For years I have been wanting to capture bears in snow. It’s difficult because once the snow shows up, bears are often foraging for their last meals before heading to hibernate. I was so thankful this bear had not left yet and was still looking for salmon. When it crossed this small island and headed to the river, the snowy scene and river came to life!

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In Canada there are lakes that have a beautiful deep turquoise color. This color is created by the glacial sediment settling in the bottom of the lake. The color of the lake changes with the clouds and sun. On this morning it had a deep rich color because of the recent snow and lower clouds.

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Moments like this are not something I take for granted. I’ve tried untold amount of times to photograph lights, and a large portion of them ended with the lights not even coming out. So when this spectacular show occurred, and there was so much movement and colors above the mountains, I took it all in and watched in amazement!

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Late one evening as I was beginning to think I wouldn’t find this special bear, I saw him near a river. It really was getting dark and I knew there wasn’t much time, but I stopped and waited and hoped for something to happen. He moved across an opening and went to this shallow, beautifully colored turquoise stream got a drink. I was ecstatic not only because of the color of the water but because the bear was reflected!

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The fall time is definitely a beautiful time of year! With the trees and entire forests changing colors, it’s an exciting time to be out in nature. When I found this forest, I loved that it was at peak color, and also that the trees were not super tight and that you could see through the forest and see all the yellow!

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Fall time is one of the best times of the year. As the trees turn yellow the mountains come to life. I love it when an early snowfall comes and creates a dramatic scene with the snow and fall colors. It was a long hike to this area, but I could have spent a week up their taking in the views!

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As winter turns to summer, the lakes in Canada begin to thaw in May.  With the reflection is the open area of the lake, its a welcome sign that summer is on its way.  

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I love seeing fog because it allows me to get creative. The way it comes and goes so fast sometime can create a very different shot just seconds apart. As the fog was rolling up the mountain, I loved how it accentuated the different ridges.

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One of the prettiest places to go in Canada is Moraine Lake. With the lakes amazing color, and the mountains surrounding the lake awe inspiring, there is no doubt about how beautiful the lake is. When walking up to the lake, I noticed it beyond these tress, and I really liked how the trees framed the lake and mountains!

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Watching the northern lights never gets old. Anytime I get to see them they are a treat! This show was spectacular for how long the show lasted. It went on for hours! Here the first light of the sunrise starts to lighten the night sky as the lights are still happening above the mountains!

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Aspens are a beautiful tree that can grow in large groves. Finding the right grove is difficult for this type of shot though. I loved the spacing of the trees and how it allowed me to see deep into the forest.

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In Canada, one of the most famous bear is “The Boss.” He is a large dominant male that is usually the first bear out in the spring and the last bear to den in the winter. I’ve tried for years to find him, and never had any success. I was out looking for bears that may still be out, but wasn’t sure I would find any because there was a lot of snow and later in the year. Through the trees I saw movement, and after lots of waiting the bear came into an opening and I knew it was the Boss! Finally seeing and photographing him was a great experience!

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I knew this morning that the sunrise would be nice.  When I heard an elk bugle, I began to search quickly for him.  Seeing him stand their in front of the mountain as he called out was a great moment. 

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With all the beautiful lakes in Canada, it can be hard to choose which lake to go to for a sunset. I was happy I chose this lake on this evening, because I loved how the pink light on the mountain was being reflected and created the pink glow on the lake!

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Seeing an entire valley filled with yellow larch trees is just incredible. That all the trees turned at the same time was just amazing! The forest of trees filled the entire valley up the base of the mountains. The trees made the entire area look as if it were glowing!

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Polar bears are by far the largest bear species. Seeing a large male in person made me feel so small. When it came close to where I was, it really showed just how large and powerful this male was.

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Humpback whales are fun to watch when they are active. They are so big and impressive when they are at the surface. However, they do dive to fish, and once the tail goes up, there is a waiting game until they resurface again.

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Winter time in the Rockies is a beautiful time of the year. I love it when the mountains get covered in snow and the snow begins to pile up. In the early winter some of the lakes take longer to freeze than others, and a winter mountain reflection is a breathtaking view.

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Elk get to live in some of the prettiest places. They definitely know how to choose a home. This male had a large harem and was doing his best to keep them together on a beautiful evening in the mountains.

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With the northern lights moving so fast on this night, it was hard to get my tripod situated. And shooting almost straight up is difficult to get right in the camera. But once I had it set up, the sky performed and the red and green colors moved across the sky in dramatic fashion!

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I’ve been to Moraine Lake many times, and wanted the lake to be calm to get a reflection like this. But because the lake is high in the mountains, it is a windy location and hard to get a reflection. So on this morning, when the whole lake was calm, the lake color was beautiful and reflecting the light hitting the peaks above!

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Watching bears fish for salmon is always a treat. Being able to do that in the fall makes it even better. The river just came to life in the fall. This bear was walking out from the woods to start swimming and fishing.

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This large stick made for a great toy for this polar bear cub. It would pull on the stick, and then push it away. It did this for a long time and enjoyed playing with the large stick as its mother slept.

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Grizzlies in any environment is fun to photograph. When they live in the mountains on a lake it just adds to the fun and possibilities. This large grizzly was slowly making its way along the lake shore with the mountains in the background.

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Many mornings when I’m up early, I don’t find anything to photograph, but the mornings I do, it is often a great opportunity. As a low lying fog was on the river, I was hoping a bear would come walking along, and finally this young bear did. I was happy when it walked to the point of the shore and looked out over the river. With the fog the way it was, it created the moody morning shot I was hoping for!

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The Aurora was very interesting on this night. I know there is the term dancing for the lights, as they seem to move and dance across the sky. But on this night, they would appear, and then disappear, and then appear again somewhere else quickly. It was different, but fun to try to capture!

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Photographing animals in the fall is one of my favorite times to photograph. The colors of the landscape make for a great canvas to put the animals in. Fall can have many colors, but where this moose was hanging out the tundra had turned orange. It looked like the moose was moving in a sea of orange when moving through the forest.

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Banff national park is a beautiful park with tons of mountains and glaciers. It is heavily wooded, so there aren’t many opportunities for a shot like this. It was incredible seeing this grizzly family walk through an opening in front of the glacier above Lake Louise!

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Black bear cubs are very small when first born. It can be very difficult for them to even see over the grass. So when they need to get a better look at anything they have to stand. This cub had the marking of a heart on its chest when it stood.

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There are many spectacular lakes in Canada, and Maligne Lake is one of those. There is a special outcropping, called Spirit Island, on the lake, and here I can see that island through the forest on a clear afternoon.

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In rain forest areas there is often fog or low lying clouds because of how much moisture is in the air. On this evening as the temperature begun to fall, the fog begun to thicken and created a nice mood around the waterfall.

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Finding a white-phased grizzly bear was not something I ever expected to find! It is very rare for a grizzly to be white, and each time I saw it was a special encounter. On this day it decided to walk in our direction as it was foraging for grasses. Seeing it close and headed right toward us really showed off just how special this bear was!

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Finding a fox den is not easy. It takes a lot of time and effort to find one. Once we found this one we set up a long way from the den and went back numerous days until we finally got to see the kits. Here a couple of the kits wait patiently at the den for a parent to return with food.

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Not long after I spotted this bull elk, his females headed for the river.  It was a foggy morning, but when I got to the river, there was more fog there than in the meadow.  It was such a neat, eerie feeling seeing the elk go in the river and disappear in the fog.  In the fall when the temperature drops over night, a fog can occur, and it provided a dramatic scene for this large bull elk as he entered the water.  

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There aren’t many nights I have seen where the northern lights filled the entire sky! I’ve seen lots of movement and color, but rarely having the lights be everywhere. Seeing these lights and some different colors at the same time was awesome!

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Wolves howl to get the attention of other wolves in the area.  This wolf had gotten separated from its pack members and was trying to locate where they were.  At first she was calm and relaxed, but then she really started to howl.  As she stood on the rock howling, it was a cold enough morning that her breath was visible as she howled.

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In the Canadian Rockies, winter can suddenly happen. It had not been that cold outside yet, so when the first large snowfall of the year happened, Peyto Lake was not frozen yet. The deep blue color of the lake really stood out with the white landscape around it.

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Bison are designed to withstand very cold temperatures. They don't get cold until the temperature gets as cold as -40 degrees. They have very thick fur, and even though they may be covered in frost, the thick fur keeps them warm even in the coldest of winter.

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The beauty of nature is hard to capture sometimes and get the feel of what was going on in that moment. A traditional photo didn’t do this scene justice for how beautiful it was. Making a pano really helped capture the essence of how great this scene was!

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Nature is truly amazing! This is a natural phenomenon that happens in this lake because there is methane gas under the lake. The methane gas is released in bubbles, and as they get to the top of the lake in the winter they freeze. Walking over the frozen ice and seeing these bubbles is an amazing sight!

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Capturing animals in their environment is one of my favorite shots to get. Their environment change with the seasons, and each season gives a completely different look. The river and forest just came to life once the trees turned peak yellow.

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Sunrise in the Canadian Rockies is great, but it can be very hard to decide where to go. There are so many great lakes, it’s difficult to decide which lake to go to. One of the most famous lakes is Lake Louise, and on the super calm morning the mountains are Louise are reflected in the beautiful blue lake color.

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Reflections are one of my favorite types of landscape photos to take. But to get a large lake completely calm, it often takes many visits to see it completely calm. And on this calm evening, the last light was hitting the mountain peak and was a nice, peaceful scene.

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In the winter, snowy owls will sometimes fly further south than where the snow always falls. This owl had found a nice big log that had been on the edge of the coast for a long time as its perch to look for voles.

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When a bear only has one cub, it is up to her to play with her cub and prepare it for fights with other bears.  In its third year, she had taught the cub well and was trying to push it off of her during a serious play fight.

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From a distance I saw these bears resting on a little island that barely rose above the water. I hoped so badly they would still be there when we got closer. They were curious of us as we approached, but they just sat and looked at us in the perfect light.

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Grizzly bears come out of hibernation in the spring. When they come out, there usually isn’t much that has greened up yet and they wander long distances looking for food. It can also still be cold, and this bear was caught in a heavy snow storm as it looked over a ridge trying to see where to go next.

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Caribou will often travel together in small groups. It isn’t that often that. I find a caribou with no other caribou in sight. These two large caribou were on the move at the same time across the beautiful fall tundra.

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Seeing the tundra turn in Alaska is always stunning, so when we found this area high in the mountains of Canada we were so excited. It was high enough where there wasn’t grass and it was just tundra, and when it turned red in the fall, it made for a beautiful foreground for the surrounding mountains and glaciers!

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Before this moment, both cubs had been on the same side of the tree waiting on mom. When the one cub left I didn’t know where it went. When it popped its head out on the other side of the tree, it made for a great moment with each cub looking from each side of the tree.

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I watched as this lynx went into the woods, and I hoped it would stop and give me a chance for more photos. I could just see its ears in the woods, and I wanted it to come back out so badly. I waited, and slowly it came out more and more and sat down and watched from the edge of the woods. The light slowly moved down and when it lit the lynx up, I had a shot I never thought I would get.

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This night was a special night. The movement and colors that appeared in the aurora were something I do not get to see often at all. I had to shoot this shot vertically to show off just how special the movement was above the mountains!

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Seeing the sunrise in the mountains is a sight I will never get tired of. Each sunrise is different, and being high in the mountains when the sunrise happens seems to make the sunrise more spectacular. On this clear day, the sun was just starting to hit Mount Patterson and the lake was so calm the sunrise was being reflected in Peyto Lake below.

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This was a very small bighorn sheep baby. When it was standing next to other babies, it was considerably smaller. It stayed more to itself, but it found a small twig on this tree and had so much fun playing with it!

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Elk are very active in the morning during the rut trying to chase off other males and corral their females.  After an exhausting morning, an elk takes a break and just reflects on the morning and looks over his harem.

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Grizzly bears can come in many different colors. The brown color is the most common though. So when I saw this beautiful dark colored bear I spent a lot of time with it before it came into an opening and I was able to fully capture the bear and its beautiful color.

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Snowy owls are a very large owl.  When sitting on a log they don't look that big, but once they take off it is evident of how large their wingspan is.  Tracking this large owl as it flew was not a problem. 

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Mountain lakes in Canada are some of the most beautiful lakes in the world. They have many different shades of deep blue, and the amount of sun also changed the way the color looks. This spot is a famous little island on a large lake and it’s easy to see why it’s such a famous place!

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Being out early in the morning is one of the best times to see wildlife. It’s exciting to me because I never know if an animal has moved off in the night and no longer able to be found. This bear was not in the exact spot as the day before, but in the general area, and I was happy to find it first thing as the sun was just lighting up the grass and the bear!

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It was a dream of mine to find a wild bobcat. I tried for a few years to find one, but only found its tracks. Finding this bobcat and then tracking it as it moved along the river edge made up for all those years of trying.

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Black bears tend to spend the majority of their days in the woods. It's really difficult to find a scene with a black bear where there isn't mostly woods in the picture. It was a real treat watching this bear as it moved by the lake with the mountains surrounding the valley!

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The lakes in the Canadian Rockies are spectacular! There are so many great lakes, and them being surrounded by spectacular mountains only makes them better! On this calm morning, the sun just starts to hit Caldron Peak and the surrounding mountains above Peyto Lake.

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As I was watching this bear walk the shore, I saw a calm area ahead that was reflected, and hoped it would walk there. When it made it to that spot, I liked it even more than I anticipated, because the water reflection looked like a painting!

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Polar bears love ice. They thrive on the ice hunting, and depend on it for survival. As soon as the ice made it to shore, this polar bear left land and won't return for months.

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Being high in the mountains at night is special because it is so quiet and peaceful. On this night as I was enjoying the peacefulness, I started to notice the sky starting to light up. Eventually, the northern lights really started to dance and put on an awesome show in the Canadian Rockies!

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Food in the spring can be sparse, so bears will eat a variety of things to get their fill. Cubs learn from their mother what they can and cannot eat by watching her. This cub was tired of eating and found some nice branches to rest in to wait on its mom to be done eating.

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In most mountain areas the fall time is a spectacular time to be there. The landscape comes to life with the different colors of leaves the trees turn. High in this meadow, all of the larch trees turned at the same time and created a stunning view leading up to the mountain peaks.

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Pyramid Peak is one of the first mountains to receive light in the morning.  I'm always hoping to find an elk near the river where the mountain is reflected in the morning.  Finally, after days of waiting, I had my elk at first light and was able to capture both reflected in the river.

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Bison sustain living in the winter without being able to find much food to live on. They are very tough animals and not much deters them. I’ve been trying for years to capture a photo that truly shows the toughness of these animals, and during this heavy snowstorm I felt like it all came together!

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When bears are searching for salmon, it is amazing how far they can walk as they hunt. Some bears never seem to stay still, and just keep moving instead of staying in one spot. This bear really stayed on the move, but I loved it when it walked this rocky part of the river in front of the spectacular fall colors!

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One of the most iconic views in the Canadian Rockies is Lake Louise. There is a reason it’s so iconic, because of the amazing color of the water and high surrounding mountain peaks! There is not a bad view of this lake at any time of the day or season.

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Great grey owls really are the owl of the forest. They are master hunters in the woods and blend in incredibly well in the forest. I've walked by owls numerous times without even knowing they were there, even though they were only feet away.

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These two wolves were the alpha pair of the pack.  It a heavy snow storm, they were moving along a ridge looking for a place to rest.  The snow really made the entire area white, and allowed these two wolves to really stick out on the ridge. 

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This is the largest bull elk I have ever seen!  He was truly huge, and the way he carried himself showed how much he knew he was king of the area.  Early one morning he was rounding up his females, and he went on this hill to look around.  The recent snow on the mountains, and his beauty, created a perfect picture to start the day.

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Anytime I see a large male black bear I get excited. The large ones don’t come out often where I can photograph them. This guy was eating along the edge of the woods and just briefly looked up to see if any other bears were around. It was neat to see him close up and really get to see this look when he lifted his head.

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The amount of beautiful landscapes in Banff is amazing! It never gets old going to some places and seeing how differently they look in different seasons. This was early winter, and some of the water had started to freeze, but enough was not frozen that it created this beautiful scene!

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When the leaves started to change and the river was reflecting the beautiful fall colors, this slow part of the river had the best color. Bears would seem to walk around this area instead of walking through it. Finally, a beautiful bear walked out from the shore and was surrounded by the yellow water!

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What an amazing sight to see! The northern lights as far as I could see, and filling the entire sky was mesmerizing! The purple glow above the green moving lights was truly awe inspiring!

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Watching a fox family is so much fun. There were 5 kits in this family, and any time a parent came back to the den, the kits would run and play and have so much energy. As mother fox looks around to make sure everything is safe, one of her kits reaches up to kiss her.

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Where this elk went is a spot I was always hoping a would get to photograph an elk at. It’s a shallow part of the river and it slows down enough that the water is real calm. It was great watching him walk out in the water and then look back in my direction.

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Hearing a wild wolf howl is one of the greatest sounds in nature. Often times I hear the wolf, but never get to actually see the wolf. This white wolf howled for a long time, so it gave me time to track the sound and maybe find the wolf. When I went over a rise and saw this white wolf on the top of the ridge, my heart about stopped in pure excitement! Moments like this is why I'm a wildlife photographer.

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Red is not a color I have seen much when I have seen the northern lights. But what an amazing color to see in the sky! The green and red color created a dynamic contrast in the night sky and was simply amazing to see!

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Black bears stick mostly to the forests for their food. It is not often they are seen out in the open foraging for food. This bear was eating on the edge of the woods, and I had just enough of an opening to capture the mountains behind him.

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Wolves are fun animals to watch.  It appears as if most of the time they are having a good time and enjoying each others company.  This wolf continued to turn its head sideways as if it couldn't figure something out. 

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I love cold mornings in the fall, as the potential for great shots is there when the elements all come together. This bull was running around and chasing off smaller bulls all morning. As the steam was rising off his back, be bugled and his breath was lit up in the morning light.

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Finding the elusive bobcat is a hard task.  After putting in days and days, I finally caught a break.  I found this cat along a river as it was hunting for ducks.  With a heavy snow falling and it walking a little ridge, it was a perfect winter setting.

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Wolves like to communicate with other wolves in their pack often.  They socialize all the time when they are near each other and often play.  One way to greet each other is by licking the other on the face. 

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Seeing the forest covered in snow at the end of fall was spectacular. The fall colors were still visible under the snow, and it really made the forest pop with color. This beautiful bear was just coming out of the forest when I spotted it.

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Getting light in the arctic is not easy. It is often overcast and very grey. After spending all of our time with this bear in grey light, the sun shown through the clouds for just a few seconds to bring the landscape to life.

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Bighorn sheep live high in the mountains in some of the most beautiful areas. In the winter they move further down the mountain to find food easier than under the deep snow. This ram was pausing to look where other sheep were before moving on, and the landscape of his home was incredible!

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Black bear cubs have to depend on their mother to know where to go because they are so small. This cub was hardly taller than the new flowers that were starting to sprout.

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The winter in Glacier is not pleasant. It is often quite cold and snowy, and the wind will blow up to 90 mph at times. On this day, the wind was around 40-50 mph and making it hard to take a still shot. Fortunately, I was able to position myself in a place to capture the bighorn in front of the mountain when it walked on the ridge.

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Bear families have to be careful on the river, because there are many bears that use the river to catch salmon. A male was in the middle of the river fishing and had the full attention of this family.

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Seeing polar bears in a snow storm can be difficult. This bear slowly came closer and it was still hard to see him because it was a white out. When he got close, he picked his head up and enjoyed the snow hitting his face.

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When I first saw this bear I was surprised to see where it was, but then I got excited because I knew I could get some different shots. He was on a mission and not slowing down, so I had to think fast. I lost sight of him for a while, but my patience paid off when he walked over the hill and in front of the mountains!

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Wolves are a very pretty and powerful animal.  When they stop and stare at something, they mean business.  They are a very social creature, but do not like wolves that they do not recognize.  This wolf was scanning an area before heading that direction to make sure the coast was clear. 

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