Standing in hip-deep snow while watching the sunset over the snow-covered mountains, I could hear the howling of four wolves in the distance.
Yellowstone in winter is a magical place. Filled with all the animals that a healthy ecosystem should possess. From the top-tier predators such as wolves, bobcats and mountain lions, right on down to the smallest mice and shrews, and everything in-between.
As the last of the light drained from the sky, I could see where the wolves had bedded down for the night. It was a full moon so there was a good chance they would be hunting during the night, but I figured I would be back in the exact spot the next morning to see if the wolves would still be around.
About two hours before dawn, I started heading back to the wolf location from the night before. Keeping my fingers crossed that they would still be around, I slowly made my way across the valley, arriving at the exact spot just as the eastern sky began to brighten.
Overnight the temperatures dropped to about -10 F. Standing there in the cold, waiting for enough light to see, I strained my ears to listen for any sound at all. With no wind, it was completely silent. The kind of silence that comes only with a wilderness environment. No cars, no planes or trains.
After several hours of waiting and watching, it was obvious that the wolves had moved on during the night.
Trying to figure out what to do next, I grabbed something to eat out of my pack and spun around looking in all directions. Nothing but snow-covered mountains. Making my way back to my truck, I drove around for a while regretting the sunshine. Wildlife usually isn’t active on bright sunny days.
I pulled in at one of my regular spots thinking I would take a break and rest. I was going to take a short hike but just 20 yards from my truck I spotted a pine marten. I was caught empty handed. So I ran back to my truck to retrieve my camera and tip-toed back. Sure enough the marten was still there and I was able to capture some decent images.
Pine martens (Martes americana), which are also called American martens, are a slender-bodied critter in the weasel family. They are slightly larger than a gray squirrel. They live in conifer and deciduous forests of the Rocky Mountains of the western states and across Canada and Alaska. The northeastern corner of Minnesota and parts of New Hampshire and Maine are another good place for pine martens.
During winter, martens are not as active as they are in warmer months. But they still come out and hunt every couple of days when the weather is good. They search out small mammals such as mice, voles and shrews under the snow. They also hunt larger prey such as squirrels in the trees and rabbits and hares on the ground.
One time I watched a marten chase a snowshoe hare for 30 minutes. There were about a dozen times I thought the hare would get away, but in the end the marten prevailed and didn’t go hungry.
So even though I struck out with the wolves I was fortunate enough to spend some time with a wonderful marten. It just goes to show you that you never know what you will find in nature. Until next time ...
Stan Tekiela is an author, Eden Prairie’s city naturalist and wildlife photographer from Victoria who travels the world to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on Facebook and Twitter and be contacted at his web page at www.naturesmart.com.
