The day after the Super Bowl.

There is always a lot of hype and hoopla leading up to the Super Bowl. On game day, the two teams and cheering fans pack a stadium (in most non-Covid years) and the players put it all on the line for four quarters. One team wins and the confetti drops from every possible port on the stadium. Half of the fans are ecstatic while the other half are dejected. For the team and fans of the losing team, there’s always next year! Other than the less emotional Pro Bowl, the season is over. For football fans, there’s a feeling of “What are we going to do now?” Paint the living room? Spend some time with the kids?  Now what?

Around the Tetons, there are two similar scenarios.

Moose begin growing their antlers in June and July.  By the middle of August, their velvet covered antlers have substantial growth and detail. Sometime near the end of August and into the first week of September, the bulls scrape the bloody velvet and essentially the rut begins.

Grizzlies often begin coming out of hibernation around the middle of April. The return of each of the sows and boars is an event anticipated by the region’s photographers and bear watchers. It’s a staggered event however, knowing they never all show up at the same time. Sows with cubs of the year (COY) usually make their first appearance a few weeks later than in years they have older cubs or no cubs at all. When news of any Grizzly hits, tourists and photographers seem to come out of the woodwork. With cell phones and the Internet, the news is almost instantaneous.

There are a lot more moose in Jackson Hole than grizzlies. Moose tend to stay in the southern portion of the park. For me, that’s closer to home! Conversely, most of the grizzly activity happens farther north, usually around the Willow Flats and Pilgrim Creek area. While there are probably some grizzlies we never see, the dependable grizzlies might be counted on the fingers on two hands. A day looking for grizzlies often adds 135 to 150 miles (or more) to my vehicles. Some of the most dedicated bear watchers can spend six to 12 hours a day waiting and hoping for a chance to see them. During peak “grizzly season”, the most dedicated of the group are out seven days a week.

I am probably the closest thing to a die-hard moose fan than anyone else around. At about the time I can start identifying the bulls by the shape and size of their antlers, I’m hooked! For the first few weeks, I often have the bulls to myself. No other photographers. No rangers. It’s a great time! By Labor Day, there are a lot more photographers looking for them.

There are some SERIOUS die-hard grizzly fans in the area. Capitalizing the word “serious” simply doesn’t do justice to the description. Other tourist/photographers are more opportunistic. They just happen to be driving to or from Yellowstone and stumble upon an active bear jam.

If the bear watchers weren’t already serious enough, throw in the fact that the 24 year old matriarch 399 showed up with four cubs this year, and you might exchange the description to CRAZY (obsessed, motivated, committed, etc. also works)! They’ll put up with cranky rangers and wildlife management officers along with throngs of tourists and photographers for a chance to see and photograph them. Any sow with a single cub is enough to get them out, but four cubs is a record in the Tetons! 2020 had a record park attendance, and it was never more apparent than when 399 and the cubs were near the main park roads.

Over 14 or 15 years of photographing moose, I’ve seen and learned a lot about them. Shiras Moose bulls live to around 12-15 years, so the odds are very good that I photographed many of today’s largest bulls when they were tiny, wobbly-legged calves. I’ve observed the transfer of power as one dominant bull is pushed off by a new, stronger dominant bull. I’ve felt sorrow in years when one or more of my favorite bulls didn’t return. For them, I hope for the best, but fear for the worst. I’ve seen a few injured on the side of the road after being hit by a speeding vehicle. I’ve learned a lot about their behavior and patterns of movement. But more importantly, I’ve learned to identify many of the bulls from year to year by the pattern of their antlers.

Most of the grizzlies have numbers, assigned to them by the Park biologists. Obviously, everyone knows grizzly sow 399 by her assigned number, but several of the other sows are known locally by their given names, like Blondie (793). 610, one of 399’s offspring is also known only by her number. A few of the boars sport names like Brutus, Bruno (679) and Huck. Huck got his name after being seen on many occasions on Huckleberry Hill. Two of 610’s previous sub-adult cubs are tagged with #924 and #926.

With few exceptions, moose haven’t been tagged or collared in Grand Teton National Park, thus they lack numbers. Over the years, I’ve given bulls names like Shoshone, Washakie, Custer, Hoback, and so forth. Greg Balvin helped me with the name “Bondurant” this year for one of the distinctive bulls. Some of the local photographers picked up on some of the same names.

At some point in early winter, most of the grizzlies seem to disappear. The short answer to that riddle is they head for their winter dens to hibernate. 610 and her two older cubs were out fairly late this year. 399, over the years, has learned to stay out much longer to feast on the carcasses and gut piles left by hunters in Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge. In 2020, she and her four cubs ventured much farther south into subdivisions southwest of Jackson. She was also seen along Fall Creek Road, then later appeared again on the National Elk Refuge­­—out of sight of the eager tourists and photographers. Needless to say, any sighting of 399 and her four cubs would immediately draw huge crowds. In late December, she spent several days along the Gros Ventre River, feasting on an elk carcass. The roadway was packed as photographers gathered for a chance for a distant shot or two.

On the morning of December 29^th, 2020, she was spotted on the south end of Blacktail Butte. Later that day, she and the healthy cubs were seen along the northwest side of Blacktail Butte as she began her trek towards her den in the north part of the park. Her crossing of the highway caused a huge traffic jam, but it gave a lot of tourists a chance to see her. As you might expect, the next day, ALL of the “bear people” were out looking for her.

On January 1^st, the family of five made it to the Pilgrim Creek bridge, again with a large following of photographers and bear watchers. 399 and the cubs were “on a mission” to get to their den. Call it the “two-minute warning” at the end of the Super Bowl! There’s so much build up—so much anticipation—then the final whistle! As they crossed under the bridge and headed north, it’s game over! Grizzly season is over! For the people that put in the time and got their shots, there was a feeling of satisfaction, jubilation, and relief. Others that were in the area, but not at the right place at the right time, were probably frustrated and deflated. There would be no do-overs this year, so the best they can say is, “We’ll get ‘em next year!”

At my end of the park, the “two-minute warning” is spread out over several weeks. It is a prolonged, inevitable end to my moose watching season. Each day, during the middle of December, I know that when I venture out in the park, there will be less and less antlers still attached to the bulls. It’s not uncommon to see a bull with one antler. It’s a dagger to my heart! By the next day, he’ll likely be just another non-descript antlerless bull moose. Mid-December feels like the death by a thousand cuts.

As I write this post on January 4, 2021, I can say that for all practical purposes, it’s “game over”! (For the 2020 moose and grizzly season.)

What’s next? After this year’s Super Bowl, sports fans will probably have worse withdrawal symptoms than normal. The college football season will be over with a new champion crowned. Same for the NBA and Major League Baseball—both with Covid-19 shortened seasons. I suppose sports addicts will have to watch pro wrestling or pro poker on TV. The dedicated bear watchers will probably take a break for a few weeks and save some gas money until grizzlies begin showing up again in mid-April. That’s not really a long way off.

What’s next for me? Instead of saying “game over”, it’s more like “turn the page” or “close a chapter and open a new one”.

Something is always available to be photographed in Jackson Hole! That’s the beauty of living here—or coming here. Last year a mountain lion appeared for a week or so. Great gray owls were visible in January and February in a few of the recent years. Foxes were common in January and February several other years. Last year we had a cooperative porcupine for almost a full month. Bighorns are almost always reliable in January and February. Mountain goats are a possibility. In the end, all I have to do is go out as often as I can and watch for any interesting subject! In effect, “Who cares what’s next!” >>MJ

Take a Customized Photo Tour with Me!

I renewed all of my permits and am accepting photo tours for 2021…with modifications!

Normally, I drive my tour clients around in my vehicle. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve opted to offer tours by letting clients follow me in their vehicles. This allows for ample social distancing. We can stay in constant contact via cell phones and walkie-talkies. Instead of eating inside one of the restaurants, I Creekside Market will make sandwiches to order for the day’s trip. Masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes will be provided. If you have questions, please ask!

The goal is to keep both of us safe, yet cover most of the same areas of the park.

Photo tours help me pay bills and continue to add content to this site. Keep me in mind if you are going to be in the valley! My tours are licensed by the National Park Service and National Elk Refuge.

I offer year round photo tours in Grand Teton National Park and Winter tours in the National Elk Refuge.  Book now! Click the image for additional information.

Client Comments: “As a published and passionate photographer, I recognized Michael Jackson’s extraordinary skills as a photographer. Today I learned more about composition and creative technical ideas than I ever could have imagined.” G.S., Jackson Hole.