A Moment to Remember

When we arrived at the Gilbert Viewing Area our last day, we initially saw no elk. Upon further inspection, we spotted a large herd in the distance. Immediately we zipped up our jackets and headed out on an hour-long hike to get a closer look. Being that there is very little guidance as to where the public is allowed to go and where not, we were somewhat worried about getting in trouble so we just followed the path our guide took us on when we went on our day-long trek to celebrate our anniversary. If any of you have more knowledge as to where and where not we can go, please share! There are signs in some areas stating no admittance without some sort of mine training but this is where our guide took us so we really weren't sure. I e-mailed him when we got home and he just said to stay off of the rusty-colored areas.

Anyway, as we came to the crest of the hill, we looked up to find a stunning sight that just could not be captured on film (although I did try!) The perfect silence and having all of the herd members looking right at us was indescribable. We took care not to disturb them (especially since the spike was very aware of our presence) snapped just a few pictures and turned back. It was a moment will will never forget and I am making this memory my last post for 2009.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year... I thank you for your support, direction, advice and most of all friendship through our blogs and our common love of the Pennsylvania Elk Herd and all wildlife in general. Looking forward to reading all your blogs in 2010!

A Walk in the Park

OK, back to whitetail deer from Shenandoah although my heart is still in Elk Country after our wonderful trip this past weekend! We spotted this whitetail "couple" strolling along Skyline Drive and enjoyed watching them interact. Who doesn't enjoy a romantic walk in the park!

As Promised... Fred & Friend!

After spending 2 days with Fred (Bull #36) and his new buddy, I am curious as to how long the two have been "hanging out" together. Has anybody else seen them in town like this? They were nearly inseparable except when Fred was napping, which he did much more of than the other bull. That's when the younger of the two would roam the town himself feeding, relaxing, and posing for us but he never strayed too far from his sleeping elder. I know Fred spent the summer with a spike nearby but I did not see tat one around this trip.

As I previously stated, Fred does seem to be experiencing some difficulty with mobility due to the cold temperatures. When he would first get up, walking looked painful, but once he got moving he seemed to loosen up a bit. He did travel all across town on both days and did not stay secluded to one small area which is what many animals will do when they are not faring well, so this is a good sign.

If anybody recognizes the other bull, please let me know! I am terrible with recognizing and remembering names since they often get other nicknames as well. Thank you!

Swing Set Rescue Bull Thriving

This series of photos begins at the stop sign on Medix Run by the Elk Country Store on Sunday. December 26th. After a very successful elk viewing day, we were leaving a herd that we had been watching in a yard near the store when Anthony noticed an elk on the hillside above us. We turned around and watched as he descended down the steep terrain and across the road. As soon as I laid eyes on him I knew I recognized him from Brad Myers' and Willard Hill's blogs from earlier this year. They documented this bulls rescue from an entanglement in a swing set where his damaged antler had to be removed. There was fear that he might suffer from trauma-related complications and until seeing him for myself I had not heard of any updates on his status. Well here he is... not only alive but thriving! He appeared strong and agile while maneuvering down the hill and across the river to meet up with the herd we had been observing. I had watched the video of his dramatic rescue and am happy to give an update on his status.

I did not take much time to edit these photos as I just wanted to get them posted for those involved with his rescue to see. I know there is a way I can tweak the color of the water in Photoshop to be more appealing but I have never done it before and am still trying to figure it out so maybe my next water crossing shots will be prettier.

I also wanted to give an update on Fred... it appears he has a buddy in town this winter. He and another younger bull with a stunningly beautiful (yet not huge) set of antlers were practically inseparable for the two days we were there. Marci has informed me that last year he was accompanied by another bull named "Snowy" so I am not sure if this is the same one or not. I will be posting pictures of him tomorrow so if you recognize him, please let me know. This bull was wonderful to photograph, and his antler coloration was absolutely beautiful. Fred seemed to be having some trouble walking, it definitely appeared his arthritis was making getting around difficult in the cold weather but he was all over town on both days and seems to be faring relatively well given his age and speculated arthritis.

I will try to mix the Benezette photographs and the Shenandoah ones to keep a variety but Fred and friend tomorrow then back to the deer.

Merry Christmas

Well Merry Christmas everyone! I just got home from a long Christmas Eve as my husband doesn't get home from work until 1130 so that's when the party really started! Tons of gifts, lots of great food, and all my family together which was pretty special.

As promised, here are a couple photos of the first buck we saw at SNP. up to this point, I had never been that close to an antlered deer before so I was excited to get such a close view. This trip, Josephine learned the difference between a buck and a doe so she would "put her antlers on" each time we saw a male.

Looking back at these photographs makes me really think about how special the time we spend together as a family is while I'm shooting and Anthony is trying to position the car for me to get a good view. The girls are amazed by all wildlife (although particularly partial to elk!) which feels great as a parent raising young ones in the age of computers and cell phones.

Thank you to all that have been visiting my blog, making comments, and offering suggestions. Special thanks to those always working with me to learn more about both photography and wildlife namingly Brad, Willard, Coy, Jim, & Marci... Merry Christmas and I look forward to another year with you all!

An Early Christmas Present

These are two of my favorite shots from our 12/17 Shenandoah trip and they just so happened to be the next two in line to be posted... kind of like a little early Christmas gift to all of you! I like the backlighting of the first image and the vastness of the backdrop in the second.

Tomorrow it looks like a few pictures of the first buck we saw are in store so stop back!

Have a very merry Christmas Eve and happy picture taking of friends and family!

Hill Huggers

We came upon these two does grazing on a steep hillside (it was much steeper than what it seems here) but these girls never lost their footing. We spent a good bit of time here because where they were on the hill made it very easy for Josephine to see from her carseat.

Turkey Time!

So yesterday morning, I was in the kitchen getting Josephine a cup of milk when I glanced out the back window to find these three (what seemed to be dinosaurs at the time!) pecking at seed in the stump! We always put seed out for the birds and squirrels and these 2 toms and 1 hen showed up for a taste too. I snapped 2 shots through the glass but as soon as I tried to slide it open they got spooked and took off. I was impressed by how well they flew... the two toms were long gone right away but the hen stopped on a nearby branch for a moment before flying off.

I had never photographed through glass before (although I do remember Brad telling me this is how he does it in his yard.) Had I known how well the images would turn out even through the glass I never would have attempted to open it in the first place! Another lesson learned but really neat to see them so close. More whitetail deer tomorrow, unless something else unusual comes a knockin'!

Girls Day Out

While driving along Skyline, there was an abundance of does out enjoying the bright shining sun and clear blue skies. I don't have much to say about these 2 photos (they were just next in line to be posted) but I noticed that a couple of my favorite photos from the trip will be up in the next few days (if I continue just going in order) and I can't wait to share them with you!

I hope everybody is enjoying shooting in the beautiful snow!

Sifting through Shenandoah

Well I decided that rather than try to pick my favorite shots from the trip to SNP, I am just going to post 2 a day in the order I shot them, unless of course I am able to get some new photographs to mix in in which case I will do just that!

The first one here was also the first click of the day and I had forgotten to take the camera off manual from when I let Josephine attempt to take a picture of Madeline which set the flash off. I actually love how the flash illuminated the doe but don't typically shoot with a flash as I never want to scare the animals. As soon as I looked down at my screen, I was in excitement mode since our last trip to SNP yielded not a single sighting let alone a photo.

In the second shot, I liked the way the grasses in the foreground "decorated" this doe. I am excited to share more whitetail photos as the days go on and just want to thank all of you that either comment on my work or share your own on your personal blogs. I have learned so much since joining Blogger and with people like Willard and Coy always teaching me new things about the animals I am capturing and Brad giving me such great photography advice I feel very lucky to have "met" such willing mentors. Thank you all, I hope your scheduled outings in the snow bring great images that you will continue to share!