WAITING PATIENTLY
For five years from 2013-2018, John documented and researched a secretive, wild wolf family in Kootenay National Park that very little was known about. As part of the project, John had to find wolf rendezvous sites – areas where the wolf family would move their pups after the denning period. These areas were often secluded and far from roads or human trails, and were almost always guarded by at least one adult wolf or babysitter.
John painstakingly learned where these rendezvous sites were and figured out how to photograph at them without disturbing the wolves. This meant making sure the wolves couldn’t see him, hear him, or, most importantly, smell him.
A Family Gathering and Waiting Patiently were both photographed in July 2015 at one of the wolves’ favourite rendezvous spots, which included a beautiful ridgeline the wolves could sleep on while watching for intruders.
Once John was ensconced at his hiding spot, the hardest part of the day was waiting for the wolves to appear, and then waiting even more patiently for the wolves to look in his direction.
John’s five-year project led to the publication of his best-selling book, The Kootenay Wolves: Five Years Following a Wild Wolf Pack in 2022.
These two images are also featured on the sides and back of one of the ROAM transit buses that provide local transport in the Bow Valley.
