Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 16, 2008, 09:31:00 PM
If you guys weren't all out elk hunting like I should be it would be nice to have someone to share gas with...
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/bugeye.jpg)
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/Prongy%7E0.jpg)
Post by: jackelope on September 16, 2008, 09:34:25 PM
Post by: klickriverchromer on September 16, 2008, 09:37:56 PM
we're off to a good start, pope. that bull is my new wallpaper.exactly, good start! Yellowstone 2 pics?? right come on don't hold out on us feends
Post by: klickriverchromer on September 17, 2008, 06:53:52 PM
Post by: MuleySniper on September 17, 2008, 08:01:50 PM
we're off to a good start, pope. that bull is my new wallpaper.
That's what I was thinking!! :chuckle: NICE!!!
MS
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 17, 2008, 09:31:04 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/IMG_1958.JPG)
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/elky.jpg)
Next I made it over to the Hayden valley and hiked out to some grizzlys. Before I knew it, they were coming right for me and close. I made it back to the car and got some great photos.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/mommy_bear.jpg)
I ended the day in the Lamar valley and shot some nice pronghorn. At dusk I looked for the wolves but they had gone out on a hunt that morning and the wolf guys said they won't be back for a few days. I searched hard for moose today and struck out. Tomorrow I'm going to the tetons to look for moose. I'll check in tomorrow again if I can find a hotspot...
Post by: cohoho on September 17, 2008, 09:44:13 PM
Post by: smdave on September 17, 2008, 10:12:27 PM
Dave
Post by: robb92 on September 18, 2008, 01:24:19 AM
Post by: Elkman on September 18, 2008, 01:53:06 AM
Post by: Ridgerunner on September 18, 2008, 06:09:55 AM
Post by: Slamadoo on September 18, 2008, 11:19:05 AM
have fun and get some more pics
i dont recall seeing a single deer. have you seen any?
Post by: andrew_12gauge on September 18, 2008, 01:37:15 PM
Post by: PacificNWhunter on September 18, 2008, 08:52:12 PM
Post by: pichappy on September 19, 2008, 08:26:52 AM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 19, 2008, 03:19:47 PM
First off, lots of questions about equipment. I use a Canon 40D and a 400 f4 DO. It really hasn't come off the camera except for the one or two landscape shots.
Ok, yesterday...day 3. I started off the day in the Lamar vallay looking for wolf. The wolf were out hunting so we did not see them where they have a den. However, up the road I ran into a single wolf. I would post a picture but it isn't real good quality. A nice black wolf that had 3 coyotes giving him hell for coming into their area. The coyotes won and ran him off. It was impressive.
Up the road I went, wondering if there were any big pronghorn bucks in that park. I ran into a pretty decent one...
Post by: boneaddict on September 20, 2008, 02:38:30 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 20, 2008, 08:42:56 PM
Well, sorry to lead you all on but the laptop pooped out and I can't edit images any more. Since you can't post RAW images, I'm stuck until I get home tomorrow. I promise, all edited and good pictures tomorrow when I get home...
Just to let you know, I got followed by a grizzly at 40 yards and got run over by an enraged bull elk. It broke my monopod and my finger... I did get good pictures of him though. More tomorrow.
Post by: boneaddict on September 20, 2008, 08:48:51 PM
That would have been fun Pope. I can't wait to see the images. Those grizz are pretty amazing animals. there is no shortage of folks with peppersray around there. Did ou try it out on the bull.
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 20, 2008, 08:57:17 PM
I'll tell the griz story. On a 6 mile hike and I'm 40 yards from the road. I look to my right and a griz is walking toward me at 40 yards. I yell hay bear multiple times but the bear doesn't blink and keeps coming. I walked briskly toward the road and didn't look back for half the distance and then I couldn't stand it and ran for the road. I got behind a car that I forced to stop and the griz didn't come on the road. I was real lucky. I don't think it wanted to kill me or it could have. I truly think it was on a path and wasn't going to change or stop for some pesky human. If I had bear spray I probably would have stood my ground and sprayed the bear. They say the spray is 80% effective so I guess I would have a 1/5 chance that I would not be writing this had I done that. You never know I guess. I have hiked in this area before and never had a problem with bear before.
I have had problems with elk in this area before. I urinated in front of a rutting bull once and he chased me down in this same area. This time it was a bit different...but more tomorrow with pictures.
Post by: boneaddict on September 20, 2008, 09:01:21 PM
Not sure if thats in the product description for its uses.
Let me guess this time the bull charged and then you pissed instead of the other way around. Thats funny. Yeah, I don't think those bears really care about folks. much more fun to watch them at 400 yards.
Post by: boneaddict on September 20, 2008, 09:01:53 PM
Post by: Ray on September 20, 2008, 09:02:18 PM
Post by: Elkman on September 20, 2008, 10:39:08 PM
Post by: saylean on September 21, 2008, 01:25:57 AM
Post by: boneaddict on September 21, 2008, 12:49:40 PM
Post by: ZRS-8x42 on September 21, 2008, 01:02:09 PM
Post by: Sagedawg on September 21, 2008, 04:15:39 PM
Sage
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 21, 2008, 04:53:14 PM
Some of my favorite shots aren't of big animals. Generally, you aren't supposed to shoot directly into sunlight...
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/baby_5.jpg)
Some people ask me why shoot raw? This shot would never have been possible without it. It was way overexposed because the black bear was filling up the sensor and I didn't change my exposure as I was caught up in the grizzly moment. I was able to pull the exposure down and keep detail in the black areas. Shooting raw saved my butt on this one. This is another one of a mommy griz.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/mommy_griz.jpg)
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 21, 2008, 05:14:12 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/Yellowstone_Falls.jpg)
Post by: Tony 270WSM on September 21, 2008, 08:10:47 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 21, 2008, 10:01:00 PM
First, the elk "encounter"... I was in on about 15 bulls all battling it out for a few cows. It was unbelievable. This was 3 miles in the back country and I did not have bear spray. I kept following the elk as the bull kept his cows moving toward the thick cover and to keep his cows away from the 10+ bulls following and going crazy. I tried to stay on the outside but I kept trying to catch up to the herd bull. Now, the satellite bulls were still big. One, I call "Brow Toucher" is below and his brow tines touch almost. An unbelievable bull. He has a brother in the area that is bigger but the brows don't quite touch. The herd bull was big but I never got anything good on him. He did get me good though. So the story goes, I'm moving in on the herd bull and trying to get through the satellite bulls. It is absolute war. A bugle every 3 seconds from every direction. There were 3 horn to horn battles that mowed over saplings and were amazing. I had a hard time getting any of the battles. However, I was trying to be quiet as every time I would break a stick a bull would charge in on me and think I'm another bull to battle. The problem was I has to go through some thick stuff and that's where the real problem was. The bulls couldn't see what I was until they were literally on top of me. The 400mm lens became ridiculous but that's all I had. I realistically needed a 70-200 and could have shot it on the wide end of that lens.
So the "encounter". I had been following for 3 hours now and the herd bull was pissed. I was in some thick 8 foot jack pines and made a sound by stepping on sticks. I didn't realize but all of a sudden the bulls and cows were all around me. There was lots of downed timber everywhere as this is an old 80's fire area. I heard the bull coming and dove under a log. When I did so my finger got caught and I fractured it. The bull barrelled through the jack pines and nailed the log I was under. His eyes were glazed over. I took my monopod and hit him on the nose. I could see his eyes focus on me and he realized I was human. He turned to run and my monopod got caught in his rack and he snapped it in half. Now mind you, I got a 1k camera and a 5k lens attached to the monopod and they go flying. Luckily they landed in grass and they still function. My Primos monopod was snapped though. Cabelas returned it today. :) Needless to say, I brought bear spray with me the next day and stayed in the open. No problems the next day.
Ok, on to the pictures:
I don't care what anyone says, this is the prettiest picture I took on the trip. Something about it I like. I shot this tiny dude while out looking for the two reported moose that I never did locate.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/tweety.jpg)
I had nothing better to do in the afternoon than to go to the tourist sites. Here is Old Faithful...kind of a letdown. A polarizing filter made the clouds look nice though.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/old_faithful.jpg)
Most people say there aren't big deer in Yellowstone. There generally isn't near the road. How many big mulies do you know that hang out by the road? Anyways, there are a few spots for them but I didn't go to any of them as I was trying to focus on the animals in the rut. Here is one that was by the road that is decent, but I just like the picture.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/Oh_Deer.jpg)
Once again, there isn't tons to do during the hot midday hours. I found this cow that was feeding about 20 feet from me.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/eat_me.jpg)
Here is the big bull posted earlier in the thread bugling at us photographers. This guy was the big boy on the Madison River that we all lined up to shoot. I prefer shooting elk in the back country without competition. You are sure to see this guy on many a hunting magazines in the coming months...
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/bugle.jpg)
Post by: archery288 on September 21, 2008, 10:04:47 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 21, 2008, 10:08:11 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/Oxbow_Bend_jpg.jpg)
Back to the backcountry elk. This satellite bull was pissed and fighting hard. His eyes were bloodshot and he heard me walking and came in looking for another bull to try and fight. This little guy had one of the most impressive big bull bugles I've ever heard, even though he was only a satellite bull.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/bloodshot.jpg)
Right before I got run over by the elk, this chipmunk decided to get on the log and scratch next to me. I never noticed it at the time but the worm holes made for an interesting picture.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/Alvin.jpg)
This was a tough photo. It was dark. Night time. You could barely make out the dark shapes 100 yards away in the willow fields. Everyone left because you could no longer see the bull. He's an impressive 7x7 bull that was running some cows just after dark in the tetons. In many respects, the tetons have just as good of elk as Yellowstone. This was shot at iso 3200, f4, and 1/6th of a second. This goes to show you don't go home when all the other photographers do. He was running off a big 6x6 that got to close to his cows running. I panned and took 30 shots. Two turned out.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/7x7.jpg)
This little coyote was busy hunting coyotes. Turns out that grasshoppers are most plentiful alongside the road and this guy was hunting them. It was quite entertaining watching them try and catch grasshoppers.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/wiley.jpg)
Post by: Timber on September 21, 2008, 10:10:28 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 21, 2008, 10:13:51 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/cows_cows.jpg)
This will probably be Bone's favorite. These two bulls had a knock down drag out battle for a few minutes. Dust, grass, sage, and anything in the way went flying. It was quite brutal and impressive. Power on power.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/buffs.jpg)
You can't just shoot big elk all day. Sometimes you have to point your camera up and shoot a few birds.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/blue_tweety.jpg)
Yet another satellite bull that came in just by the sound of me walking. He stayed in the jack pines afraid I could be the herd bull and kick his ass.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/satellite.jpg)
Lastly, this was my little spike friend. He followed me around for 2 days in the middle of the elk mayhem. He was scared $hitless. You could tell this was his first year and he was not ready for all these big mean bulls that kept running him off. He kept thinking that staying right by my side afforded him protection. He was wrong. He would stay about 10 yards from me and follow me scared. The other bulls would come in and disregard me running him off if we got too close. He had a squeeky little bugle.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/scared.jpg)
Post by: DeKuma on September 21, 2008, 10:23:42 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 21, 2008, 10:48:46 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/brow_toucher.jpg)
Post by: X-Force on September 21, 2008, 11:06:43 PM
Post by: WonkyWapiti on September 22, 2008, 05:25:38 PM
Post by: kitsap on September 22, 2008, 05:31:12 PM
Doug
Post by: boneaddict on September 22, 2008, 05:33:22 PM
Any moose?
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 22, 2008, 09:21:45 PM
Post by: yajsab on September 23, 2008, 08:39:54 AM
Post by: boneaddict on September 23, 2008, 08:50:01 AM
How many shots did you log?
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 23, 2008, 09:35:56 AM
The lighting wasn't great for me either. Other than the last day, it was hot and bluebird skies every day. You would think that would be good, but not for photography. The worst time to shoot is on a hot clear day. The harsh sunlight and shadows make photography hard. Look up at my grizzly photo...harsh light killed those shots. I love a 50/50 cloud/bluesky type day. Cloudy works as well. Even rain made some of my shots pop and brings out the color in the leaves.
I went 2500 miles and shot 3300 pictures. It takes me about 10 hours to get there. Just to get there and back is about 1500 miles and then you have all the travel time for a week inside the park. I camped the whole time as I wasn't going to pay $200 a night in some lodge when I was only going to be there from 10pm to 5am. If I had to do it over again I would concentrate more on hiking and animals I have a chance to get good photos of like elk. I covered a lot of ground driving trying to find wolves and grizzly bears when I should have been more sedentary. I think this is the problem with Yellowstone/Tetons...you try and do it all in one week. It is almost impossible to do it and you compromise on certain areas because of it. You also need to be open minded and shoot what presents itself. I spent too much time trying to find moose/griz/wolves. They are where they are, and if you see one shoot it. Specifically looking for moose/wolves/griz wasted over half the week.
Shooting there in the winter is really good and you can get some great shots of griz and wolves killing/eating elk. I think the best times are dec/jan. A few of us photogs should plan a trip...
Post by: javman on September 25, 2008, 08:03:47 PM
Post by: Sagedawg on September 26, 2008, 08:35:45 PM
Sage
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 26, 2008, 09:36:26 PM
Post by: boneaddict on September 27, 2008, 03:46:35 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 28, 2008, 09:54:16 AM
Don't get me wrong, I love hunting and will always do it. However, when my freezer is still full of moose and I have the opportunity, I'm going to go shooting pictures. There is a satisfaction I get from the process.
Post by: ZRS-8x42 on September 28, 2008, 09:58:04 AM
I don't care what anyone says, this is the prettiest picture I took on the trip. Something about it I like. I shot this tiny dude while out looking for the two reported moose that I never did locate.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10250/tweety.jpg)
Awesome picture. I always enjoy all those birds. Thanks
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 28, 2008, 12:48:41 PM
First one to guess gets an all expenses paid wildlife photography trip to an exotic destination in the west. (Just kidding :) )
Post by: ZRS-8x42 on September 28, 2008, 01:11:35 PM
First one to guess gets an all expenses paid wildlife photography trip to an exotic destination in the west. (Just kidding :) )
Looks like a Savannah Sparrow.
Post by: Elkman on September 28, 2008, 03:53:38 PM
Post by: ZRS-8x42 on September 28, 2008, 05:08:54 PM
It does miss the yellow eyebrow as Savannah, but the white streaky belly is screaming loud for Savannah. Then again, the white eye ring makes me believe Elkman might be correct.
Someone might say, give us a break, it is Sparrow! :)
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 28, 2008, 05:19:00 PM
Post by: Elkman on September 29, 2008, 07:12:41 AM
Post by: boneaddict on September 29, 2008, 07:44:46 AM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Ftweetie.jpg&hash=3bd8f7a73a4c88e527bfc1a1458d5d3088f977a9)
Post by: Hornseeker on September 30, 2008, 11:05:25 AM
If you guys go to Yeller...let me know. i'm only a few hours away!!!
E
Post by: boneaddict on September 30, 2008, 11:18:09 AM
Thanks for the ID
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 30, 2008, 12:12:20 PM
Post by: boneaddict on September 30, 2008, 12:57:05 PM
Post by: Hornseeker on September 30, 2008, 01:11:56 PM
E
Post by: boneaddict on September 30, 2008, 01:26:30 PM
Post by: Hornseeker on September 30, 2008, 01:30:15 PM
Post by: boneaddict on September 30, 2008, 01:34:58 PM
Post by: MikeWalking on September 30, 2008, 02:51:08 PM
I hope you take the opportunity to go out through Red Lodge. The drive over the Beartooth is surreal.
Post by: popeshawnpaul on September 30, 2008, 02:53:48 PM