Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 6

OPENING SHOT

Guarding the prize
Photo: by Peter Mangolds
Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Settings: 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 400

H

aving watched and photographed
many animal encounters, I've noticed
most people want to see the beautiful
side of things and not the reality of it all. This
elk and the grizzly bears that fed on it put on
full display that nature sometimes isn't pretty,
but it is magnificent.
This elk was taken down in the river by a
grizzly bear in the north end of Yellowstone
National Park's Hayden Valley, dragged to
shore and promptly buried. Days later the
bear pictured here, a 17-year-old male, came
in and decided the prize was his. Although
he was slightly smaller than the first bear, his
experience in life won out, and he claimed his
prize.
When I first came upon this scene, the elk
had been dead for several days. I did not see
the two bears fight over the carcass, but saw
pictures of the event and heard about it from
other photographers. I have seen many bear
fights through my years as a national park
ranger and as a photographer, and it is always
a powerful experience.
It was such an event that first spurred my
interest in photography when I worked as
a park ranger in 2016 and was assigned to
oversee an incident in which several bears
fought over a bison carcass at LeHardy Rapids
in Yellowstone National Park. I was so moved
that I purchased my first good camera to
record such incidents, and I subsequently
took up photography.
When word got out about this elk carcass
and how the animal was taken down by a
grizzly bear and buried in an easy-to-view
location, onlookers crowded to watch the
scene safely from across the river under the
watchful guidance of park rangers, who did
an excellent job of allowing safe viewing for
everyone. Many people were able to witness
this awesome predator's behavior.
During these kinds of wild and untamed
situations, it's important for people to
remember that animals may come up from
behind. Park rangers were able to keep
everyone at safe distances and closed off an
area along the road so that any bears coming
in from behind the photographers and crowd
would have a clear shot to the river and
carcass should it so choose.

6 | December 2020	



Wyoming Wildlife magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wyoming Wildlife magazine

Cover
From the director
In this issue
A couple pennies
Mailbag
Opening shot
News
Griz on the Go poster
Ask Game and Fish
Grizzly Glossary
Bruin Challenges
Allure of the grizzly
Grizzly Q&A
Wild Country Dispatch
Backpage
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Cover
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - From the director
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - In this issue
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - A couple pennies
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Mailbag
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Opening shot
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 7
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - News
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Griz on the Go poster
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 10
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 11
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Ask Game and Fish
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Grizzly Glossary
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Bruin Challenges
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 15
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 16
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 17
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 18
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 19
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 20
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 21
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 22
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 23
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 24
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 25
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 26
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 27
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Allure of the grizzly
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 29
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 30
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 31
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 32
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 33
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 34
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 35
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Grizzly Q&A
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 37
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 38
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 39
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 40
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 41
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 42
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 43
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 44
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 45
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Wild Country Dispatch
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 47
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Backpage
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