The First Rule of Elk – Follow Me
Tag Archives: Wildlife Photography
Bringing The Outside In
A Quiet Afternoon Stroll
Just Another Big Muley Buck
January 11, 2016
January is the lean, mean month of the year in western Colorado, and it’s been mighty cold here too. Hopefully, this guy will suffer through the harsh realities of winter just fine, eager to see the bounties of high summer grass and the glory of another rocky mountain autumn once again.
May we all be so fortunate.
I would truly love to get a good, long look at him next year, preferably while camouflaged, and close, looking down the shaft of a razor-sharp arrow.
One can always hope, after all. It’s what hunter’s dreams, and long, blustery winters are all about…
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Red Rock Sentinels of the Fryingpan
Watch the full video below.
- In the past, some limited resident and nonresident licenses for archery and rifle hunting have been available by lottery in Bighorn Sheep Unit S44 of Colorado.
Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
You Might Also Like To See Some Photos of Bighorn Sheep in The Fryingpan River HERE
September Was Created for Bugling Elk
October 8, 2015
Call me crazy, but I may never tire of admiring elk.
It would take much more time than I have here to tell you why, but if you are a hunter, or another elk enthusiast, then there would not be much of a point in doing so. You already know what I might say.
I would be with them right now, amongst the herd, if I could. September is the best of all times in the Rocky Mountains, and elk have more than a little bit to do with that. I suspect the elk might agree with that too.
Yet, personal time in the wild lands is limited and precious, and there are always so many things that get in the way. I can appreciate a good picture when I see one though, and this one really puts me in the proper elk-country frame of mind.
A wildlife photographer is a hunter too, though they may prefer a different kind of tool to acquire their prey. With luck and perseverance they may just catch that perfect moment in time, preserved for you and I and for those who may never step foot in the land of rutting and wild-eyed bulls.
They fill in the gaps of our lost experience, and placate our wilderness longings when we simply cannot be there ourselves. We are all so very much richer for their efforts, and I salute them.
This particular photograph was taken by David Schroeder this September in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. He used a Nikon D600 camera with a 600mm telephoto lens, set at ISO 800, an aperture of f/4, and a shutter speed of 1 /400 sec.
Dave tells me that he has been crazy about elk for over 35 years, and it shows. I can tell a kindred spirit when I see one.
I have no doubt that he, like I, shall never tire of admiring elk.
Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
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