Grizzly Bear Mum and Her Newborn Cubs - First Sighting
Our First encounter with a special Grizzly Mother and her newborn cubs this year. She is such a patient and well tempered Grizzly sow and we are now lucky enough to witness her with her second set of Cubs over the last several years. It was an exciting day as we were not certain she was okay over the Winter, but clearly she was. Grizzly Bears produce only two or three cubs every three years and their survival rate is unfortunately very low.
The Elk Rut
The Elk Rut is just a couple months away. Elk Bulls are putting on a lot of weight right now as their testosterone increases and they have access to much more nutritious food. Bugles, Battles and Breeding will be taking over this Beautiful area as Bulls fight to claim or hold their territories' throne.
Bighorn Sheep Rut - Canada's Angry Ram Mating Dance
Bighorn Rams Fighting for Mating rights During the Bighorn Sheep Rut. The larger Bighorns with superior genetics are able to battle like this for quite a long time during the bighorn sheep mating season. Several larger Rams are seen here battling for the right to mate on this day.
Huge Bull Moose Courting Cow During the Rut
We were lucky to witness this huge bull courting a receptive cow during the Moose Rut. The active peak of rutting season for moose is generally the first two weeks of October. Farther North in the hemisphere is earlier as South is a bit later. Moose bulls may court cows for several days during their mating season. The largest and heaviest of the Deer family can often be seen in groups during this time, with both Bulls and Cows potentially competing for mates. Moose Bulls will chase off or even fight rivals for mating rights, while cows that occupy the same area may also chase each other away from a favorite bull moose. You can hear some vocalizations between the bull and cow along with seeing some very rare behavior in these gentle giants.
Biggest Mountain Goat Master Seen So Far
The Biggest Mountain Master seen so far this Year; Rocky Mountain goats are the largest mammals found in their high-altitude habitats, which can exceed elevations of 13,000 ft (4,000 m). Here is a small group of Males still carrying their full Winter coats.