Where is worthwhile wildlife and scenic photography in Wyoming and South Dakota?
In late April, I am taking a two-week of vacation along the I-25 and I-90 corridor from Wyoming east of the Rocky Mountains through South Dakota. Since I usually spend my time in the wilderness, I need ideas for good off-season wildlife viewing, tent camping, and eco-tourism in the Black Hills area. Any good locations for antelope, bears, buffalo, prairie dog towns, moose, and other wildlife that can be found and are accessible during the late winter would be helpful as well as other adventure ideas on primarily a “road” (ugggh) trip. Another possibility would be a detour on Federal 191 to the Tetons, then east. Thanks for the brain-storming!
No, Chris. I do not make a living from my work in the outdoors. Despite recent requests from the Forest Service – Friends of the Dillon Ranger District – for me to donate my work, I do not make a profit from my work. I am driving back to the Midwest to visit my 94-year-old mother and hope to find some deer and antelope and even buffalo and prairie dogs in Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park and Black Elk Wilderness. However, I will give you 20% of the profits that Yahoo! Answers pays me for this question if you will answer it accurately with citations.
The first buffalo calf was born last week in Cody State Park. The Arch incident was lighting for an evening calendar photograph and left permanent smoke damage on the rock face of the arch. I have sat among a herd of a few hundred elk while they grazed past me, wandering slowly around me a few feet away. The greatest challenge was changing to a lens wide enough to take photographs. I have hidden from a snow squall, sharing a rock enclave with a couple of ptarmigan until the wind died-down and they could begin pecking at wildflower seeds. I have stopped for a lunch break and had deer breathing down my back in the deep grass of a meadow. I have had mountain goat kids kicking up their heels in play on a cliff, then sniffing me out of curiosity.
Now don’t you make a livin figurein all that out for other folks? I’ll let you know where the deer and the antelope play for say 20% of the proceeds?
Custer State Park in SD is the most underrated park in my book.
It’s has amazing rock formations, huge bison herds and tons of beauty.
Talk to local outfitters (of course you will probably have to pay for their info) or chat up Mr. Ranger, if he is convinced that you are a respectful photographer and won’t burn down the park he might give you a few locations, but Spring can be tricky, since it is mating and nurturing time, he may not want you disturbing the wildlife and habitat. (And I was serious about the fire thing, a few years ago a fairly famous photographer built a fire in Arches Park and did terrible damage in a very fragile eco-system.)
It has been a while since I have been through there, but if you have a day with a few clouds in the sky, Devil’s Tower is really striking to photograph. The view is better on the way in than in the park itself.
Wind cave is also pretty neat for photography.
I’m not much of a wildlife photographer, but I have heard good things about Buffalo Gap National Grassland for wildlife including deer, antelope, and prairie dogs.