Thursday, December 5, 2013

The Odd Couple

Many of you may have seen books with unique animal bonds.  The most popular book that I have seen is titled, "Unlikely Friendships" by Jennifer S. Holland.  There are even calendars!!  Well, that book sure is cute, but in my personal opinion none of those animals hold a candle to Hershey & Hank! (Of course I'm a little bit biased...)

Hershey came to Triple D at only 2 weeks old.  She met us at our annual road trip in April in Mariposa, CA.  For an entire month, she only knew the care of people.  She loved the attention and knew we loved giving it to her!!
Hershey & Ringo meeting
for the first time
Upon our return back to Montana, I decided to take her home at night in order to further the bond necessary to maintain a safe relationship with a tiger.  I wanted her to see me as "mommy".  Well, I have my own pup at home.  His name is Ringo.  He is a Springer Spaniel.  For Hershey, it was love at first sniff!  For Ringo, well lets just say he is very tolerant....but before you knew it, he looked forward to her cuddles just as much as she looked forward to his.

Cuddle Bugs!
As she grew in size & personality, it started to become more and more difficult to take her home.  Plus I like my carpet & furniture.  So the time came, when I just couldn't take her home anymore.  But she still needed that canine companion.  So I enlisted the help our beloved Hank. (You all know Hank!)  Hank stepped right in.  He was a little rough for her at first.  She was used to a very mellow cuddling dog.  And while Hank loves to cuddle, he REALLY loves to play. Before too long though, Hershey realized that she had found her new best friend!

Hank & Hershey relaxing after
an intense play session
Hank dwarfed Hershey when they first met, but Hershey is now 8 months old and tipping the scales at 110 lbs!  She's growing so fast!  That doesn't deter Hank, however.  He may be afraid of the resident domestic cats, but he's all in when it comes to playing with Hershey. The two of them will romp and romp and romp and romp!!!  Hershey tuckers out first. (Tigers aren't known for their endurance.)  And when she does, Hank cannot wait to take advantage of her vulnerability!!  Being the valiant herding dog that he is, he will nip at her neck and heels to get her going again!  Its quite the scene! They do both eventually tire out and will lay down and rest.

Hank is an amazing training tool here at the Triple D.  When she (or other animals he's helped "raise") get too rough or start getting too "bitey" with me....Hank to the rescue!  He'll come in and nip at her barking!  He's my personal body guard!  Its amazing!

Hank & Hershey romping
around when she was
just 5 months old
People often ask me when I will separate them.  That is a great question actually.  But only Hank knows the answer to that.  There may come a time when he no longer enjoys his Hershey play time because she is too big or too rough.  On the flip side, he may remain the dominant one in their play time and they may be full-contact friends forever.  Regardless of Hank's decision to maintain that full contact or not, he will remain in her life as a protected-contact companion. (Protected contact means that there will be a fence separating Hershey from Hank.) But for now, they get frequent play dates and they absolutely love every moment of it!  We are so lucky to be a part of their beautiful world.

The most amazing friendship to ever form at the Triple D


Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Here at the Triple D, we are ALWAYS thankful! We are thankful for our staff, our clients, the beauty of Montana, and most importantly, we are thankful for our amazing wildlife!!!  So to express our gratitude to them for this festive holiday, we fed out MANY turkeys, chickens, & even cornish hens for the little guys.We hope you all had a very safe & happy Thanksgiving!!!   


Kupalo was not quite in the sharing
mood....We don't blame him!
Only half of the amount of poultry we fed out is shown!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Remember When?


For anyone who has followed the Triple D animals, is starting to follow, or even if this is your first time....it is always fun to witness the development from  baby to teen to adulthood of our animals.  So I just wanted to take a moment to post a few "Then & Now" pictures for our amusement.  ENJOY!!!

**To have your own images and/or stories posted in the Trainers Blog, please contact Heather @ tripledblog.com.  Or message us on Facebook!**

Kali & Khia:  
Mountain Lion Litter Mate Sisters 
Born: July 05, 2011

Kali (right) & Khia (left) - 2 months old
Kali - 2 years old
Image provided by Donald Knight
Khia - 2 years old

Aryaa: 
Snow Leopard 
Born: May 13, 2012 

2 months old
Image provided by Donald Knight

1.5 years old
Doesn't quite fit the same on Heather's shoulder 
Casey: 
Black Bear 
Born: January 17, 2011


Casey Bear at 6 months old
Image provided by Jurgen Sohns
Casey Bear at 2.5 years old
Image provided by Chandelle Cotter





Kupalo: 
Amur Leopar 
Born: May 10, 2012
Kupalo @ 2 months old
Image provided by Anita Erdman
Kupalo or "King Kupa" at 1.5 years old
Heather's left shoulder is often his "throw
Image provided by Chandelle Cotter
Bruno: 
Brown Bear 
Born: January 16, 2012
The day he arrived at his forever home with his forever "mom" at 2 months old.  He weighed 6.2 lbs


This is Bruno as of September 24, 2013
He still has another year and a half to grow!!
Image provided by Tom & Pam Holmes


Hershey: 
Tiger 
Born: March 19, 2013
Hershey Kiss at 2 weeks old in Mariposa, CA
Image provided by Lacy Deist
Hershey at 6 months old playing with Hank

Overview for 2014 Road TripSSSSSSSSS

That's right!  The Triple D will be taking more than one road trip in 2014!

We have already announced that in April, 2014 we will be traveling to Cortez, CO; more specifically the Canyon of the Ancients near the Four Corners.  We will have our best wildlife models exhibiting their natural physique amidst impressive Anasazi ruins.  In addition, we will offer an Authentic Western Horse Roundup, which includes a running herd of beautiful horses that will be showing off their majesty alongside the distinct red rocks at McElmo Creek!

Below are some images of one of the available Anasazi ruins that we will be using for our April sessions. Just imagine....a bobcat, a wolf, maybe even a mountain lion jumping up & around this incredible ancient structure!!!
Image provided by Garry & Ming Adams @
canyonoftheancients.com

Image provided by Garry & Ming Adams @
canyonoftheancients.com

Image provided by Garry & Ming Adams @
canyonoftheancients.com

So if these amazing ruins weren't enough to get you through the year, don't you worry....we've got you covered!!!!  Next stop, SLOT CANYONS!!!  Canyon X to be more specific....
Dates and more information will be released soon, but I'd love to post a teaser image just to get those photographic wheels spinning....

We will have exclusive rights to ensure an uninterrupted experience for our guests and our animals.  


Image provided by Charly Moore @
overlandcanyontours.com
Image provided by Charly Moore @
overlandcanyontours.com

Friday, August 2, 2013

Next stop, Canyons of the Ancients, Colorado! April, 2014

It has been decided!

Triple D's annual April extravaganza will be held just west of Cortez, Colorado.  Located about 40 miles north of the Four Corners, The Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is the perfect site to showcase an elite selection of our wildlife! Many of our photography sessions will be staged right on the Canyons of the Ancients Ranch; home to beautiful, historic Anasazi ruins.  In addition to our carnivorous wildlife, we will be offering a running horse herd and possibly a "Birds of Prey" session as well.

More details are to come so stay tuned!!!  

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Something to "cool off" with....

We are definitely in the full swing of summer & it has certainly been a notably hot one for Glacier's backyard.  Continual highs in the mid-high 90's has certainly called for many many ice cold teas and lemonades and some much needed R&R lakeside!  But why should we get all of the fun???  Don't worry we don't!!!  Many of our animals enjoy splashing around the pond or pools that we provide them!  Some of them even get to chase the hose water around!  Here at the Triple D, the animals take advantage of the midday heat with long summer snooze.  We also help them cool off with some frozen carnivore treats, also known as "bloodsicles!"  It is as simple as it sounds....big chunks of frozen blood/water to create the perfect delight for our super stars.  Our bears often get frozen juices & fruits!  There are edible frozen toys for all!

Bruno enjoying a playful break from cleaning as
the hose gets redirected from his mess
to his mouth......
Bruno: 1 Water: 0

We certainly enjoy our beautiful summers here, but nothing beats the winters.  It's Montana!!  Our most adored winter animals are looking forward to it more than anyone!!  More specifically our snow leopard, Amur leopard, Canadian lynx, and our Siberian tiger cub.  Don't miss out on our winter wildlife sessions in January & February...it is without a doubt a sight to see & an moment to capture.
Aryaa (snow leopard) enjoying this past winter snow!
(Photograph provided by Jeff Wendorff)

Monday, June 3, 2013

NatGeo Wild!

Last night, NatGeo Wild aired a three-part series called "Wild Wild West."  Kali & Khia were superstars on national television once again!  They're building up quite the resume for themselves!  If you missed it, it will rerun on June 13, so set your DVR!  Many of you have seen Kali & Khia in action and have taken many photographs of the two beauties so don't miss watching them on the big screen in action!  We are so proud of them!!!!


Click on the link to view show times:
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/the-wild-west/series/the-wild-west/episode-guide/


This is a picture of Kali & Khia actually on TV...Love it!!!!

Friday, May 31, 2013

School's Out For Summer!!!

Ok, so most of us are no longer in school, but I know I still get super giddy the closer we get to summer!  Right now we're shaking off the last of our Spring showers (hopefully) and eager to get back to business with our incredible summer season.  There are many exciting things about summer; the sun, the warmth, BBQ's, boats, lakes, pools, tans, fresh fruit, baseball, and of course, Triple D's animal babies!  This year's rookie line up consists of a tiger cub, wolf pups, coyote pups, red fox kits, bobcat kittens, and a baby porcupine!  While those baby faces are going to instantly melt your heart, don't forget about our seasoned veterans!  Returning to our active roster is as follows:

  • Adult Black Bear - "Casey"
  • Adolescent Grizzly Bear - "Bruno"
  • Adult Mtn Lions - "Kali," "Khia," & "Andy"
  • Snow Leopard - "Aryaa"
  • Amur Leopard - "Kupalo"
  • Wolves - "Gracie," "Ebony," "Lakota," "Big John," "Julia," & "Cila" (and many more for our wolf pack)
  • Coyotes - "Bailey" & "Otis"
  • Red Fox - "Big Joey," "Little Joey," "Baron," & "Singer"
  • Cross Fox - "Dudette"
  • Silver Fox - "Jessie"
  • Grey Fox - "Simon" & "Roxy"
  • Bobcat - "Cpt. Jack" & "Buffy"
  • Canadian Lynx - "Simba," "Avy," & "Lanny"
  • Siberian Lynx - "Dora"
  • Badger - "Opie"
  • Porcupine - "Phyllis Quiller"
  • Fisher - "Ferrah"
  • Pine Marten - "Ernie," "Tarzan," & "Jane"
  • Raccoon - "Missy"
The whole crew, two-legged & four-legged have been working their "tails" off to make sure that this busy summer goes off without a hitch!  We all look forward to seeing you, sharing laughs, and making memories that last forever!

Our tiger cub, Hershey is literally the "cat's meow" around here....





Thursday, May 16, 2013

CORRECTION!



Earlier we had announced the birth of a precious baby boy tiger.  We had requested from the breeder a male, and they had said we got our wish.  Well!  When our little bundle of striped fur arrived in California, there was a little bit of confusion as the health certificate said "female."  (A side note: it is extremely difficult to determine the sex of a baby cat.)  We had a boy's name picked out, but we did not want to start calling this little tiger by a boy's name if she was indeed a girl!   So!  For a couple of days we referred to the tiger as a "He-she."  Well, after a couple of days of uncertainty, we all agreed that "he" was indeed a "she."  At that point, the "he" became a "her" & "Hershey" was named.  We were prepared to raise a male, but looking at that face and listening to her friendly chuffs (a tiger's form of purring) for a month straight, how could we send her back?!?!?! We all fell head over heels in love with her and she is now and forever a part of the Triple D family.

Hershey was born on March 19, 2013 and is now, at just 2 months old, 15 lbs.  Pretty soon she'll be growing 10 lbs a week!!!!  She won't be a little fluff ball for very long!  She is curious, playful, & eager to learn! She loves the company of her human (& domestic canine) family, but she likes her space as well.  She is very independent and always trying to explore new things.  We are SO excited to welcome her into our  hearts and our lives.  She will be rocking the ranch all summer long as the new "baby" here.  She will soon go from "cute & cuddly" to "large & in charge!"  Don't miss the "cute & cuddly" stage!!    


Hershey in Mariposa, CA at 1 month old 
Photo taken by Cesar Aristeiguieta
http://cesar-photo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cesar-Aristeiguieta-Photography/141726335934601

Hershey at 7 weeks old playing with her new "Lamb Chop" squeaky toy





Monday, March 25, 2013

IT'S A BOY!!!!



IT'S OFFICIAL!!!!

Our newest family member has been born!  We are excitedly awaiting the arrival our tiger cub!  (Name has yet to be determined.)  It is a little boy and he was born on March 20, 2013.  What a great way to start the Spring season!!

He will be joining us for our California Event and he is going to look AMAZING in those Mariposa wild flowers.  Be one of the first to photograph our little bundle of joy!  There are still a few spots left, but time is running out!

For more information call us at 406.755.9653 or email us at info@tripledgamefarm.com

Don't forget to friend request us on Facebook!  

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

2013 So far....



As many of you know, the Triple D staff will be spending the entire month of April in beautiful Mariposa, CA, the gateway to Yosemite National Park.  An endeavor of that magnitude takes a lot of preparation!  So, on top of our regular filming schedule for the past three months, our entire staff has been working around the clock to make sure that this is our most successful Spring trip yet!  It takes a whole lot more than just loading up some animals into travel trailers and getting there.  Not only do the animals have to be primed and ready to be photographed (some without fences even!), but the business still has to run; on the road AND at home.    There is so much to it!  For starters, we have to make sure that their is enough food ground, mixed, and ready to go for an entire month at home and away from home.  All of the training meat for an entire month is cut up and frozen prior to departing.  Utility trailers, trailer houses, and animal trailers are all scrubbed down and prepped for a month of residence.  A month's worth of food and drinks are purchased, packed and loaded.  Many many supplies are needed for filming, living, and business.  Supplies such as, many posts and reels for electrical fencing for the wolves and bear sites.  Lots of wire fencing and posts and construction/repair supplies and tools are needed for the various sites.  Medical supplies, emergency medications, first aid, etc... are packed and loaded.  Training supplies, pouches, belts, clickers, feed sticks, toys, toy sticks, etc.... Really, this list goes on and on.  We have many staff meetings about this trip just to make sure that the entire staff stays on the same page.  We are constantly revising our "California To Do" list.   Also, since we are taking half of our staff and half of our animals away from the daily grind, that does not mean the daily grind comes to a halt.  In fact, its quite the opposite.  Kathleen & Lynsi will be in charge of making sure that Triple D is ready to go for our return; buildings scrubbed, sanitized, and painted.  Some of the floors will be redone. New trees and flowers will planted in our filming sites and around the grounds.  Even some photography of the animals that stay behind will take place!  There is so much responsibility for both sides (those who are going and those who are staying), that communication and preparation is key.  There is absolutely no room for error.  Now with all that said, its important to understand that on top of all of  what goes into this elaborate trip, we still have our normal "To Do" list to accomplish.  These last four weeks have been jam packed with filming, photography workshops, construction and destruction projects, training, cleaning & feeding of the animals, and of course California preparation.

Sneak Peek!  Casey Anderson and cameraman
observes as Kali approaches an animatronic
Big Horn Sheep for an appearance in Casey's
"America The Wild" on NatGeo Wild!, airing
Fall of 2013
We recently filmed with Casey Anderson of Grizzly Creek Films and National Geographic again with our mountain lion superstars, Kali & Khia.  Casey's new series will be airing this fall on NatGeo Wild and the show that is about big horn sheep will feature Kali & Khia.  They will be showing off their athletic abilities and their natural instincts to hunt the big horn sheep.  It was an amazing experience, not only for the staff of GCF and Triple D, but also for the cats!!  We are excited to see their hard work come to life on national television!
Kali exercising her athletic abilities across of a ridge top for
NatGeo Wild! 

















For those of you who have been here before and are coming back (we thank you), you will notice that the buildings are constantly being updated and upgraded and also the grounds are looking better and better each year.  Just last week, Jay (owner & co-founder) and Greg (maintenance) took to the tractor, cables, chains, and chainsaws and dropped down some huge Birch trees that were long overdue for falling.  It looked like Armageddon in our backyard!  But it was fun for everyone!  And now there is no risk that trees will be falling through buildings or trucks if a big wind came through, so YAY for dead tree destruction!  Hahaha!
Jay (operating the tractor) & Greg (in the bucket with a chainsaw) getting
ready to take down some dead birch trees
The aftermath....

So, we hope to see you in California, there are still a few spots left!  If not, come visit us in Kalispell...the summer's (and winters) are AMAZING!  Our schedule fills up so fast so don't wait too long!

For more information about our events and workshops please call our office @ 406.755.9653 or email us at info@tripledgamefarm.com

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Driver's Ed. at the Triple D

It is almost Spring time again, which means last year's babies are growing up!  For all of you parents, you know just how bittersweet that is....especially when they start learning how to drive!  Not only is it bittersweet, but its SCARY! Well, this week we thought we'd start giving some of our "teenagers" some driving lessons..... (please don't try this at home!)  We started with Kupalo ("Coo-paul-oh", Amur leopard) & Aryaa ("Uh-Rye-uh", snow leopard).

Kupalo was initially excited.  He got in the driver's seat confident of his natural cat-like reflexes and was sure he'd be smooth behind the wheel...Well, he was.  But he wasn't as smooth as he thought....  Being a leopard, he prides himself on being fast and agile.  However, street racing is illegal...even for an endangered species. Not too long after his joy ride began, did it end.  He was pulled over and asked to step out of the vehicle.  After revealing that he had no license, registration, or proof of insurance, the car was towed & he was humbly escorted home.  I guess my little boy wasn't quite ready to hit the road.    



Kupalo confidently got in the driver's seat
(Photo by Kathleen O'Neil)
He immediately got a rush of driving power
(Photo by Kathleen O'Neil)


After going WAY TOO FAST, Kupalo was escortedout of the vehicle and taken home....
(Photo by Kathleen O'Neil)


And then it was Aryaa's turn...

She immediately and naturally conquered the car!  She was a pro!!!  Although, her humility needs some work....She had no problem rubbing it in Kupalo's face.  Kids will be kids, I suppose.... 



Aryaa was a driving machine!
(Photo by Kathleen O'Neil)
Aryaa was less than encouraging to her less fortunate counter part during their
driving lessons....
(Photo by Kathleen O'Neil)