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Yellowstone Park is unique. Just like a snowflake, no oneseason, no specific day, or no single hour in the park can ever be exactly likeanother. 

Rounding a bend in the road, you never know if you will seea small group of elk munching along the river, a lone coyote trotting across ameadow, or a large, bull bison deliberately walking down the middle of the roadstaking his claim.

It can be a misty morning with the sun rising through asteamy fog in Gibbon Meadows or an incredible display of oranges and reds asthe sun sets across Yellowstone Lake. It is the unexpected and the unanticipatedthat makes Yellowstone such an incredible, yet personally intimate place.

These magical moments occur even more frequently during winter,Yellowstone’s quiet season. We have had more unexpected wildlife encounters in winter than any other season in Yellowstone. No matter how warm or cold, sunnyor snowy, Yellowstone’s winter wildlife is always out and on the move looking for food and water. Their paths take them along open rivers and streams, often following the same roads taken by over-the-snow vehicles during the winter.

For several past winters, a bobcat has made the Madison River area its winter home (from Madison Junction west along the riverbanks toWest Yellowstone).  Rarely, if ever, seen during the warm months, we were rewarded with random sightings of ‘our’ bobcat. Late one afternoon, we sat mesmerized as we watched the bobcat hunt along theriver for a goose dinner. Bounding through the snow, the cat was surprisingly fast and agile. Jumping into a trio of geese, his efforts were successful.

One of my favorite winter encounters is bison along the roadways. While traveling in a snowcoach, you can look down on them as they patiently plod down the roads, taking advantage of the previous nights packingby the groomers. The large bulls always seem to have a frosty overcoat layering over their shaggy brown fur. And, if the group has just forded a river, there are often icicles hanging down from chest and stomach. In my imagination, it’seasy to picture a wooly mammoth with the same ragged coat.

That experience is even more magnified to me on a snowmobile. You wait patiently as a group of bison move ahead, sometimes passing them slowly (always following your guide’s lead). Round eyes in large shaggy heads glance your way to check out the unexpected movement and then swing back after determining you are insignificant. It is humbling to be next to one of these large animals. Being out with them in the brisk air makes you appreciate their struggle to survive in such afrozen world.

Elk, bunched in small groups, are also close to the roads and waterways. Last summer’s calves have a rude awakening during the winter.Yet, these calves can still make you smile. We like to stop and watch as they play in the snow, splash into the rivers, and fight with small pine trees. Some of our favorite photos are calves with their noses coated with snow or adorned with a branch that stuck to their heads.

As usual, this winter is a bald eagle bonanza. The conditions have been right to encourage mating pairs to nest and fish along the Madison and other rivers. During the winter, you can easily see eagles rebuilding their nests, perched on snags overlooking the river, and later in the winter, tending their nests.

During the summer, you have to know exactly where and when to look to spot wildlife. In the winter, when snows blanket meadows and trees it seems much easier to spot predators. Wolves and coyotes stand out more starkly without bushes and grasses to blend into. Red foxes are one of the most beautiful sights in the winter. Their deep reddish coats come alive against a snowy backdrop. 

Winter in Yellowstone is a truly unique experience. Even if you have visited Yellowstone countless times during warm weather seasons,Yellowstone in the winter is a photographic phenomenon. This winter will bring its own unusual and unique sightings. Don’t hibernate. Capture your own magical moments this winter.

Tips for Winter Wildlife Photography-

·        Dress for success! Not being dressed appropriately for the winter equals a cold and uncomfortable experience, certainly not conducive for the patience and stillness it takes to take a great photograph. Many snowmobile manufacturers or other winter clothing producers have snowmobile suits that will keep you warm up to 60 degrees below zero. Protect extremities with boots, gloves and a hat also designed forextreme cold. 

·        Protect your equipment. Cold temperatures can affect your equipment, especially batteries. Always carry spare batteries in a warm place (in your camera bag if insulated or inside your coat. Exchange them as needed. Or, use a power pack designed for rechargeable NiCad batteries, which will hold their charge in cold weather better than regular alkaline batteries. Also, bringing a cold camera into a warm room causes moisture condensation. Don’t bring your camera inside for short periods of time during the day. Before bringing equipment in at theend of the day put it into a plastic bag and squeeze out the air. 

·        Modify exposure settings. Have you ever taken a picture of a beautiful snowy scene only to have everything come out gray? Camera meters are designed to reproduce whatever they read as a mid tone. Remember, snow reflects about 90% of the available light no matter if it's sunny or cloudy. You need to compensate for this brilliance. 
Properly exposing scenes on an overcast day where snow is the dominant subject is the easiest situation. The trick is to meter only the snow. Find a patch of white snow that will fill the entire viewfinder. Just meter only the snow andthen compensate for the reflectance of the snow by adding two stops of light. If the primary focus is an animal and not a snowy scene, increase to 2 1/3stops. This will ensure that you can capture the detail in the darker animal.
Sunny wintry days also require adjustment. If the sun is direct with a slight glare backlighting), meter the sunlit snow but add a full +2 stops oflight.  When the sun is coming from behind or from the side, meter only the sunlit snow and add 1 2/3 stops oflight. When photographing dark animals on a sunny day, add 2 stops oflight. 
Change your view. Don't just lookover the landscape - but look down an up once in awhile. Bright sun or brightovercast are the best lighting conditions for birds and mammals. If the sun is shining, photograph them against the blue sky. If conditions are brightovercast, avoid the gray sky by composing so your visitors are against the out-of-focus trees in the background. But, our favorite conditions are bright overcast on avery snowy day. Bright sunny days often produce “sun dawgs” where the sunstreams through snowy tree’s produces its own special halo effect. Make sure toshoot from the shaded side underneath the tree and shoot directly at the sun.
Use a tripod. The sharpest nature photographs come from using a sturdy tripod. This allows you to use a wider range of shutter speeds andapertures.