It was my first opportunity to capture images of a timber wolf in the wild. At first I thought it may have been a dog from one of the nearby homes, but his fearless glance and effortless trot as he made his way along the roadside told me different. This was no family pet.
On a mission known only to himself he moved across the road behind me. I turned my truck around to position myself for a better view. Normally, such action would result in the disappearance of my subject. Not this time. He could care less what I did.
A few yards later he lay down in the tall grass just like the family dog lounging in the backyard. But the similarity soon ended when I realized why he chose this particular spot. A rib cage of a deer lay beside him. Probably the remnants of a recent meal. The clacking sound of powerful teeth against bone made me realize once again this was no dog.
A few minutes later he was once again trotting through the tall grass along the road. A true display of power, agility and efficiency. No small wonder since timber wolves can travel 10 to 30 miles a day in search of food over a territory that ranges from 25 to 150 square miles. That effortless trot definitely said long distance.
I again positioned my truck directly across from him. There we were, wildness and civilization, fifteen yards apart, looking each other in the eye. It was surreal at how close we were. I didn’t feel threatened and he showed no fear. A sort of respect was being shown towards each other. He had his place and I had mine. And all was fine as long as we both kept that in mind.
#1 by keith on August 27th, 2008
Thanks Mark for the pics. Keep up the good work. We enjoy going along with your photo adventures.