Teton Tuesday: Three weeks in El Paso Creek...

After a brief hiatus chasing purple martins, your always stalwart wildlife surveyor returns! This week, I am sharing a sampling of the remarkable abundance of wildlife that exists in just single sliver of Tejon. Over the last few weeks I have had three motion-trap cameras positioned very close together along a tight stretch of El Paso Creek, one of the deepest and least accessible canyons on the ranch. The fact that in just three weeks, two of these three cameras had been completely battered and dismantled by the local fauna is a testament to the incredible level of animal activity that goes on continually, deep within the hidden folds of Tejon. The clips bellow are just a small fraction of the wealth of footage recovered from these cameras (or what was left of them). It is truly amazing to consider the abundance of wildlife that can exist in just a half-mile stretch of creek bed, and it is even more amazing to imagine what, then, must be going on throughout the ranch at this very moment...

Notice the wild pig(background left) who casually decides it's time to scram as this cougar heads his way.

 

This family group of Golden Eagles are enjoying a drink and a bath along the banks of El Paso Creek.

 

It is easy to underestimate the full force and frenzy of a wild pig sounder. Here they are in their element.

 

 

 

The gray fox is one of the most interesting and elusive predators on the ranch and this is the first bit of footage I've managed to capture. Notice the mouse she is likely hunting wisely waiting until the coast is clear to make its move.

 

 

In case you were wondering what happened to my cameras...