Cochran’s coyote delights the eye in a field of green grass dotted with yellow dandelions.
“It was hunting relatively close to the road,” said Cochran recalling the spring shoot.
Cochran enjoyed watching the coyote leap after its prey as coyotes often do. Then it grabbed the vole.
“It caught a vole and then it started playing with it,” Cochran said.
It’s not likely that a picture perfect animal image can be taken in the blink of an eye. It takes tenacity.
“Being patient is of the utmost importance,” Cochran said.
In Grand Teton National Park last fall, Cochran monitored four bull moose for hours. He remained long after other photographers departed and his patience paid off in spades. Suddenly the bulls jumped up and began sparring.
On another occasion, after weathering a drizzly day the skies finally cleared and he captured a moose with a rainbow background. “It looks like he’s smiling up into the rainbow,” Cochran said.
An image of a northern pygmy owl by James Yule of Worland was judged best in show of nearly 4,000 photos submitted for the annual contest. Yule also took first in the wildlife category with a photo of a cub grizzly bear riding on its mother’s back.
The February issue of Wyoming Wildlife featuring the contest winners is now available.
Wyoming Wildlife editor Chris Madson said the quality of the images submitted this year was amazing.
For Cochran, photography is a bit more than a hobby. He sells his wildlife images and some landscape photos.
Bob Cochran Nature Photography will soon have a new name and a website — First Light Nature Photography, he said.
Cochran is pleased to be among the Wyoming Wildlife winners, but there is another driving force behind the cool shots. “I do it because it’s fun,” he said.