While Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are justly renowned for their wildlife,  wildlife tours around Jackson Hole can be very rewarding with less travel. I had a couple hours of free time one afternoon and was thinking of local photo opportunities. The National Elk refuge lies on the border of the town of Jackson and is always a great area to visit. Miller Butte in the refuge is but a five minute drive from the Town Square and is home to Bighorn Sheep. I was fortunate as these two sheep had come down off the butte and were feeding near the road, allowing for some frame-filling images.

I’d heard that some Mountain Goats had been spotted near the town of Alpine, Wy, about a 45 minute drive from Jackson. I left early, wanting to locate the goats and be on location by the time the light reached the canyon wall. The goats were there and it was a thrill to observe and photograph them on a day that felt like spring