The Differences Between Horns And Antlers
Today’s post was inspired by a conversation I overheard recently on Antelope Island. (7 photos)
Category: Elk
My Attempt At Making A Cowbird Look Good
Not that they’re ugly. They’re not. But they get such a bad rap because of their nest parasitism habit, most folks (including bird photographers) don’t give them a chance. (6 photos)
Some Interesting Characters From A Montana Camping Trip
The Differences Between Antlers And Horns
Many people use the words “antlers” and “horns” interchangeably as if they’re the same thing. They are not.
A Wary Bull Elk In Montana’s Centennial Valley
Note: As of a little while ago my blog has now been moved to the new server and that has caused some issues with this post. I originally posted it early this morning but when the blog was moved that post was lost in the transition so I’ve now posted it again. That’s why subscribers got a second email with the link to the post. All comments made on the old post this morning were lost – sorry about that! Hopefully there will be no more problems but if you notice something “haywire” on your end please let me know. Apologies for the inconvenience and confusion! This bull was far from a relatively “tame” National Park elk. He was wild, extremely wary, nervous and high-strung. There’s a robust elk herd in Montana’s Centennial Mountains but the hunting pressure on them is intense so in my experience it’s unusual to find them out in the open and exposed Centennial Valley to the north. But during the night some of them occasionally come out to feed in the valley and if you’re the first to drive the “South Road” at sunrise you have a small chance of catching them out in the open. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender That’s exactly what happened with this bull in velvet two weeks ago during my camping trip to the area. The road runs between the mountains and the valley where he was feeding so he and…
A Pronghorn Fawn And A Near-disaster With Barbed Wire
I’m growing weary of featuring wildlife encounters with barbed wire on my blog and I’m sure some of my readers are too (that’s one of the reasons I’ve put this post off for over a month). But dammit, I just can’t stick my head in the sand and pretend this kind of thing doesn’t happen (don’t worry, there are no gory photos in this post).
A Few Mammals From My Recent Camping Trip To Montana And Idaho
Birds are always my focus but I enjoy photographing critters of all types. Early this month I spent a week camping near the Continental Divide between Montana and Idaho and during that time I was able to photograph a variety of mammals, large and small.
An Elk Calf In Distress
This past Sunday morning as I crested a very large hill (Monida Hill) at the west end of the Centennial Valley I noticed an elk calf below me and behind a fence. As soon as I stopped my pickup and the road noise quit I could tell it was in distress from the almost constant noise it was making. I don’t know what to call that sound so I’ll simply refer to it as a “call”. The sound was pitiful and almost heartbreaking to hear.
Montana Bull Elk Jumping A Fence At Dawn
The elk near the Centennial Valley spend most of their time in the nearby mountains that border the valley on the south. They’re spooky of humans and our trappings for good reason as they’re hunted relentlessly in season and poachers are a risk year-round in that remote location.
Wildlife Photography While Pulling A Trailer Isn’t Easy
When we leave one of our favorite Montana camping spots for the long drive home it means almost 30 miles of extremely dusty dirt/gravel roads through prime bird and wildlife habitat before we hit pavement. We nearly always leave at sunrise in case there are photo opportunities on the way out – typically those opportunities include raptors on posts, poles or in flight, songbirds, elk, deer, pronghorn – even badgers.
If the roads are good (as they are this year) that drive takes at least an hour when I’m pulling my camping trailer but if we find wildlife, as we often do, it can take two hours or more. And believe me, photographing wildlife while you’re pulling a trailer is a bit of a challenge.
-
My Attempt At Making A Cowbird Look Good
Not that they’re ugly. They’re not. But they get such a bad rap because of their nest parasitism habit, most folks (including bird photographers) don’t give them a chance. (6 photos)
Some Interesting Characters From A Montana Camping Trip
The Differences Between Antlers And Horns
Many people use the words “antlers” and “horns” interchangeably as if they’re the same thing. They are not.
A Wary Bull Elk In Montana’s Centennial Valley
Note: As of a little while ago my blog has now been moved to the new server and that has caused some issues with this post. I originally posted it early this morning but when the blog was moved that post was lost in the transition so I’ve now posted it again. That’s why subscribers got a second email with the link to the post. All comments made on the old post this morning were lost – sorry about that! Hopefully there will be no more problems but if you notice something “haywire” on your end please let me know. Apologies for the inconvenience and confusion! This bull was far from a relatively “tame” National Park elk. He was wild, extremely wary, nervous and high-strung. There’s a robust elk herd in Montana’s Centennial Mountains but the hunting pressure on them is intense so in my experience it’s unusual to find them out in the open and exposed Centennial Valley to the north. But during the night some of them occasionally come out to feed in the valley and if you’re the first to drive the “South Road” at sunrise you have a small chance of catching them out in the open. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender That’s exactly what happened with this bull in velvet two weeks ago during my camping trip to the area. The road runs between the mountains and the valley where he was feeding so he and…
A Pronghorn Fawn And A Near-disaster With Barbed Wire
I’m growing weary of featuring wildlife encounters with barbed wire on my blog and I’m sure some of my readers are too (that’s one of the reasons I’ve put this post off for over a month). But dammit, I just can’t stick my head in the sand and pretend this kind of thing doesn’t happen (don’t worry, there are no gory photos in this post).
A Few Mammals From My Recent Camping Trip To Montana And Idaho
Birds are always my focus but I enjoy photographing critters of all types. Early this month I spent a week camping near the Continental Divide between Montana and Idaho and during that time I was able to photograph a variety of mammals, large and small.
An Elk Calf In Distress
This past Sunday morning as I crested a very large hill (Monida Hill) at the west end of the Centennial Valley I noticed an elk calf below me and behind a fence. As soon as I stopped my pickup and the road noise quit I could tell it was in distress from the almost constant noise it was making. I don’t know what to call that sound so I’ll simply refer to it as a “call”. The sound was pitiful and almost heartbreaking to hear.
Montana Bull Elk Jumping A Fence At Dawn
The elk near the Centennial Valley spend most of their time in the nearby mountains that border the valley on the south. They’re spooky of humans and our trappings for good reason as they’re hunted relentlessly in season and poachers are a risk year-round in that remote location.
Wildlife Photography While Pulling A Trailer Isn’t Easy
When we leave one of our favorite Montana camping spots for the long drive home it means almost 30 miles of extremely dusty dirt/gravel roads through prime bird and wildlife habitat before we hit pavement. We nearly always leave at sunrise in case there are photo opportunities on the way out – typically those opportunities include raptors on posts, poles or in flight, songbirds, elk, deer, pronghorn – even badgers.
If the roads are good (as they are this year) that drive takes at least an hour when I’m pulling my camping trailer but if we find wildlife, as we often do, it can take two hours or more. And believe me, photographing wildlife while you’re pulling a trailer is a bit of a challenge.