Julia Cook Wildlife

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Winnipeg, MB
Julia Cook Wildlife

wildlife photographer and guide in Wyoming

09/07/2026

bugles ringing through the forest once again

The elk rut is here! I heard my first bugles of the season last week and have photographed this bull several times since. There are few sounds I love more than an elk bugling. It’s such a unique and wild sound, raw and ancient as it echoes across the landscape. Elk have bugled here uninterrupted for centuries, heard by generations of indigenous people who lived here, early fur trappers wandering through, the first tourists visiting by stagecoach, and all of us lucky enough to hear them today. For me, those first bugles will always mark the arrival of fall in Yellowstone.

Taken on NikonUSA z8 and 400mm 2.8

09/02/2026

Spring in Yellowstone is my favorite time of year. Bears are emerging, new wild babies are arriving, and the park is coming back to life after a long winter.

June 7–12th, I’ll be leading a small group of just 6 photographers for a spring photography workshop in Yellowstone in partnership with Skyline Safari Co.. We’ll spend our days following wildlife, chasing good light, and photographing whatever the wild sends our way!

During my workshop this past spring, we photographed grizzlies, black bears, bison, moose, pronghorn, foxes, coyotes, mule deer, marmots, and more, just to give you a taste of what’s possible!

We’ll be based at Skyline Guest Ranch just outside Yellowstone’s NE Gate where we’ll enjoy delicious meals, private accommodations, and downtime by the campfire after days in the field. All levels of photographers are welcome!

I love sharing Yellowstone with others, and I’m so excited for this workshop. I’d love to have you join me! Let me know if you have any questions, and I hope to see you there!!

More information + booking in my bio 🐻

09/01/2026

in the last stretch of summer

Summer is coming to an end in Yellowstone as fall weather draws closer, but my most recent grizzly encounter was a reminder that summer isn’t quite over yet. This grizzly spent several hours digging through meadows and fallen timber, occasionally pausing among the last of the fireweed. Her short summer coat was gorgeous and sleek, but her belly was already round, another sign of the changing season. It was good to cross paths with her, and while summer has been a good one, I’m looking forward to the days of fall ahead.

Taken on NikonUSA z8 and 400mm 2.8

08/30/2026

part of the herd

The bison calves have lost their red color and are instead blending in with the herd with their dark brown coats. I love watching the transition from bright red to brown, even through the several weeks of awkwardness and patchy fur. While newborn calves are adorable, there’s something beautiful about a calf that’s finally fully brown; a dark coat marks just how far the calf has come since those first vulnerable weeks, as if it’s earned its place among the adults it now resembles. This young bison boldly followed the herd across the river without any hesitation, a far cry from the calf it had been just a few months before.

taken on NikonUSA z8 and 400mm 2.8

08/29/2026

reflecting the wild

This image is from last summer and one I’m just getting around to sharing despite being one of my favorite summer wolf photos. After retreating from a carcass where it had been feeding, this wolf trotted to the edge of a creek. It lapped some water and sat down. As the wolf gazed across the creek in my direction, its reflection stared back. The calm water offered a unique look at the wolf from two perspectives, though only for a few seconds until the wolf trotted off.

Taken on NikonUSA z8 and 400mm 2.8

08/26/2026

drenched and determined

I photographed this young grizzly earlier in the summer during a steady rainstorm. There’s something I love about a bear’s fur when it’s soaked, the texture comes alive, with every strand seeming to point in a different direction. Unbothered by the downpour, this young bear kept digging through the vividly colored vegetation with eager determination, completely focused on the task at hand.

Taken on NikonUSA z8 and 400mm 2.8

08/22/2026

I’m excited to share that some of my images are part of Buffalo Nation, now open at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming!

Bison are such an iconic part of the West and one of my favorite species to spend time photographing. I’m incredibly honored to have my images included as even a small part of such an amazing exhibit, especially at a museum I grew up visiting.

A huge thank you to the Center staff that worked to bring this amazing exhibit to life. If you’re in Cody in the next two years, stop by the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and check out Buffalo Nation!

08/19/2026

antlers etched against the sky

The elk rut is almost here, so I wanted to share this image from last fall. This bull was standing atop a hill overlooking his harem and keeping a watchful eye for any rival bulls. Silhouetted against the sky, the bull’s unique antlers were clearly visible as he stood tall. This bull was my favorite to photograph during the rut last year, so it seems fitting to share an image of him in anticipation for the upcoming rut.

Taken on NikonUSA z8 and 400mm 2.8

Address

Winnipeg, MB

Website

https://juliacookwildlife.com/

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