Hunting Wolverine
A wolverine (Gulo gulo) hunts for small mammals in a high elevation meadow, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana.
My hiking partner and I stood on a small granite knob to the side of the valley, resting for a moment in the afternoon light and taking off the packs for a minute. We arrived at this point after having been off-trail in the mountain wilderness for 15 miles. Our route led over several passes, up and down drainages that were first choked with downed logs in the forest, and were then transformed by elevation into rock-strewn, twisted heights. Prior to this point, we saw zero mammalian wildlife save the regal Least Chipmunk and the scolding Chickaree Squirrel. There were plenty of deer, elk, and moose tracks and lots of fresh scat, and we also noticed several places in which elk had bedded down the previous night. We must appear oblivious to them, since they were all able to avoid us for many days.
As we stood plotting a route across the stream and consulting the map once more to re-affirm the path we wanted out of the meadow, this thrilling animal moved with singular purpose into view. It pounced into hollows near the stream looking for rodents to eat, and it dug furiously into one of the stream banks. It was unclear whether the effort resulted in a meal due to the angle of observation. It then crossed the meadow, and as it did, it would sometimes leap into the air and pounce with its front paws, similar to what I have seen coyotes and dogs do when hunting rodents. It ultimately leapt across the stream, hunted along another bank, and then it climbed up a granite shelf and disappeared from view amongst the rocks and low vegetation. We stood for awhile just gibbering about the probability and luck involved in us being there to watch and photograph. The wolverine didn't bother to look at us once, though I have no doubt it knew we were there and immediately pegged us as doofuses.
This photo is an extreme crop due to a stripped-down camera setup for backpacking, and I admit is of poor quality. However, I never thought I would see this species in the wild, let alone photograph it, so I decided to post it anyway. The essence of wilderness cannot be more absolutely defined than by the presence of the wolverine.
Hunting Wolverine
A wolverine (Gulo gulo) hunts for small mammals in a high elevation meadow, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana.
My hiking partner and I stood on a small granite knob to the side of the valley, resting for a moment in the afternoon light and taking off the packs for a minute. We arrived at this point after having been off-trail in the mountain wilderness for 15 miles. Our route led over several passes, up and down drainages that were first choked with downed logs in the forest, and were then transformed by elevation into rock-strewn, twisted heights. Prior to this point, we saw zero mammalian wildlife save the regal Least Chipmunk and the scolding Chickaree Squirrel. There were plenty of deer, elk, and moose tracks and lots of fresh scat, and we also noticed several places in which elk had bedded down the previous night. We must appear oblivious to them, since they were all able to avoid us for many days.
As we stood plotting a route across the stream and consulting the map once more to re-affirm the path we wanted out of the meadow, this thrilling animal moved with singular purpose into view. It pounced into hollows near the stream looking for rodents to eat, and it dug furiously into one of the stream banks. It was unclear whether the effort resulted in a meal due to the angle of observation. It then crossed the meadow, and as it did, it would sometimes leap into the air and pounce with its front paws, similar to what I have seen coyotes and dogs do when hunting rodents. It ultimately leapt across the stream, hunted along another bank, and then it climbed up a granite shelf and disappeared from view amongst the rocks and low vegetation. We stood for awhile just gibbering about the probability and luck involved in us being there to watch and photograph. The wolverine didn't bother to look at us once, though I have no doubt it knew we were there and immediately pegged us as doofuses.
This photo is an extreme crop due to a stripped-down camera setup for backpacking, and I admit is of poor quality. However, I never thought I would see this species in the wild, let alone photograph it, so I decided to post it anyway. The essence of wilderness cannot be more absolutely defined than by the presence of the wolverine.