Grey Wolf Yellowstone River                                        Click to enlarge

Sometimes the wildness of nature will come right up and smack you in the face. When you’re out shooting in a place like Yellowstone where the animals are plentiful but not necessarily habituated you get the impression that they’re not as wild as the brochures say they are. They are wild. They weren’t kidding around about it.

Now it is common sense that the animals here are not pets or tame or even human friendly regardless of what the wildlife shows tell you, after all the editors of those productions all have their own agendas, but not all of the creatures give off wild vibes constantly. You expect it from the apex predators but you’re rarely close enough to them to pick up on it.

There have been times when a grizzly walked by way closer than expected, his choice not mine, and he will give you a short glance letting you know on no uncertain terms that he is very aware of your presence and it is barely tolerated. That exchange of information however brief, will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and everywhere else for that matter, and then you realize what wild really means. It is one of those things that could take pages of explanation to give you a vague idea of the experience and only milliseconds to understand if it happens in person.

This wolf was feeding on a buffalo carcass on the other side of the Yellowstone river that the pack had brought down and was being watched and photographed by many photographers on the other side. We were all safe as far as that goes because of the river was probably 50-75′ wide and fairly deep at that point, so if he decided to come over everyone had plenty of time to get to their vehicles.

Everyone was excited, there was quite a bit of conversation going back and forth between the shooters and it was like the usual carnival atmosphere at one of these shoots when you’re photographing a big dangerous animal and everyone feels safe and secure. It is more like a social event than serious business.

Then the wolf stopped feeding and began looking at the crowd. It didn’t just glance at it. It seemed that it was deliberately making eye contact with individuals. It ‘s glance moved down the row of people and when it was your turn you felt the direct contact it was trying to make. It was uncanny. Suddenly the noise level was a fraction of what it had just been. It wasn’t intimidation as such just a reminder that this was its life and it was serious business. After making its point it turned and walked away. There was a momentary stillness before the crowd suddenly came to life and everyone burst into conversation about the experience.

When you come into direct contact with a wild thing it is a profound moment. You will feel differently about them afterwards and it is something you do not forget. That is if the grizzly hasn’t eaten you.