From the bottom of the hill, you might mistake the animals for a scattering of rocks strewn about the fall-cured grasses. Every now and then, however, one moved.
“There they are,” I say as everyone stares up the hill at the band of a dozen or so bighorn rams. We slowly make our way up the mountain, climbing a couple of hundred feet above the high ridge we walked in on. Soon, we are fifty feet away from some of the most impressive (and biggest) bighorn rams on the planet.
These old warriors are resting for now, but in a couple of months, they’ll be combating each other for the right to breed and pass their impressive DNA to a new batch of progeny. Their horns are a study of brutal battles of the past. The tips of one old monarch are broken, and the tops of his horns are flattened and flaking from battling other rams. Now, they rest.
These rams aren’t pressured, so we spend two hours with them only feet away from us. We take head and shoulder close-ups, environmental shots, and other compositions that highlight the power and strength of these noble animals.
Soon, we walk away. Down the hill, a boat awaits to whisk us away for more photographic opportunities, and we are soon aboard the 24-foot pontoon. From the boat, we photograph mule deer and have one of the closest encounters anyone has ever had with a belted kingfisher. In all, the day was simply remarkable.
It’s the second full day of The Wildlife and Landscapes of Northern Montana nature photography workshop, and we’ve already seen heaps of both subjects. Just a few hours before, we were parked at a creek while hundreds of bison poured across a creek just about 100 yards away. The shaggy mammals are a fascinating study in natural history and the complex relationship between people and the plains. Their tendency to herd made them an easy target for the buffalo hunters, who nearly exterminated them from the plains. That same tendency to herd makes the bison a remarkable site as they fan across the sagebrush flats and feed in the soft light of the evening.
All around, other wildlife abounds. We see elk and mule deer and photograph pronghorns as they vie for a mate in the height of this year’s rut. A male tries to continually breed one female while he guards another one that’s nearby. He’s clearly the dominant figure on this end of the valley, but he constantly looks around in case an interloper slips in to steal one of his does. We move on.
We soon see some animals that, albeit smaller, are still engaging. These chipmunks are a photographic test. Their small size and quick movements make them a challenge, but we succeeded in making some pictures of him.
On our last morning, as the sun rose over the mountains of Northwest Montana, a classic Montana barn stood in the shadow as the sun climbed over the hills to the east. In the foreground, a rustic side-roll irrigation rig stands idle while a smattering of volunteer canola provides some vivid yellows to compliment the blues of sky and shadow. All around us, the patterns and textures of agriculture make for interesting photography subjects. Soon enough, we make our way to photograph some raptors and wind up the trip.
Overall, the breadth of wildlife and photographic opportunities we had was impressive. The experience was a testament to good planning, carefully curated locations, and an even better slate of guests.
In the end, it’s the guests and their experience that inspire us to do this.
So glad I was able to join this quick trip back in Montana. The weather couldn't have been better, the hotel rooms were super and the meals, well... I am glad I kept my steps up during the trip.
Awesome pictures!!! Hopefully you will organize a photo workshop for around the same time of year -- looks like you have great success with seeing the wildlife.
Wonderful account. When did you do this trip, and were you in a national park or just in the wilds of Montana? Are you going to do another there in the future? Thanks for sharing!🙂