The prime reason I keep signing up for a Hunt’s Photo Adventure comes down to one thing: Don Toothaker’s ethical professionalism, technical expertise, and creative playfulness. From the very first gathering, Don sets the tone — respect for wildlife, courtesy toward fellow photographers, and, of course, common sense when it comes to predators…the kind that can eat you.
At my age, I’ve learned there are many ways to do something — but only one best way. And when Don or our guide, Adam Brubaker, spoke, we listened. Closely. Think “first day of basic training” closely. Don’t get me wrong — there was plenty of laughter mixed in. Especially when Adam broke out his arsenal of Dad Jokes. Equal parts groan and chuckle, those jokes somehow cut through the frosty air like the world’s weirdest survival tactic.
October 5, 2025 – Our first full day began with Don’s crystal-clear instruction:
“AIS 6:30 AM.”
Translation: “Ass in seat.”
We were chasing light — and life — and the only thing standing between us and photographic glory was punctuality. We rolled deep into Hayden Valley when Adam spotted a car pulled over. One glance and he called it — “Great Grey Owl, perched in the meadow!” He spun the van around, and everyone bailed out like it was on fire.
Well… everyone except me.
It was my first trip hauling my 800mm lens — a lens so long it could double as a flagpole — and let’s just say my deployment speed wasn’t exactly rapid response. Trish was already outside, anxious.
“Honey! They’re all gone!”
“You go ahead,” I told her. “I’ll catch up.”
By the time I reached the meadow, the entire crew was already walking back. My first lesson in wildlife photography: when opportunity knocks, it doesn’t wait for you to extend your tripod legs and check your camera settings.
The day carried on in a wild mix of rain, snow, and windshield fog thick enough to qualify as weather inside the van. Someone passed a squeegee, someone else a rag, and we carried on like a team of half-frozen optimists.
Then Don shouted, “Bear! Black Bear!”
Adam took one look and calmly corrected, “That’s a Grizzly! He only looks black because he’s wet!”
In one motion, Adam eased the van over, and the photo squad deployed faster than before. Even I was getting the hang of it — and this time, my lens didn’t slow me down.
And then it happened — that electric jolt of awe every photographer dreams of.
Because you never, ever forget your first Grizzly Bear.
But the day was far from over.
It snowed and rained intermittently all day — a steady curtain of white that softened the landscape and muffled every sound but our own excitement. The valley was transformed into a dreamscape of motion and mist, where even the air seemed to sparkle. Each bend in the road felt like opening a new chapter — tracks in the snow here, movement in the trees there, shapes that made every heart in the van skip a beat.
In Yellowstone, the adventure doesn’t end with one great sighting; it builds.
Every turn, every snow-dusted ridge, held the promise of something wild and wonderful waiting to be discovered.
There was plenty of daylight left.
And the wildlife?
It just kept coming.
Subscribe below and get my daily (okay, most days—let’s not get crazy) post delivered straight to your inbox. Like magic. But with fewer rabbits. 🐇✉️
Browse my complete art portfolio at ImagesByGACioe.shop
Leave a Reply