

Mountain goats are the largest mammals found in high-altitude habitats, often exceeding elevations of 13,000 feet. They’re well-suited for climbing steep slopes and can jump nearly 12 feet in a single bound. Located throughout the Rocky Mountains and Cascade Mountains as far north as southcentral Alaska, they are herbivores and the fine, dense wool of their undercoats is covered by an outer layer of longer, hollow hairs. Their coats help them withstand winter temperatures as low as −50 °F and winds of up to 99 mph. Mountain lions are their primary predators and they typically live 12-15 years in the wild.

Snake River Moose

In late September this solitary bull moose casually crosses the Snake River to browse near giant cattails. Moose are members of the deer family and their diet is primarily terrestrial and aquatic vegetation. The most common moose predators are the gray wolf along with bears and humans. Bull moose normally weigh between 835 to 1,545 pounds in the Rocky Mountains, whereas the largest confirmed size for the Alaska moose was a bull that weighed 1,808 pounds and measured 7.6 feet high at the shoulder.

Teton Horse

This spirited pinto was romping in a huge meadow near Grand Teton National Park, challenging other horses to run and play. It’s always exciting when an animal shows spirit, curiosity or different emotions through its actions and behaviors. Oftentimes when wildlife is spotted the animal is just grazing or walking slowly with its head down. This guy wasn’t about to let the day pass without having a great time!

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.

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.

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.

Master Mouser

Searching for a tasty mouse or vole, this coyote would trot a short distance, stop, cock his ears, look intently at the ground, jump like an acrobat into the air, spiral nose down into the dense brush and raise his head with a mouse in his mouth. Specialists in rodent control, coyotes and foxes perfected this technique eons ago using their acute hearing and keen sense of smell.

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

Ubiquitous throughout the Rocky Mountains, this mule deer was photographed in late evening just as the sun was on the horizon.

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.

Master Mouser

Searching for a tasty mouse or vole, this coyote would trot a short distance, stop, cock his ears, look intently at the ground, jump like an acrobat into the air, spiral nose down into the dense brush and raise his head with a mouse in his mouth. Specialists in rodent control, coyotes and foxes perfected this technique eons ago using their acute hearing and keen sense of smell.

Stare Down

By the late 1890s, bison were teetering on the brink of extinction after being slaughtered for hides, sport and to weaken the Plains Indians who depended on bison for food, clothing and shelter. With only 23 bison left in Yellowstone in 1916, park managers began some of the nation’s first efforts to save an endangered species. Today 4,900 bison roam free in the park.

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.

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.

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.