Back With the Bison

Two weeks after photographing the bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park, I went back to the island to photograph the biologists as they took DNA samples from some of the bulls for genetic testing. I'll post more images soon, but I want to post this favorite photo today. Enjoy.

Wildlife biologist Steve Bates, left, checks for an ear tag on a bull bison while Bob Middlemas, right, tries to detract the animal and control its head at Antelope Island State Park on Monday, November 10, 2014. Most years, the large bulls are not rounded up with the rest of the herds due to their aggressive nature. This year, all of the animals were brought in so that genetic testing could be down in order to see if there are cattle genes mixed in with the herd.
©Benjamin Zack, 2014

Tony Grove Caves

I recently had the good luck to get to work on a story on cave research in Northern Utah. After planning and training for over a month, I went out on a research trip a couple weeks ago. You can read about the trip and see a brief video as well. There are also more photos in a wider slideshow.

John Cox, JR Schenk, and Kirsten Bahr (l-r) explore the ice-filled Heaven's Gate Cave in Cache County on Wednesday, August, 14, 2013. Bahr, a geology graduate student at USU, is measuring caves in the region as part of her master's thesis project. (BENJAMIN ZACK/Standard-Examiner)

Kirsten Bahr prepares to descend into Heaven's Gate Cave in Cache County on Wednesday, August, 14, 2013. The Tony Grove area east of Logan is filled with caves ranging from large open pits to small cracks in the cliffs. (BENJAMIN ZACK/Standard-Examiner)

John Cox watches as Kirsten Bahr begins the climb out of Black Crack Cave in Cache County on Wednesday, August, 14, 2013. The main branch of the cave is a narrow 190 foot drop. (BENJAMIN ZACK/Standard-Examiner)

Kirsten Bahr makes notes on a map of Black Crack Cave on Wednesday, August, 14, 2013. (BENJAMIN ZACK/Standard-Examiner)

John Cox squeezes out of the exit of Black Crack Cave in Cache County on Wednesday, August, 14, 2013. After almost 200 feet of climbing, Cox and the other cavers have to work through a tight and difficult crack just feet from the entrance. (BENJAMIN ZACK/Standard-Examiner)

Kirsten Bahr, right, examines a map of the ice-filled Heaven's Gate Cave while John Cox, left, and JR Schenk look around on Wednesday, August, 14, 2013. Despite the summer heat, the temperature in the cave remains in the low 30's year round. (BENJAMIN ZACK/Standard-Examiner)

John Cox, JR Schenk, and Kirsten Bahr (l-r) take a break after exploring Black Crack Cave before hiking to the nearby Heaven's Gate Cave in Tony Grove on Wednesday, August, 14, 2013. (BENJAMIN ZACK/Standard-Examiner)

Sharp-Tailed Grouse

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to go out with a wildlife biologist on Antelope Island to release sharp-tailed grouse. The trip was part of a project to re-introduce the birds around Utah. I wrote an article about the birds and introduction efforts here, and you can also view a slideshow with more images from the day. A few of my favorite images are below. Enjoy.