April 21, 2008

Photographing Wild Wolves

A trip to Yellowstone not in your budget? Don’t have the stamina to trek miles and lug your gear on your back? Yet you still want to photograph wolves in the wild?

That was the dilemma I faced. Many times when images of wolves would cross before my eyes I would dream of, and try to plan, a photo expedition to accomplish getting those same shots. I live here in the northeastern United States and the wolves I saw in documentaries and magazines were very remote. Ah…..the Internet. To my surprise and delight I found there is a wolf preserve in Columbia, New Jersey with Timber, Tundra and Arctic wolves. Its website is www.lakotawolf.com.

I contacted Dan Bacon of the preserve and scheduled a half day photo shoot. He told me that the best time to come would be late fall or winter since the wolves’ coats would be fully grown in then. Just like your pet dog, the wolf sheds its old coat during the summer and grows a new, full coat to protect it from the snow and cold of winter. So I scheduled the shoot for mid November, but in August that seemed like a long way off. There are weekend tours at the preserve and for a modest sum, I could get a sneak peek and have a way to formulate my plan for the shoot. So I went.

I believe I should learn as much about the animal I am going to photograph as I can. If I am photographing someone’s pet I spend at least an hour just getting acquainted before I pick up the camera. I was looking forward to getting to know and understand the wolves living at the preserve. We gathered at the office/gift shop and boarded a bus with Dan as our guide. I noted he had brought a large box on the bus. This was going to be a primary piece of equipment.

The preserve is divided into four wooded areas, the corners of each meet at the center. Each area is enclosed by a high chain link fence. A path leads from the parking area up to the junction of the enclosures. Now to the importance of the box.

Dan pulled out a handful of dog treats which he started throwing up in the air so they would come clattering down through the trees. The sound of the treats falling through the trees, along with some whoops and howls from Dan, brought the wolves down to the viewing area.

As they went searching for the treats, Dan explained many things about their behavior that would give me some idea what to expect when I came to photograph them and brought my assistant. They were beautiful animals even though they were scruffy looking during shedding.

The day of the shoot was finally upon us. We left early since I had scheduled a morning shoot and the preserve is almost two hours away. Dan was awaiting us with his box of dog treats and off to the enclosure we went in his van. As soon as we arrived, Dan began his ritual of tossing the treats and calling. It only takes a few minutes for the pack to arrive at the viewing area.

They scampered around, finding the treats, and came up to the fence to get a better look at us. Wolves are curious and they want to see and smell who you are. This wolf came within three feet of me.

When you book a photo shoot Dan opens up ports in the fence that are three feet long by two feet high. You can go right up to the port to shoot, but are warned that these are truly wild wolves and DO NOT try to touch them as they will look at your hand as food and you will lose it in an instant. Wolves have the strength of an alligator in their jaws and eat bone as if it were a cookie.

The wolf is long legged with a thin body. Its chest is not flat as is our pet dogs. The chest of the wolf is shaped like the prow of a boat. This aids in chasing prey through tall grass, weeds, and brush. They are built for speed.

The wolf also has very long toes on each foot. They developed these over the generations to give them a fast takeoff from a standing start. The long toes also allow for greater grip during the chase and aid in making quick turns. Note the length of the toes on these Arctic Wolves.

The Arctic Wolf is almost pure white. This gives them natural camouflage in the snow. You can note how the toes splay as they climb over rocky terrain. You can see one is standing on a pile of rocks in the background. This is common to all predatory animals and birds. They want to be at the highest point to observe their surroundings. It is an inbred predator trait that not only aids in spotting prey, but is also a defensive posture.

The Tundra Wolf looks very similar to the Timber Wolf except for the face. To me, their face is similar to a Collie, but with a more pointed muzzle. All wolves’ eyes are the feature of the animal that first grabs my attention. The Tundra Wolves of the Lakota Pack include a few pure black wolves.

I did this shoot with film and my assistant was busy loading cameras and changing lenses. He also kept an eye out for wolves’ natural behavior. It was during a lull that he spotted a Timber Wolf doing something so natural I had to take the shot. I have looked all over for another like it and I do believe I am the only one to publish this image. I have entitled it The Satisfied Wolf. I use it as my company logo and if you look at his facial expression, I do believe he is satisfied.

All wolves are social creatures. They live in packs and have a pack culture. There is a dominant leader known as the Alpha. There are both male and female Alphas in the pack and they are always a breeding pair. You cannot take a wolf from one pack and place it into another. It would be viewed as an intruder and would be attacked and killed by the others.

However, pups are another thing. You can take a wolf pup from any group and introduce it into another and it will immediately be adopted. I know this also happens in our Whitetail Deer population. An orphaned fawn will be adopted by another doe.

In this photo you will note the Alpha Male is looking at the subordinate with his ears up. The subordinate has his ears turned sideways and back. Also he is not looking at the Alpha. That could be perceived as a threat by the Alpha.

Here you see an ultimate sign of respect. The subordinate wolf has rolled on his back exposing his soft underbelly and his vital organs to the Alpha. He is also licking the Alpha’s muzzle. He is showing both respect and trust of the Alpha.