I’m primarily a bird photographer but when I’m in the field I do see other types of wildlife and I’m not hesitant to photograph them in the least. In fact my earliest interest in nature was in mammals, sparked by a mammology class I took from the legendary Dr. Steven Durrant at the University of Utah many years ago. Soon after that I enrolled in an ornithology class taught by Dr. William H. Behle (another legend in his field) and I was hooked on vertebrate biology/ecology for life.
So for this morning’s post I thought I’d concentrate on mammals.
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
This Pronghorn buck at Flaming Gorge had a huge harem that he was having a very difficult time keeping under control. One female in particular kept trying to break out from the herd and run off and he would have to repeatedly chase her down and bring her back. In this shot, taken just before sunset, both animals are running very fast. The doe has just given up her escape attempt and is turning to her right to get back to the herd. She’s half-buried in a small ravine and partially obscured. I liked the action, the warm light and the dark clouds in the background although I do wish we could see more of the doe.
1/800, f/8, ISO 500, 100-400 @ 235 mmm
This doe White-tailed Deer has been feeding in one of the barley fields on our Montana family farm. When I was growing up on the farm it was fairly unusual to see deer there but these days it’s a much more common event. It’s my guess that it’s because there’s now less illegal poaching than there used to be and perhaps the farmers have become more tolerant of having them on their land. I know we always enjoy seeing them there – they don’t eat much (compared to what’s available) and seem to do very little damage.
For me this shot has sentimental value and probably appeals to me more than it does to others.
1/125, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4
Last summer we found this cow Moose in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah. She had very obviously had an unpleasant encounter with a porcupine as she had more than a dozen quills embedded in her snout. She seemed to be feeding normally at the time.
1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
I wish there’d been light on the face of this buck jumping an old fence in the Centennial Valley of Montana but I like the position I caught him in as he passed over the wire and between the posts.
1/500, f/7.1, ISO 100, 100-400 @ 250mm (settings are wonky, I had bumped a camera wheel)
I hope you’ll forgive me for this one. Perhaps it’s just my sophomoric sense of humor but this shot always makes me smile and I’ve wanted to post it for some time. I was very close to this sleepy coyote and when it decided to relieve itself it yawned enthusiastically as it did so, which seems to me to be a very human combination.
Who among us has never yawned on the “throne” in the morning…?
Ron
I love these photos!!!
Like the lighting and the fact you look for lighting which is a reminder for me to consider my positioning in relation to the sun and the animals or birds.All are attractive compositions.Beautiful glow on the first one. Now Ron, I grew up with a brother. Isn’t that last one just a “guy thing.” Though I like it too!It is not the usual shot that one sees.
I always enjoy the mammals pictures! I had such different emotions from each picture…..the coyote picture did make me smile. I so want to help the poor moose, her nose makes me hurt.
Loved all of these, but winced looking at that poor cow moose’s nose. That looked very nasty (I assume they would have to fester out), and I was glad to hear she was eating normally (at that time).
Its great to photograph mammals for a change. Prongies being my favourite. Wonderful set of images Ron.
Poor gal has herself in quite a pickle with those quills stuck in her nose! I think moose are pretty funny looking in the first place but she is downright, laugh-out-loud goofy faced; the poor dear, she’ll never make that mistake again. The doe in the barley field is lovely and it is heart warming to know she is safe. The glimpses you have shared of your old family farm are so beautiful, they look like my dreams of what the wild west must have been like long ago and even though you all had to work your tails off, it must have been a meaningful and good life in all the ways that matter. This place, your memories of growing up there and the people had tohave been hugely influential in shaping you into the fine man we readers admire so much. I wonder if it’s still in your family and a working farm? Great wild life shots Ron, I’m not saying anything about that coyote because I think it’s probably a guy thing!
Fine man
Janice, Yes, most of the farm is still a working farm and “in the family”. Much of it is now owned by several cousins, they work some of it and lease out the rest. It still seems like home to me and I go back at least once every summer. And the fact that it’s only about an hours drive from Glacier National Park increases its appeal to me even more, though the farm itself (and my cousins) are the main attraction.
Maybe you’re right, that the coyote photo is mostly a “guy thing”.
I Love the Coyote! Made me smile, too. I also took classes from Behle and Durrant! They loved what they did and left a mark on me, my education and my interest in the wilds. I will never forget those drawers of birds with sticks up their butts. What an eye-opener as to the variety and adaptability of life!
I had no idea our backgrounds were so similar, Tana. The practical lab test for Behle’s ornithology class was one of the hardest tests I’ve ever taken, I’ll never forget it.
Beautiful shots and I share your sense of humor.
Thanks, Dennis. And I’m glad to have some company on the humor thing…
Another batch of great photos. I envy you for having seen a moose, a creature I do hope to encounter at some point. I love the leaping buck & coyote photos. If you hadn’t said that the coyote was yawning, I would have thought that the elimination process left him screaming in pain… These photos prove that it’s important to watch everything around you, because you never know what kinds of interesting behaviors you will see.
Your last sentence is SO true, Susan. Watching carefully can reveal worlds of info about so many things. That brings to mind the movie and book “Never Cry Wolf”, where the main character describes himself as a “watcher” in nature. Good observation can be so very revealing…
You never need to justify posting non-avian photos to me, Ron. I love shots like these. IMHO, the best was the coyote, but the leaping buck was a close second. Keep ’em coming!
Thank you, Dwynn.
Neat!! I guess I’m sophomoric as well!!
Great shots Ron, much appreciate the change!
I guess a little variety can be refreshing, Dick.
Love the shots all of them. The coyote was my favorite! 🙂
Thanks, Charlotte. Glad you liked the coyote…
Where are their wings??? I’m confused…how do they fly?
Very strange looking bunch of birds, but beautiful images none the less. 🙂
Tim
I read your comment on my way out to the island this morning, Tim. Made me chuckle.