Late July through August is the time for the bison breeding season but when September comes around, it becomes the elk’s season in the spotlight. I was recently at Mammoth Hot Springs and watched as these two smaller bull elk practiced their fighting skills. It was actually quite interesting as the larger bull, on the left, would just lower his antlers and let the little guy do his thing. There was no aggression and was more like a training session, especially for the young bull.

That is until the big bull woke up and chased the two smaller guys off. He checked the females and then walked back to find a comfy spot to lay back down. The Park Service was signs all over warning people to stay back from the elk, but too many people ignore them and people do get injured when they get too close. Bull elk are very aggressive and unpredictable at all times but especially during the breeding season. I’ve gone back up a few more times but unfortunately the elk have been either among the buildings or in areas where it wasn’t great for photos.

This photo was taken this past Sunday. One bull was working a meadow to the north of the terraces but there was no parking and I wasn’t going to stop in the road even though several others thought it was fine to do so. Another large bull was resting down among some houses. I opted to go and walk around the terraces to shoot some landscapes but notice a couple of cow elk about to pass by this cottonwood tree in full autumn color, providing the only elk photos of the day.

Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park was my “go to” spot at sunrise on days when I had a print signing at the Old Faithful Inn this past summer. But when a steam explosion closed it for the summer, it had me checking out other locations at sunrise. Black Sand Basin has always been a secondary “go to” and this hot spring called Emerald Pool was always a favorite. But getting there earlier than usual allowed me a chance to capture this image with the very first light painting the ridge in the background. A slight breeze moved the steam to the side instead of obscuring the background which certainly worked for this image.

Back in the Spring, the sighting of a white bison calf in Yellowstone garnered a lot of attention. Unfortunately beyond that initial sighting, it wasn’t seen again to my knowledge. But during the bison’s annual breeding season, or rut, which occurs in late July through August, the bulls will roll in dust and mud, often coating themselves and making them appear white. After a few rainy days which turned all the dust wallows into mud, many of the bulls were covered in dirt with this one being perhaps the whitest, or at least dirtiest of the bunch. The bull below is slightly cleaner.