Yellowstone National Park

Dixie · September 3, 2005

My wife and I are in Yellowstone NP now and have been for three days. I haven't been able to get on read or post much because we've been going from before sun-up until about 8 or 9 PM each evening. About the only thing I've had time for in the evening was transferring photos and cataloging them.

Here are a couple of pics from the first three days of shooting. Comments and suggestions welcome.

Bugling Elk

Buffalo stare-down

bfjr · September 3, 2005

Nice Dixie

so who won the stare down

Dixie · September 3, 2005

He did. One lady in the crowd hit the ground when he made his charge (she fell in the mad rush when about twenty people started running away). You try to tell some of these people that they are too close, but no one wants to listen. I was back at a safe distance shooting with a 400 set at max (640 converted for the Canon 10D).

The woman who hit the ground was shooting with a Nikon with about a 200mm lens. I help pick her and the camera up after the crowd got through running over her. When all was said and done the panicky crowd did more damage than the buffalo. The buffalo only charged for about 30-40 feet, but that was all it took to get the crowd running. Lady and camera were fine with only a little bruising to show for the ordeal.

ian408 · September 3, 2005

These are some nice pictures Dixie!

ian

Dixie · September 3, 2005

Here is a good example of how dumb people can be. This was taken on Aug 28th while I was in the Rocky Mountain National Park. This idiot walked up to within two elk links of the bull elk while it was tangling with another elk (I made an earlier post with the two elk sparring). The elk did end up doing a short charge, but stopped when the guy and his kid beat a hasty retreat. Some people just plain don't use their noggin.

Dixie · September 3, 2005

ian408 wrote:

These are some nice pictures Dixie!

ian

Thank you, Ian.

Rohirrim · September 3, 2005

Nice Shots Dixie. That pic of the Elk bugling is very nice!

RickP66 · September 3, 2005

Nice pics. I hope to visit Yellowstone this coming Spring, assuming airline prices haven't gone through the roof come ticket-buying time.

Harryb · September 3, 2005

Two beautiful shots Dixie.

mary · September 4, 2005

Beautiful photographs, Dixie! We just went through Teton and Yellowstone (both in one day!) in August. I posted a few pics under landscape called Our family vacation, I think it's on page 5 already. It's a fabulous vacation spot - we plan to spend more time there next time - hopefully with a powerful zoom lens! Thanks for sharing your pics

:

rutt · September 4, 2005

I was there last summer and felt like I was in photographic heaven. Your two shots could easily be in a book or postcards or something. Very nice!

PatandRich · September 4, 2005

Beautul shots. I really like the 12 pointer in number 1 but the 2 pointer in number 2 is also great.
The idiot in the follow up should be arrested for child indangerment where does he think he is Disney Land. I can see him whinning on the news "We were only thaking pictures of the pretty deer and then it ....". Congressional investigatio to follow

Thanks
Rich

digismile · September 4, 2005

A few years ago, a tourist was badly gored in a similar situation trying to take a picture at Elk Island National Park. It's not like there aren't HUGE signs warning of the dangers. So what did they do?! Shot the Elk of course. I think the tourist is the one that should pay the price, not the Elk, IMO.

Nice shots BTW

Brad

Dixie wrote:

Here is a good example of how dumb people can be. This was taken on Aug 28th while I was in the Rocky Mountain National Park. This idiot walked up to within two elk links of the bull elk while it was tangling with another elk (I made an earlier post with the two elk sparring). The elk did end up doing a short charge, but stopped when the guy and his kid beat a hasty retreat. Some people just plain don't use their noggin.

luckydog · September 4, 2005

Very cool photos Dixie. Thanks for sharing

I'm now jealous as all our wildlife is a lot harder to find and photograph.l

Dixie · September 5, 2005

Rohirrim wrote:

Nice Shots Dixie. That pic of the Elk bugling is very nice!

Thanks for the kind comment.

Dixie · September 5, 2005

RickP66 wrote:

Nice pics. I hope to visit Yellowstone this coming Spring, assuming airline prices haven't gone through the roof come ticket-buying time.

If you can make it you won't be disappointed. This was my second trip there and it was better than the first one. ...and if you think airline tickets are bad (my wife's round trip from Atlanta to Salt Lake City where I met her to drive up to Yellowstone was only $327), you should think about what it would costs to drive. Prices have gone up over 60 cents since leaving home a week and a half ago and my total gas bill for my round trip is going to be somewhere close to $800.

Dixie · September 5, 2005

Harryb wrote:

Two beautiful shots Dixie.

Thanks Harry, your comments are always appreciated.

Dixie · September 5, 2005

mary wrote:

Beautiful photographs, Dixie! We just went through Teton and Yellowstone (both in one day!) in August. I posted a few pics under landscape called Our family vacation, I think it's on page 5 already. It's a fabulous vacation spot - we plan to spend more time there next time - hopefully with a powerful zoom lens! Thanks for sharing your pics :

I saw your pics and nice they were. Between the two parks plan for a minimum of four days and six would be ideal if you can spend the time (four for Yellowstone and two for Grand Teton). It is hard to do them justice in just four days, but that would be the minimum time I would recommend.

Dixie · September 5, 2005

rutt wrote:

I was there last summer and felt like I was in photographic heaven. Your two shots could easily be in a book or postcards or something. Very nice!

Hey Rutt, thank you for the very kind comment.

Dixie · September 5, 2005

PatandRich wrote:

Beautul shots. I really like the 12 pointer in number 1 but the 2 pointer in number 2 is also great.
The idiot in the follow up should be arrested for child indangerment where does he think he is Disney Land. I can see him whinning on the news "We were only thaking pictures of the pretty deer and then it ....". Congressional investigatio to follow

Thanks
Rich

You are right. ...and I really thought that the elk was going to get them when I first saw him start to charge. Thanks for the kind comment.

Dixie · September 5, 2005

digismile wrote:

A few years ago, a tourist was badly gored in a similar situation trying to take a picture at Elk Island National Park. It's not like there aren't HUGE signs warning of the dangers. So what did they do?! Shot the Elk of course. I think the tourist is the one that should pay the price, not the Elk, IMO.

Nice shots BTW

Brad

Brad, you are right. Most times I pull for the animal unless there are kids there with the adult. If he wants to get a good shot he should buy a telephoto lens.

Dixie · September 5, 2005

luckydog wrote:

Very cool photos Dixie. Thanks for sharing

I'm now jealous as all our wildlife is a lot harder to find and photograph.l

Thanks for the comments. At least you can still find wildlife in most of our national parks.

jwear · September 5, 2005

I like a sign [PLEASE PET THE ANIMALS] what great kodak moments for us

the pics are

Dixie · November 27, 2005

Thanks Jeff. Sorry for the late reply. I missed a couple of posts with my travels and playing nursemaid for my wife after her shoulder operation.

I agree that some people have no sense when it comes to taking photos of wild animals. The NPS Yellowstone web site even has videos of elk charging and hitting pickups and one of a guy being gored and tossed into a tree.