Winter Carnivores of Yellowstone
During the winter months, the Northern Range harbors the greatest numbers of animals and the largest species diversity within the entire Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. When the legendary storms of the region begin to lay down litteral feet of snow across the Yellowstone Plateau, the majority of large mammals across the ecosystem descend to lower elevations. Here, the snow is shallower and the limited resources of winter are more accessible.
This mass movement of big animals such as bison, elk, moose, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and mule deer to lower elevations does not go unnoticed by predators. With so many animals predictably concentrated into a smaller region, predators all over the ecosystem also find their highest numbers here as well. From wolves to foxes to mountain lions to otters, the Northern Range presents the best chances to see and photograph some of the most sought after species in the winter months. And yes, we have photographed bobcats in several different areas across the Northern Range on past workshops.
While we will take the opportunity to photograph the cornucopia of wildlife that Yellowstone offers in the winter, the primary goal of this workshop will be carnivores. Wolves, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, eagles (both bald and golden), ermine, long-tailed weasels, and otters will be our prime directive on this one of a kind wildlife photography workshop.
The Basics
Dates:
January 17 - 23rd, 2024 | SOLD OUT
February 9 - 15, 2025 | Space Available
Cost: $8,000
Deposit: $2,000
Single Supplement: included
Includes:
Single occupancy lodging
All local transportation
All lunches
Park Passes
One-on-one instruction
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive in Bozeman, Montana. The first day of the workshops is largely logistical. For those who are flying in, participants will be picked up 2pm from the Gallitan Field Airport (BZN) and transported to Gardiner, MT. As this is a winter workshop, the time it takes to travel from Bozeman to Gardiner can take between 1.5 and 5 hours depending on weather and road conditions. For this reason, the day is built around just getting to our destination. Once checked into the hotel, we will meet for happy hour, dinner, and a briefing on the coming days.
Day 2 - 6 - These days will be spent working on the Northern Range of Yellowstone National Park. Mornings will start early and before sunrise and we will spend the entire day in the field stopping, of course, for lunch and restrooms (as needed). The exact locations of where we will photograph will be dictated by the ever changing wildlife opportunities present at the time. We spend a week on the ground before clients arrive to scout, prepare, and determine what the best opportunities will be for the coming workshop. Photographing wildlife is not like landscapes, and so destinations each day will be based upon real-time information and opportunities.
Day 7 - Travel back to Bozeman, Montana. The last morning, we will have breakfast before heading north to Bozeman. We time our arrival to be in Bozeman before noon that day. Much like the first day of the workshop, because this is a winter trip, weather can be unpredictable and therefore we schedule several hours for our drive back to the airport just in case. Participants should plan to fly out in the afternoon. If this is not possible, we recommend staying the night in Bozeman or Belgrade (where the airport is actually located) and flying out the following morning.
Highlights
North America’s premier winter wildlife photography destination
More species of large mammals than any other ecosystem in the Northern Hemisphere
Wildlife set to the backdrop of a winter wonderland
One-on-one photography instruction
Learn about the wildlife and winter ecology of Yellowstone
Potential wildlife subjects: wolves, bobcats, bison, elk, red fox, cross fox (a unique color morph of the red fox common in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem), bighorn sheep, pronghorn, mule deer, moose, otters, ermine, long-tailed weasels, endangered Rocky Mountain trumpeter swans, golden eagles, bald eagles, boreal owl, northern pigmy owl, coyotes, and more.
Workshop Leaders
Jared Lloyd has been a working professional wildlife photographer for twenty years and is the founder of PhotoWILD Workshops and PhotoWILD Magazine. Having lived in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for a decade, Jared is one of the most sought after workshop leaders in the Yellowstone area. www.jaredlloyd.com
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