Just after Mark Carman announced Tom Mangelsen’s punishment, the federal magistrate had a heart to heart with the famous photographer, one man in his twilight years to another.
The magistrate, who found the internationally recognized wildlife photographer guilty of a minor moving violation last month, reminded the 78-year-old Moose resident that “we all have a clock running.” He praised Mangelsen’s “incredible skills and photography,” but encouraged him to use it in support of the National Park Service.
“Do so in a way that will not create conflict, but will create consensus,” Carman said in a U.S. District Court of Wyoming sentencing hearing that took place Thursday over Zoom. “You have the time to do that, you have the energies to do that, and you have the knowledge and skill set to do that.”
“That’s what I hope results from this — not bitterness over a stupid little violation notice for a minor traffic violation,” the magistrate told Mangelsen. “Please listen to me.”
Earlier in the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes had requested that Mangelsen be sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation, plus fines the court found appropriate — the maximum would have been $5,000.
“This is behavior that needs to be deterred,” she said.
Carman went with something less severe: a $500 fine and no probation.
The nature of the citation — obstructing traffic — was likewise minor. But the circumstances were extraordinary. Mangelsen was cited the evening of Oct. 9 for repeatedly driving slowly in front of Grizzly 610, the well-known daughter of world-famous Grizzly 399. Grizzly 610 had just been hit by a vehicle on the highway and was lying down near-motionless, though she later fully recovered, the Jackson Hole News&Guide reported.
Mangelsen’s defense of the minor moving violation was likewise extraordinary. During an all-day trial in early June, his attorney, Ed Bushnell, spent hours examining and cross-examining witnesses and reviewing evidence like bodycam footage, cellphone videos and schematics of the scene. The photographer estimated he spent up to $20,000 on the defense, and the big effort persisted through to the sentencing hearing, which lasted for more than an hour.
Bushnell invited retired Grand Teton law enforcement officer Chris Flaherty to give remarks as a character witness for Mangelsen. The retiree testified that Mangelsen was doing what the rangers on scene that day — bear management specialist Tyler Brasington and law enforcement officer Brett Timm — should have been doing: Slowing traffic. The wounded grizzlies’ three cubs were on the loose while the incident was unfolding.
“Safety is always the priority, and not slowing down traffic was mismanaging or not managing the scene,” Flaherty said. “Bottom line is that if this scene was managed correctly, we wouldn’t be here right now having this conversation.”
But Carman, explaining Mangelsen’s sentence, said that the case was not about proper roadside grizzly management, nor about the photographer having a target on his back.
“This case is about a traffic ticket,” he said. “I was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that you did obstruct traffic. I think you did it on purpose, because you were doing it to protect the bears.”
Mangelsen is still weighing whether to appeal, he said Thursday afternoon.
As for whether the photographer intends to take Carman’s advice and work more in concert with the National Park Service, he’s not so sure.
“That’s a nice idea,” Mangelsen said. Finding common ground, however, is “pie in the sky,” he said.
Mangelsen’s convinced he’s in the right.
“My opinion is I should have never gotten the citation,” he said. “It was retaliation and revenge and retribution.”
What a pathetic and uneducated argument from super ranger Brett Timm. Rather than have concern for 610 and her cubs you were too busy bragging about how many speeding tickets you write! Woo hoo Brett. Disrespect at its finest towards a world renowned wildlife photographer whose concern was the bears whereas all you could do was act like a power cop who writes the most tickets!!! My tax money is paying your salary? You need to be gone Junior!!!
Good old Wyoming, where kindness is punished and animal torture is condoned as bar entertainment.
$500? That’s excessive.
We were at that same spot shortly after the bear was hit. We saw her also and stopped. The ranger was extremely rude and said it was illegal to stop along the side of the highway, which we knew was not. We pushed the point and he told us that a bear had been hit and because of that it was illegal for us to be there. That made zero sense but we also didn’t want a ticket so we reluctantly left. We also drove back and forth slowly along the road but after about the third time and the office walking towards us we were pretty sure we would be ticketed so we left. The entire thing left us confused as other cars were driving quickly by and the cubs were still around. I have zero against the rangers and in most situations they do a great job but it was confusing why they were not there on scene slowing everyone down for the safety of the cubs.
Very ironic that the person who has made such a fuss about delisting was out harassing Grizzly bear. Seems like he wants to save them for his own exploitation.
Mangelsen was correct. There is NO posted MINIMUM speed limit. A nebulous “obstructing” charge based upon a Government “interpretation” is precisely what the recent Supreme Court Fisher case was about. The Chevron doctrine has been revoked and the government is now on an equal footing with the public and citizens.
The National Park Service has a bad habit of doing things like ignoring battery and assault in favor of issuing traffic citations. They also appear to style themselves as being above the law by using non law enforcement accredited, private, entities to engage in the use of paintball guns to harass wolves. Paintball gun possession is a statutory misdemeanor in a National Park and discharge is a felony. Paintball themselves are a gelatin shell filled with water, ethylene glycol and pigment. Ethylene glycol is a toxic substance and has killed, for example, condors.
They need to be reined in and prosecuted for their malfeasance and misconduct.
I concur with Mr. Mangelsen on this matter.
Authority does not like when they’re caught sleeping and that’s exactly what this is. Doing the Rangers job by protecting an injured bear is insulting in their eyes. Shame on the park rangers.
Did I miss something? A retired Park Ranger testified that Mangelsen was doing what the on scene officials should have been doing. So now he’s guilty of obstructing traffic? That’s ridiculous. Those officers need serious retraining and the judge needs a serious rebuke.
Thank you for doing the right thing and facing the music 🎶
Tom was in the right but sadly we live in a world with laws that have no exceptions. Owe wait its usually up to offcers discretion not etched in stone…but most importantly as people complain people whom stop to view the wildlife and beauty they drove thousands of miles and “PAID ” to see get accused of obstructing traffic …its a park , a park ..where people are by its nature leisurely drive and enjoy it. Not blow through it…these are parks…for families to enjoy and see things you cant see at 70mph thus the bear getting hit in the first place.. this needs to change and the focus on zipping through the park aka traffic ,as being important the whole fact its a park a place for slowly enjoying and taking it in is vastly missed…so why go visit there anyhow if your prevented from dlowing down and enjoying the very wildlfe and beauty your there to see in the first place..they definitely need more pull offs and viewing stations for the animals. And here is a thought how about rather than culling the bison herds by the thousands and giving the meat to hunters use this meat to create viewing locations after all many animals feed off of carcasses. Thus your using the public herd for the other animals there. Thanks for people like Tom
He did the right thing. Sometimes the law is indeed an ass. I bet would have slowed things down too. The animal’s are the residents after all, the tourists aren’t.
Speed “limit” means “don’t go faster than”. If there is a minimum speed, that should be posted as well.
It seems like the photographer should take some time away from photographing the beautiful parts of the park and should start a series highlighting the mismanagement and see if he can help slow the stream of people to give the poor rangers a chance to do their jobs properly.
But that man dinner.
He was doing what the police that wrote the ticket should have been doing.
Ban this bear paparazzi from the park.
Seems a little odd that this photographer just happened to be at the scene doesn’t it?
This dude chases bears around constantly. He’s no hero or wildlife champion. Go look at his gallery in Jackson, and what do you see? Beautiful photographs of animals who this guy should leave in peace.
He uses a telephoto lens though, right? Bears smell over distances of MILES, so yes they know this supposed “champion for wildlife” photographer is on the chase, harassing them.
This dude doesn’t love the bears, he loves the money that he makes from their images, and the notoriety that a bunch of entitled clients provide him.
These people obviously don’t actually care about the animals either, otherwise they’d take exception to an arrogant artist constantly harassing wild animals.
Leave the animals alone you jerk!
This is a tough one. He should be accountable for his actions. Some photographers think they have exception to the law. Then it brings to mind mother cubs , one an albino, were hit and killed by people in autos. The parks are having a real problem this year because of tourons! I’ll be the first to say LEAVE 399 ALONE!!! People use the telephoto on your phone or zoom on cameras. That’s what for. Enjoy the beauty in the distance.
As a rule, I am very leery towards all law enforcement. But I have to hand it to this guy, he hung in there a lot longer than I would have. He tried multiple times to explain the appearance ticket, and he tried to educate both of them on why he was making the area unsafe. The driver somehow got stuck on the idea that bc he didn’t stop, he was helping. All the comments about he is, “answering to a higher calling,” are ignoring the point of the traffic stop. I think we should applaud this officers patience and restraint.
I’m glad the bears survived with all the tourist it’s amazing they did with his slowing the traffic down it had to save the bear cubs in the area a lot of the park people aren’t from around Wyoming it’s all about Sherwood Forest and having authority over everybody else in their Park
Tom Mangelsen did the right thing. Any one start up a GoFund me to help this guy with lawyer fees?
Sometimes doing the right thing costs you. You do it anyway, because it’s the right thing. He spent $20,000 mounting a defense against a $500 fine. So I have to ask, which battle he is fighting? Safety for the bears, or the consequences of his actions to protect the bears? If his motives were purely centered on the bears, he could have spent $20,000 on a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers the bears face.
I agree that he probably should not have been penalized for his actions, even if only from a PR standpoint for the Parks Service. And if the judgment was an attack on his character rather than just a fine, then I would certainly agree that defending his character would be worth the $20,000. But in this instance, it would seem that he doesn’t feel the judgment duly rewards him for his efforts. In my experience, people who do the right thing because it’s the right thing don’t care about the consequences.
I have never heard of this individual before reading the story. Locals seem to have definite opinions pro and con about him and his actions. I doubt he’s a charlatan. However, I would say that his resources could have been better spent in a way that was more beneficial to the bears and other wildlife in that area instead of defending himself against a relatively small fine, whether that fine and the judgment are right or wrong.
With the right finesse and a small fraction of the $20,000, he could have turned that judgment to his favor. With public sympathy on his side, he likely could have sold more than enough prints of his images to pay that fine, and any excess could have gone toward public awareness of the issues wildlife face with traffic in the area.
Luv Teton NPS but they’re in the wrong here, why the judge is asking him to be the better person is a joke. People who what happened here this is what gives NPS a bad name.
Anyone operating a commercial business in our national parks must be permitted by the Park Service and the permit should specify the conditions under which the permittee must operate. Mr. Mangelsen’s business utilized the park extensively for private gain and profit and that sets him apart from the general public. When you’re as successful and well known as Mr. Mangelsen there is a tendency to elevate yourself in self importance and start looking at the park as your backyard with special privileges. And, the international fame of 399 only made the situation worse since she was pursued by the photographers who were functioning more like paparozzi and causing some traffic jams. This put the Park Service in a position where they had to finally rein Mr. Mangelsen in and send him a clear message about over abusing his access to the park. It would help if there was more information in this article about how the Park Service permits commercial activity in the parks to include climbing guides, float industry businesses, filming of documentaries in the park such as Kevin costner’s work – aren’t these business endeavors required to obtain permits from the Park Service – why should Mr. Mangelsen be any different than the other permitted concessionaires – after all, he is making a living and generating a profit by accessing and operating within the park. The Park Service needs to get control of these situations and put conditions on the permits which clearly define how the permittees must operate . However, the article does not mention whether or not Mr. Mangelsen was permitted – we need to know
I agree with Mangelsen, his priority was the safety of the cubs. That was ridiculous to ticket him. Rangers could have just helped by taking over and making sure the cubs were safe, put up warning signs , managed traffic, etc. Unnecessary, his “crime ” was caring .
In the park when someone slows to a point of 20 mph or less every driver behind them slows to see what is being looked at, and in very many instances stop to take photos and see what is going on. For that reason the man should just pay the ticket. According to the report he has spent $20,000 on a lawyer to defend a $500 ticket. This makes no sense, he should save his money and pay the ticket.
Just pay the fine & do what’s right. You know what you were doing wrong so be a grow up & take responsibility.
I believe that the photographer did the right thing in protecting the grizzly and her cubs, and it was wrong to penalize him. I hope that he appeals this case and wins.
Tom is a champion-full stop. Has this judge not heard of an emergency situation? In a region where Grizzly Bear survival is awaiting a delisting decision by USFW and in the state of Wyoming where sports hunters are chomping at the bit to hunt these last remaining national treasures, Tom has always cared more about the bears than himself. Think about it…the park service bear patrol had one job to do in that situation which was to “slow traffic” and seriously focus on the safety of 610’s 3 dependent cubs….but they didn’t have their priorities right so a wiser and smarter local resident did the right thing and tried to do his part to help in an emergency. No good deed goes unpunished.
Will said! What goes around comes around. As I said “Lets put that judge on one of our park roads tied to a slow walk” see how he fairs on our park roads.
TOM Mangelsen should never have received a citation. Park services just wants to bully people. Tom Mangelsen stood up to them and they punished. They bully the park visitors too. They abuse the bears. I have seen it myself. They need to STOP not Mangelsen.
The egos of these rangers and power Trip is out of control. It’s very obvious that he had it out for Tom. I go to the parks multiple times per year and have been there several times over the last 7 years. I photographed around Tom and he has always been respectful and careful. There are more problems with the rangers than with responsible photographers. I’ve dealt with these types of rangers before it is very clear that they like pushing their authority around. If they were so concerned about people and safety why weren’t they parked in front of the bear keeping people moving instead of hassling and chasing people down who happened to go slow. Why did they get out of the vehicles themselves in front of an injured bear if it was so very dangerous. These types of rangers really need to be dealt with. The fact that he’s proud of the fact that he’s written more speeding tickets than any ranger in the park tells you something about his character. We stand behind you Tom..
Mangelsen got in “good trouble.” Sometimes what’s right, and what’s lawful are two different things.
The world is a better place with Tom Mangelsen in it.
As said the world is a better place for having people like Tom. I don’t think he would’ve been able to do anything else but slow down! Also the animals were there first, and the park created for their safety first and visitors second. If they don’t respect the animals stay away!
This ranger obviously missed the big picture. Tom is answering to a higher calling, protecting this mother and her family. And thank “God”! I think it is quite likely the babies would have been killed without Tom’s safety net that he provided.
The solution was simple! Just help the injured bear!
I really can’t comment on this case, but in general, I believe that the national parks are severely over regulated. If they don’t want people blocking the road then maybe they should make more pull offs for more people since more. People are now visiting the parks, just a thought.
Here, here. Well said.
I have admired Mangelson for years, but his excessive coverage of the various bears/cubs has obviously caused issues with traffic and “tourons”. Glad he has been taken down a notch.
Cop was angry, abusive and petty. Wouldn’t cut it in any urban police force.
This ranger obviously missed the big picture. Tom is answering to a higher calling, protecting this mother and her family. And thank “God”! I think it is quite likely the babies would have been killed without Tom’s safety net that he provided.
Either way, I find this absolutely absurd that the park ranger decides to chase Tom down and give him a ticket rather than saying, “Gee you’re right. We really do need to protect this mother and her family while she recovers from this horrible accident.“
The solution was simple!
But this ranger chose the egocentric approach instead. Please, rangers, just do your job. Just protect our wildlife! That is all Tom wanted. That is all any of us wanted. That is why millions come to this valley.
I have nothing for bears or wolves, I am at the top of the food chain not them. They’re mean & hungry. If you have ever witnessed bears or wolves take a deer or elk down your perspective would most definitely change. They don’t kill they eat while they are still alive & somewhere during the feeding they die.
Another example of poor judgement on the part of the citating officer. Don’t these tax paid moron’s exercise any judgement.
This is a ridiculous citation for a man who has been the preeminent voice for the preservation of the wild grizzly population in the Tetons. His work on minimizing threats to the grizzlies is well known. And his books and photographs of them will live on long after we are all gone.
Tom is a living legend and should be celebrated…not fined.
Mangelsen and Debbie Dixon should be thrown out and banned from Yellowstone
Why?
mangelsen’s convinced he is right but preying/stalking wildlife from a car for profit is wrong and should be made illegal. humans can’t do it to each other so why is it ok to do to wildlife.
He was preying or stalking wildlife. The momma bear had been hit by a car and the babies were in the road. Tom was slowing traffic so the babies wouldn’t get hit too! Do you really think that calls for a fine? Protecting the baby bears? Come on people…. If you had done it- it would be fine! But because someone else did it- you don’t like it. Grow up and do the right thing here. Stop the fighting and do the right thing!
Stalking? A person couldn’t be more respectful than Tom is…he waits for hours and days and weeks for his pictures. And you are upset that he sells them? Geez…that’s absurd, don’t you think?