Stephen W. Oachs

I first visited the Triple "D" Game Farm in the summer of 2007 and had a great experience. On my last day of that trip, I had booked some more time to fly back and revisit their great animals in a winter setting, which I did in December of 2007.

As expected for December in Montana, it was cold, most days in the single digits climbing into only the teens by the noon hour. The snow provided an additional challenge from an exposure standpoint, and the cold made it hard to focus (mentally) at times. I can't say whether I enjoyed a summer or winter shoot better -- each offers unique settings and animal behaviors. However, I do know that changing memory cards when you can't feel your fingers is interesting!

I shot for three days with a variety of animals in various locations. I had photographed the snow leopards during my summer visit when they were smaller, but they were still just as playful on this visit. The interaction between the animals, especially the snow leopards and red foxes, was excellent to photograph, but it was also very entertaining to witness up close.

If you're thinking of visiting Kalispell and photographing wildlife, the winter is a great time to do it. Plus, you get the incredible bonus of the surrounding scenery of Glacier National Park in the winter.