Starting Young

These 6 month old calves are practicing for the big time when they can join the rut in 6-7 years. As with all herds and flocks it's hard to keep up with the action that is happening everywhere. On to the next Badland NP excitement in the next post.

Testosterone on the Hoof

One ton of testosterone charged bison makes those roaring motorcycles and decked out trucks seem tame in comparison. This guy was in a frenzy after being turned down by several cows that were not quite ready for him.

Bison Battle 2

If you notice there is only one foot on the ground of the front bull. It gives me new appreciation for their power. The bulls were almost rabid in there behavior, very frightening.  The apparently slow moving, dull witted animals are entirely beasts in the rut.

Technical: 600 mm with 1.4 tele-extender, 1/800 second

Bison Battle

My wife and I (actually more me) have been searching for bison during mating season for years but we always seem to miss it. Badlands National Park has a good sized herd that is accessible and the Park is without the mayhem of summer visitors like Yellowstone. I made some calls and got conflicting information but decided to head out there anyway for a few days. This battle was taken one morning and by late afternoon 500 bison had disappeared. Mating season may still be in progress but if it is taking place it's a secluded draw. I don't think I'll hike in to look for them.

Shake that booty!

This was another interesting behavior I saw at Badlands NP. I have no idea why the buck did this and it shows another reason to be outdoors. Photographers see things that never will be on TV (too boring, no blood, etc.) and occasionally we get a chance to record what we see for others to enjoy.

Rejected Ram

 

This is another short piece from my recent trip to the Badlands. The purpose of the trip was to capture big horn rut activity and this is the closest I came to it. The iconic shot of big rams charging each other is a rare occurrence and most of the time the "bumps" are like this. It is also clear the ewe is not ready and is leading the rams around. She would stop to urinate, the rams would check it, then joust for dominance.

I love clouds but. . .

The last few overcast days have been keeping me at the computer waiting for some color or weather to give November images some punch. While I was  at the Badlands I was lamenting  crystal clear blue skies, I guess it is hard to make a photographer happy. Does the weather ever make everyone happy?

Prairie Watch Dogs

These guys are alert for anything unusual, perhaps I accidentally got their attention when the camera bumped the door frame. In any event they soon settled back to their normal behavior of nonstop eating. Black and white seems appropriate for the monochromatic color of real life. I like the difference between the texture of their fur and the hard ground. Sitting in my car photographing prairie dogs was a way to spend a sunny November afternoon with a bitter northwest wind blowing.

A great day

 

The goal each day when shooting video is a sequence with a beginning, middle, and end. When shooting stills it is a shot with great action, emotion, or light. I'm not sure which one is more elusive. This was a good day for video with the battling bucks being followed later in the morning with this sequence, not your average day.

Battle of the Bucks

By chance I witnessed this duel between four bucks during the  mule deer rut at it's peak last week.  Several other encounters were recorded, this is one of the more dramatic ones. I love the way the dominant buck comes in low as of sneaking up on the other buck. After a couple minutes it was all over and life went on. 

Technical: As with most videos the selection of background music is as time consuming as the video edit. Natural sounds was white noise: wind. 

Look at those ears!

Can you imagine the discussion when the first mule deer was seen by explorers? "It looks like a deer but it can't be with those ears. It must be some kind of mule." 

Technical: WB 2850

Mule Deer Buck

I got coffee on Sunday morning at a Wall convenience store while about a dozen hunters were also tanking up on coffee. The excitement and anticipation was palpable especially from a 10 year old that was going out with dad. Even though I was hunting with a camera I shared their excitement on my last morning to shoot a big muley buck. Thanks to technology it was a success.

Technical: ISO 10,000 at f4.0, shutter speed 1/80. image uncropped. noise reduction in LR. shot from car with bean bag rest

Looking out the window

Daybreak at the window overlook in Badlands NP. Quiet with only the wind for music , a great way to start the day. The formations seem to change character almost by the hour.

Technical: Two image HDR in Lightroom

Badlands Morning

On the road again, this time to Badlands National Park. Early morning insomnia made me decide to get outdoors and try various settings on my new camera.  Of course, now I am just waking up from my noon nap.

Technical: ISO 3200, ND gradient in Lightroom to lower the color temperature and exposure of the sky.