Selecting a photo of the month from the photo of the weeks of last year can be challenging some times.  The photos from last January that I chose as my photo of the week are all personal favorites for different reasons.  But I opted for this shot as it was a cool moment.  I found this fox along the side of the road between Lamar Valley and Tower Junction.  It was digging up rodents quite close to the road and I was able to photograph it using a bean bag brace from my car window.  The snow was quite deep and it had to leap several times into the snow, digging deeper inbetween leaps, before finally coming up with a meal.  As the fox ate the first rodent, a second popped out of the hole and made a run for it.  When the fox noticed this, it took off after the second rodent, catching it in just a few leaps.

Finding fox in Yellowstone isn't an extremely common event, though they do stand out in the winter on the snowy landscape, so when one there is one near the road, many people will stop to check it out.  Most don't wait around and watch for it to hunt and dive into the snow, only stopping to take a snapshot and move on.  To get interesting images beyond the "portrait" or documentary shot requires waiting and patience.  Some times it pays off and other times it doesn't.  So when I come across an animal that isn't seen every day, I'll stick around and wait it out.  I try to photograph from my vehicle whenever possible.  Typically an animal will tolerate the presence of a vehicle whereas it might flee is someone gets out of the car.  I used a telephoto lens to photograph this fox, keeping a respectable distance from it.  Animals that become used to a human presence can become a danger to people which can lead ultimately to its death.  As a wildlife photographer, I feel it's important to minimize my impact on the subjects of my images.  As the fox finished eating the second rodent, it then trotted off away from the road, beyond some small hills and ultimately, out of sight.  But not before allowing myself and few other lucky people a great encounter with a beautiful fox.

I spent some time in Yellowstone back in December, during the eclipse and full moon.  I'll be back there this week and hope there will be some great photo opportunities!  Wasn't much snow in December, though the temperatures were quite chilly with several mornings registering below zero farenheit.

 I saw different wolves on several occasions, but my only photo opportunities came at Floating Island Lake when members of the Blacktail Pack crossed the road.  I'll have some updates from Yellowstone in the upcoming weeks, so check back!

With the start of 2012, I am running my first promotion.  If you are a Facebook user, you have a chance to win a free 12"x18" print of your choice.  Here's what you need to do to enter the drawing:

1).  Log into facebook and go to Steve Hinch Photography.  2).  "Like" Steve Hinch Photography, if you haven't already done so.  3).  Share the post about the contest.  4).  Leave a comment under the post about the contest.  Complete each of these steps and you're qualified to win a free 12"x18" print of your choice, valued at $90, shipping included.  Shipping will be via US Postal Service 1st Class mail.  The winning entry will be selected via a drawing from all qualified entries on February 1st, 2012 and the winning entry will be be posted on Facebook and here on my blog.

Speaking of Facebook, you may have noticed some new features on my blog.  In the right sidebar, you can see a link to Steve Hinch Photography on Facebook, providing easy access to what's happening there.  Also, further down, for fun, is a flag counter.  I've always enjoyed seeing where in the world different visitors come to my site from, now you can too!  The top ten will display there.  Look for some more changes to come to my website at www.travelsinbearcountry.com soon as well!!  Happy New Year!!

Montana Fish and Wildlife announced earlier this month that they've discovered pneumonia in the Cinnabar herd of bighorn sheep that reside near Corwin Springs, Montana, just outside Yellowstone National Park.  Pneumonia in bighorn sheep can be lethal and has been known to take out entire herds.  According to MF&W, over 1400 bighorns died in Montana during the 1990's due to pneumonia, while another 600 died to it in 2010 alone.  Most outbreaks, again according to MW&F, are in transplanted herds.  The Cinnabar herd is a natural herd, not an introduced one, and has never had an outbreak before.

I spent some time photographing this herd in early December, where often 50 or more sheep were down along a road near Corwin Springs.  I hoped for some battling ram images, but, being near the end of the rut, most of the rams were not interesting in fighting each other, with the top photo being the closest to battle I witnessed.  The middle image here was photographed as one ram moved towards a herd of ewes with another ram.  I hoped for a battle, but a low flying plane from Gardiner flew over, scaring all the sheep and they literally ran for the hills.

While I didn't get any battle shots, the rams did exhibit various other mating attempts and behaviors, such as this flehmen response.  This is a behavior exhibited by many animals as they scent pheromones to determine, among other things, if a female is receptive to mating.  One nice thing about photographing this herd as to the bighorns in Yellowstone, is that they can often be found  in areas with nice, clean backgrounds, as seen in this images.  On the flip side, there is a lot of private property here, so remember to not move away from the road and to respect landowner rights if you do choose to try to photograph these sheep.  Also, since you'll be photographing from the road, remember to pull all the way off the road and to be mindful of traffic.  Let's hope these sheep can survive this outbreak.  The press release from the Montana Fish and Wildlife Department can be found here.  Since I haven't shot much since returning to Poland, I will post my favorite shot of one of these bighorns, taken earlier in December, as my next Photo of the Week.

Destination Yellowstone opens today in the newly remodeled and renamed Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.  The Yellowstone Association and the Yellowstone Park Foundation have teamed up to open Destination Yellowstone, a store, information desk, and exhibits, in the airport.   So why am I posting this here?  Because I'm happy to announce that a selection of my 8x10 prints will be available for purchase in the new store.  So if you're flying in to or out of Bozeman Airport, please stop by Destination Yellowstone, support the Yellowstone Association and the Yellowstone Park Foundation, learn some great stuff about Yellowstone, and perhaps pick up one or two of my prints!

Additionally, I've recently set up Steve Hinch Photography on Facebook!  I will continue to keep up with this blog and my website as well. My website, Travels In Bear Country,  will continue to be updated frequently and will continue to be the main showcase for my work.  My blog here, will continue to to receive 4 or more longer postings and articles a month.  While on Facebook, I will post a few snipets about what may be going and also a few photos.  So stop in at Facebook, and "like" Steve Hinch Photography!