This encounter from the winter of 2020 certainly ranks among the wildest moments I've ever experienced in the field.
I spend a lot of time in wild places, but nothing could have prepared me for what unfolded on a cold October evening in western Montana. The day had been a disappointment. Hours of driving, glassing, and waiting had produced nothing, so as the afternoon slipped away, I decided to
Some encounters begin long before you ever see the animal. This one started with a handful of clues and a feeling that I should keep looking.
There are few animals that seem as perfectly at home in the rugged Montana landscape as the mountain lion. Rarely seen and incredibly elusive, they move through the country with such confidence, making even the steepest terrain look like a walk in the park. Mountain lions are built for this
If there is one lesson that nature has taught me over all these years, it is that to really get to know a place, you have to return to it often. You have to become familiar with it in the same way you know your own backyard. That deeper connection
Getting the shot meant making the camera part of the landscape, and then leaving it behind.
In the far north, winter has a way of making everything feel larger, the mountains, the darkness, and the silence. On one unforgettable night, I found myself standing on a frozen river beneath a sky that seemed to come alive.
For a few moments, we shared the same overlook, watching the mountains fade into the last light of day.
Some moments happen so quickly that you only understand what you witnessed after they’re already gone.
