Show us your Wildlife Pictures
- Thread starter hm1996
- Start date
crapshoot
Well-known member
I use to have a pic of wild horses running one direction and pronghorn antelope another direction all in the same frame that I took on a hunt with Kerry Carver and a few other members in Northern Nevada/ southern Idaho over a decadeago. Of course it was uploaded to photobucket thinking it would be safe there. Now all I have is the memory of it.
Coyotejunki
Well-known member
Good Grief Dave, you always have fantastic pics
Thanks again, Dave, for sharing your wonderful pictures. Always look forward to your posts!
As stated at the outset of this thread, I have been blessed to have been able to hunt these three ranches totaling some 23,000 acres in three counties for the past 20 years. Currently owned by the 5th generation, the ranches trace their history back to 1858 and are all working cattle ranches. The current owners have concentrated on wildlife management as well, including introduction of the many species of exotics previously shown.
20 years ago, deer season, running from November thru mid January, was my favorite time of year; in later years, not so much.
The rut starts around Christmas and is usually accompanied by heavy fog shrouding the brush almost daily before sunrise, adding to the suspense of what is to soon be revealed.
What was that movement, caught out of the corner of my eye....and then another wave of fog rolls in. Seems like an eternity until it clears enough to tell...and then, as if magically, the fog thins and reveals....
Deer hunting doesn't hold the shine it did back then. My interest slowly shifted to predator hunting and an occasional exotic when the freezer runs low. While the ranches are high fenced, they are large enough and the inner low fences allow all game free range within the outer fences, each species offers slightly different challenges to the hunter, IMO.
Springtime is always announced with the first bloom on the Spanish Daggers dotting the landscape.
Badgers are few and far between, this young pair reluctantly yielded the right of way on a two track. I believe they were siblings, the male, on the left seems to have lost his right eye, the 2nd one was a bit smaller and I believe a female. The male was rather aggressive.
Another, albeit not so welcome sign of spring are the mosquitoes. One evening just before dark, I heard a faint buzzing sound in my electronic ear muffs. First thought it was an electrical buzzing, but looking up, realized a huge swarm of mosquitoes were swarming about 6-8 ft above my head. Didn't realize the flash was not muted on my camera and snapped a picture. It was dusk and the sky was still a dark blue, but the auto focus apparently closed the shutter down resulting in this interesting picture.
Late Summer and fall, the native coyotillo berries ripen, adding some color to the brush country. Coyotillo is poisonous to man or beast, but coyotes seem to be immune to the toxin.
Quote: Due to its high toxicity, Coyotillo has little value for wildlife or livestock. Some wildlife will consume the fruit including Coyotes and Chachalacas.
Armadillos also seem to be more active in warmer months.
I love to take Bobcat pictures. A couple of favorites.
Not able to get up to the ranch nearly as much as I once did, but these pictures always put a smile on my face in between trips, as do all the pictures of others' stomping grounds, so ya'll keep them coming!
Regards,
hm
As stated at the outset of this thread, I have been blessed to have been able to hunt these three ranches totaling some 23,000 acres in three counties for the past 20 years. Currently owned by the 5th generation, the ranches trace their history back to 1858 and are all working cattle ranches. The current owners have concentrated on wildlife management as well, including introduction of the many species of exotics previously shown.
20 years ago, deer season, running from November thru mid January, was my favorite time of year; in later years, not so much.
The rut starts around Christmas and is usually accompanied by heavy fog shrouding the brush almost daily before sunrise, adding to the suspense of what is to soon be revealed.
What was that movement, caught out of the corner of my eye....and then another wave of fog rolls in. Seems like an eternity until it clears enough to tell...and then, as if magically, the fog thins and reveals....
Deer hunting doesn't hold the shine it did back then. My interest slowly shifted to predator hunting and an occasional exotic when the freezer runs low. While the ranches are high fenced, they are large enough and the inner low fences allow all game free range within the outer fences, each species offers slightly different challenges to the hunter, IMO.
Springtime is always announced with the first bloom on the Spanish Daggers dotting the landscape.
Badgers are few and far between, this young pair reluctantly yielded the right of way on a two track. I believe they were siblings, the male, on the left seems to have lost his right eye, the 2nd one was a bit smaller and I believe a female. The male was rather aggressive.
Another, albeit not so welcome sign of spring are the mosquitoes. One evening just before dark, I heard a faint buzzing sound in my electronic ear muffs. First thought it was an electrical buzzing, but looking up, realized a huge swarm of mosquitoes were swarming about 6-8 ft above my head. Didn't realize the flash was not muted on my camera and snapped a picture. It was dusk and the sky was still a dark blue, but the auto focus apparently closed the shutter down resulting in this interesting picture.
Late Summer and fall, the native coyotillo berries ripen, adding some color to the brush country. Coyotillo is poisonous to man or beast, but coyotes seem to be immune to the toxin.
Quote: Due to its high toxicity, Coyotillo has little value for wildlife or livestock. Some wildlife will consume the fruit including Coyotes and Chachalacas.
Armadillos also seem to be more active in warmer months.
I love to take Bobcat pictures. A couple of favorites.
Not able to get up to the ranch nearly as much as I once did, but these pictures always put a smile on my face in between trips, as do all the pictures of others' stomping grounds, so ya'll keep them coming!
Regards,
hm
hm1996, you sure have been blessed to have access to these ranches. I knew there were exotic animal in Texas, just not that many different ones. And the endangered one, that seem to thrive there. Again thank for sharing the picture and the write up along with them.
DAA, it is always great to see your picture. Clear crisp and beautiful. The amount of time to watch, and have a camera ready and click. Thanks for sharing your pictures with there story.
DAA, it is always great to see your picture. Clear crisp and beautiful. The amount of time to watch, and have a camera ready and click. Thanks for sharing your pictures with there story.
C'mon guys, gonna be a while until hunting seasons open again and I'm close to the bottom of the barrel. Help me out with some of your hunting pictures!!
I didn't have many mature nilgai bulls in previous posts. The younger bulls and cows are reddish brown, but fully mature bulls are dark grey or black. This one is in his prime.
This one's curiosity got the best of him when he heard my coyote call and approached cautiously.
He never saw me, but when he got close to the decoy, he spooked. His poor condition is the result of a severe three year drought.
This days old Gemsbock calf was left to fend for itself while mom went grocery shopping
As was this young whitetail fawn
And this Scimitar Horned Oryx calf, born in chest high grass, was only minutes old when I inadvertently intruded. Notice afterbirth. Mama coaxed the youngster into the brush while I carefully retreated after snapping this picture.
Addax bull making good use of nature's own back scratcher
Slipped up on this decent Eland Bull
Well this is a hunting thread, so maybe we should include some pictures of harvested game.
(Not the same bull pictured above, this one required a low boy trailer to haul out of the brush. live weight estimated close to 2000#)
We found we needed some mechanical assistance in handling some of the larger animals. Left to right was first attempt, which worked fine until this larger than normal nilgai cow bent the schedule 80 1 1/2" steel pipe.
As it turned out, the bend was perfect when pipe was rotated 180* making the lift straight up the pole.
And that same rig worked great on the jeep....until it didn't. Truck mount used a frame mounted receiver hitch, but the receiver hitch on the jeep was bumper mount and a failed bumper bolt on the jeep required moving boom closer to bumper to reduce mechanical advantage of original setup (again, viewed from left to right).
Almost forgot a few hogs
Now c'mon, lets see your pictures of your quarry, as they say, dead or alive.
Regards,
hm
I didn't have many mature nilgai bulls in previous posts. The younger bulls and cows are reddish brown, but fully mature bulls are dark grey or black. This one is in his prime.
This one's curiosity got the best of him when he heard my coyote call and approached cautiously.
This days old Gemsbock calf was left to fend for itself while mom went grocery shopping
As was this young whitetail fawn
And this Scimitar Horned Oryx calf, born in chest high grass, was only minutes old when I inadvertently intruded. Notice afterbirth. Mama coaxed the youngster into the brush while I carefully retreated after snapping this picture.
Addax bull making good use of nature's own back scratcher
Slipped up on this decent Eland Bull
Well this is a hunting thread, so maybe we should include some pictures of harvested game.
(Not the same bull pictured above, this one required a low boy trailer to haul out of the brush. live weight estimated close to 2000#)
We found we needed some mechanical assistance in handling some of the larger animals. Left to right was first attempt, which worked fine until this larger than normal nilgai cow bent the schedule 80 1 1/2" steel pipe.
As it turned out, the bend was perfect when pipe was rotated 180* making the lift straight up the pole.
And that same rig worked great on the jeep....until it didn't. Truck mount used a frame mounted receiver hitch, but the receiver hitch on the jeep was bumper mount and a failed bumper bolt on the jeep required moving boom closer to bumper to reduce mechanical advantage of original setup (again, viewed from left to right).
Almost forgot a few hogs
Now c'mon, lets see your pictures of your quarry, as they say, dead or alive.
Regards,
hm
That's a nice nilgai bull, Troy! I can't imagine trying to haul that sucker into a boat.
Quote:Above pictures are a peek into the Missouri Ozark's...
Some really pretty scenery, Gary. Almost overlooked the snake in the rocks. Is that a timber rattler?
Thanks, guys for sharing your pictures. Keep 'em coming.
Quote:Above pictures are a peek into the Missouri Ozark's...
Some really pretty scenery, Gary. Almost overlooked the snake in the rocks. Is that a timber rattler?
Thanks, guys for sharing your pictures. Keep 'em coming.
Rattlers and coral snakes are only poisonous snakes in the area, we don't have timber rattlers, copperheads or mocasins fortunately. This is a picture of a good Indigo on the wall in our camp kitchen (don't know who took it).
I'm not a fan of snakes but rather like this 6 footer than hangs around camp.
Saw this track two years in a row near a small lake. Ran between the water and a brush pile. Had to be either an Indigo or Rattler as no other snakes reach this size.
This is one of the largest I've killed on this ranch. Didn't measure it but shot one on another ranch years ago that hung at least 1 ft. off both ends of the tailgate on my Silverado; it would have to have been 6' or better.
My son does not share my philosophy regarding poisonous snakes and left this 4 footer in good health after taking this picture. I don't know where I went wrong.
Regards,
hm
I'm not a fan of snakes but rather like this 6 footer than hangs around camp.
Saw this track two years in a row near a small lake. Ran between the water and a brush pile. Had to be either an Indigo or Rattler as no other snakes reach this size.
This is one of the largest I've killed on this ranch. Didn't measure it but shot one on another ranch years ago that hung at least 1 ft. off both ends of the tailgate on my Silverado; it would have to have been 6' or better.
My son does not share my philosophy regarding poisonous snakes and left this 4 footer in good health after taking this picture. I don't know where I went wrong.
Regards,
hm