In the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a chance encounter with a wounded bull elk leads wildlife filmmaker Jake Davis on an unexpected journey. Suspecting the elk had narrowly escaped a wolf attack, Jake returns the next day to find ravens circling overhead. He sets up an array of high-end remote cinema cameras—the same gear he uses for BBC and National Geographic productions—and leaves them rolling for over a month.
What follows is a rare and intimate look at wolves and their role in this complex ecosystem. The camera traps capture weeks of activity at the elk carcass, from golden eagles and red foxes to coyotes, ravens, magpies, and finally, the return of the wolves themselves.
Blending cinematic wildlife footage with a behind-the-scenes, personal narrative, the film documents not only rare predator and scavenger behavior, but also the broader ecological impact of wolves—keystone species whose presence sustains balance and biodiversity across the landscape.
All filming was conducted under a Special Use Permit with the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Credits
Cinematography & Edit - Jake Davis
Original Score - Edward Bond (https://starshipinfinity.org/scoring)
Sound Design - Tom Rees
Color - Dan Olsen
Graphic Design - Akin Pehlivan
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:34 Setting Up Camera Traps
5:51 Golden Eagle and Fox Visit
7:22 Background Story
8:22 First Wolves on Camera
12:57 Wolf Pack Visits
16:05 Wolf Steals My Camera
19:29 Personal Reflection
21:33 Final Wolf Visit
25:05 Outro