Post by: OneHorn on May 19, 2009, 09:37:17 PM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 19, 2009, 10:04:29 PM
Great idea for this thread. Gives us all a chance to go thru our pics and find that one buck that beats all the others.
Here's mine, the biggest-antlered Whitetail I've ever photographed in the wild. I spotted him right after Thanksgiving last year. Unfortunately, he was about 600 yards away, and there was no way to get closer. He was all I thought about for the next couple weeks.
Finally, I got a chance to go back to try to see if I could spot him again. After a couple days of searching, I finally saw him - and close! Of course, as soon as he saw I was on to him, he bolted - but fortunately I had all my camera settings pre-set, and was just able to get the lens up and focused on him before he disappeared down over the hillside.
He's not nearly as big as many of the bucks you see on the covers of hunting magazines. But he was photographed in the wild, not in captivity where many of our "magazine cover" bucks are found. He's special to me, and I can't wait to go back and try to find him this year - perhaps he's got an even larger rack.
Post by: huntnphool on May 19, 2009, 10:13:06 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 19, 2009, 10:22:24 PM
Post by: OneHorn on May 19, 2009, 10:24:37 PM
Post by: huntnphool on May 19, 2009, 10:35:59 PM
I predict Ricochet has everyone beat...
Probably, but I have yet to get down to the refuge ;)
Post by: OneHorn on May 19, 2009, 10:38:42 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on May 20, 2009, 12:39:14 AM
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 06:04:23 AM
I've seen several whitetails like that Tom, way to capture the image. I am always about 3 seconds slower than that. :)
By the way, Thanks Onehorn.
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 20, 2009, 06:27:25 AM
Bone, I'm usually a couple seconds too late, too. About 90% of the time I totally miss what I wanted to capture. But the rare moments when it does actually work out make it all worthwhile.
I've seen several whitetails like that Tom, way to capture the image. I am always about 3 seconds slower than that. :)
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 06:33:33 AM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fwhite4.jpg&hash=0c67548f852cd1304759d22801f3e3994b20fb9b)
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 20, 2009, 09:01:44 AM
Quote
This was during hunting season.
If I was standing in your shoes that hunting season. I sure as hell wouldn't have been looking through a camera lens! :P :drool: :P
-Steve
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 20, 2009, 09:45:07 AM
THis was probably one of the biggest whitetails I got on film. Crappy picture but at least I got him on film. This was during hunting season.
Geez, Bone - that's a tremendous buck! You didn't happen to go looking for sheds, did you?
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 09:59:32 AM
Post by: huntnphool on May 20, 2009, 10:06:44 AM
Quote
Huntnphool, how do you have the time between huntin and work to get out in the field to take pics?
Well last year was the exception, having drawn a moose tag. Most of the time its just the same seasons as everyone else, which leaves loads of time for pics. Several of us have posted many times that with a camera you can hunt year around, you just can't kill anything. With a camera you're not limited to one critter per year either. I get a lot of my pics while out scouting for other people after my season is done, or in between hunts. Like Bone, Ricochet, Pope, Slider, Tom and several others I'm sure, once you do it it gets addicting.
I try to keep the bigger buck pics to myself for the most part, although I have shared them with permit, raffle and auction tag holders, and no I have never asked for compensation before some of you guys go off.
Here is a nice whitetail, the pics are not the best but you get the idea.
Post by: huntnphool on May 20, 2009, 10:08:34 AM
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 10:10:22 AM
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,2815.30.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,2815.30.html)
I screwed the pooch on a couple of these. The tight narrow guy hung for quite awhile as I was sitting on his doe and didn't know it. He kept leaving and coming back. I had another buck behind me. I rattled and all of a sudden I had two bucks. I didn't know the doe was there or I could have really milked this.
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 10:10:58 AM
Post by: huntnphool on May 20, 2009, 10:11:31 AM
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 10:13:29 AM
Post by: huntnphool on May 20, 2009, 10:16:23 AM
Plus, we just aquired Tom. Nothing but awesome stuff coming from him.
No pressure though Tom ;)
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 10:18:57 AM
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 10:34:20 AM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Frocky2.jpg&hash=48e553e579e313c9ba7c256654cbf32735b3c62a)
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 10:41:21 AM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fwhich3.jpg&hash=41ea714b46cc2369cb8afaac0090ff449c86b684)
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 10:46:36 AM
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,2631.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,2631.0.html)
Post by: jackelope on May 20, 2009, 10:55:35 AM
Post by: PacificNWhunter on May 20, 2009, 10:59:34 AM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 20, 2009, 11:52:34 AM
I get this feeling he has a garage full of boxes full of photos, and probably several hard drives laying around. :chuckle:Ha! I wish I did. I actually just started this wildlife photography thing in the fall of 2006 with a Sony point & shoot. I got my first decent digital camera exactly two years ago - a Canon 1D in May 2007. Right after that I moved out here (from Pennsylvania), and I've become seriously addicted to "shooting" wildlife ever since. Of course, I still hunt with a gun - mostly waterfowl and upland game birds. But 90% of the time I'm out there I have a camera instead.
I've been able to get many good photos simply because of the great area I live in. Back east there are just so few opportunities, and so little diversity in wildlife species. Out here, I'm within a 10 hours' drive of great opportunities for Bighorns, Goats, Grizzlies, a gazillion species of ducks, a dozen upland gamebird species, wolves, moose . . . There's just so much around here that I can't help but get some excellent opportunities if I just get out there enough.
So, all tolled I've only really been at it a little while. I'm so darn technologically challenged it took me 6 or 8 months to learn how to use my first digital SLR properly, so really I've only been getting decent wildlife pics for less than a year and a half now.
It really is the abundance of wildlife we have out here that makes this possible - millions of folks who live in the east can only dream of seeing a grizzly, or a Blue Grouse, or of having 10 species of ducks come in to a blind in one morning. In just two days - from Friday evening to Sunday evening - I saw Red Foxes in several color phases, Blue Grouse displaying, and, to top it off, a big Black Bear on the drive home. That's how come the photo count racks up so quickly. That stuff just doesn't happen in the east - ever. That's why I live here now.
Post by: OneHorn on May 20, 2009, 11:53:52 AM
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 11:56:47 AM
Post by: jackelope on May 20, 2009, 12:16:57 PM
My hunting friends are green with envy to know that I now live in a state that has 3 different kinds of deer, elk, etc.
Post by: wasapolarbear on May 20, 2009, 12:55:56 PM
Post by: jackelope on May 20, 2009, 01:05:07 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on May 20, 2009, 01:16:26 PM
Great looking bucks everyone, some whoppers for sure.:yeah: :drool:
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 20, 2009, 01:27:25 PM
Quote
to have a pistol it has to be registered, licensed, permit to carry and to purchase.
Oh, yeah.. Some/most places you can't hunt with rifles or pistols. My iron sighted revolvers have taken no less than seven Deer in this state. A buddy of mine lives in Indiana. Shotgun or Muzzle loader only. When he moved from here, he sold every one of his rifles. He misses it out here. Talked to him last week, sure the Turkey hunting is good. Whitetails are good. Winters SUCK. But limited Bear, no Elk, no three species of Deer... Mountain Lion? Nada. (not that he could get a Deer when he lived here, but that's besides the point)
We may envy Montana and Idaho, but there are plenty of hunters back east that don't know what they're missing. Others that envy Washington hunters a lot!
Photographers flock to the northwest states for our diverse wildlife opportunities. We may not have great numbers of certain species, but we have some of just about everything. Maybe not all of them are native to here, but we've got'em.
I talked to a friend back east recently... Said he saw an Eagle.. Was in awe.. His adult daughter had never seen one. Frick.. I can't go a day without seeing one of those scavengers!
This is a photographers paradise, just as Joc Cuostoue said that the Puget Sound was the best place in the world to dive.
You guys are proving that!
-Steve
Post by: wasapolarbear on May 20, 2009, 01:37:04 PM
born and raised upstate NY...I was stationed in FT Drum from 01'-05'. don't get me wrong its beautiful up state, I miss it from time to time (not the snow) just didn't seem like a good state to hunt in. there were a lot of turkeys and deer on post though but i didn't have a camera. what part of up state?
Post by: jackelope on May 20, 2009, 01:41:04 PM
good whitetail hunting, good turkey hunting as long as you had a way to avoid the idiots from the city.
the best thing about it was the fishing.
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 20, 2009, 02:09:50 PM
No thanks.
I suppose there are other wonderous things back east. But fishing the Atlantic does not rival the Pacific. I can't imagine that it would ever surpass western fishing.
When I lived in Norfolk VA. in the early 80's, Some people really thought we had dirt roads and still rode horses for transportation.
-Steve
Post by: jackelope on May 20, 2009, 02:20:02 PM
;)
Post by: OneHorn on May 20, 2009, 02:24:46 PM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 20, 2009, 02:28:59 PM
-Steve
Post by: Huntbear on May 20, 2009, 02:39:01 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10700/Nice_Blacktail_Buck.jpg)
Post by: backwoods_boy on May 20, 2009, 02:48:48 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fc4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com%2Fimages01%2F113%2Fl_56f616394021a845e3abd59a3d71bd4b.jpg&hash=6d24bdb59e1aef2a25a883dca2e97db20ef3bd23)
Post by: huntnphool on May 20, 2009, 03:37:45 PM
MMmmmm! Atlantic Salmon... MMmmmm Blue shell crap cakes....
Steve, I'm going to step out on a limb and say you were trying to say "CRAB" cakes. :chuckle:
Post by: whacker1 on May 20, 2009, 04:37:44 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 20, 2009, 04:50:33 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 20, 2009, 04:52:06 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 20, 2009, 04:53:39 PM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 20, 2009, 04:54:13 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 20, 2009, 04:54:19 PM
Post by: huntnphool on May 20, 2009, 04:55:19 PM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 20, 2009, 04:57:24 PM
Big whitey. Kind of looks like the brother of Tom's buck posted earlier... Or maybe the same buck shot a year or two earlier?It's not him, Shawn. Don Jones had a photo of "my" buck that was published in a bowhunting magazine this past winter. The image was taken in '07, and it was unmistakably "my" buck. The antlers were actually substantially smaller then, so my guy still has some growing up to do.
Yours is very similar, though. You may have something with the "brother" idea.
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 20, 2009, 05:09:33 PM
To add to the discussion, this isn't about secret spots. You have to get off your ass and get out there shooting. Like Tom this weekend went over to Rainier and shot great fox photos. Had he not made that trip he would have not gotten those shots. That big muley photo above I spotted on top of a mountain from 5 miles away. I hiked my ass off to get in front of him and had the tripod ready when he came up that hill. It takes hard work, getting out, and climbing hills. You can't drive up to a spot and just start shooting. (rarely except jellystone, etc.)
Pros run from area to area putting thousands of miles on the car getting these shots. It takes a lot of time out in the field. Many of us take a few days off during hunting season and do this kind of stuff while hunting but many of us want to extend our season. I pursue wildlife photos probably 6 weeks in the fall and during the year. I respect guys like Tom and the others that are dedicated at the pursuit.
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 05:27:13 PM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 20, 2009, 05:44:26 PM
Pros run from area to area putting thousands of miles on the car getting these shots.
You're right, Shawn. Unfortunately, there are lots of times that guys put thousands of miles on their cars and don't get the shots. Like last fall at Malheur. A bunch of guys drove a long, long way to get there for the November rut, and got nothing. Absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, I was one of those guys. It happens. We are dealing with wildlife and there are no guarantees.
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 05:49:09 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 20, 2009, 05:53:46 PM
Post by: lamar_hunter on May 20, 2009, 06:41:22 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2009, 06:44:54 PM
Post by: popeshawnpaul on May 20, 2009, 06:55:10 PM
Post by: Pathfinder101 on May 20, 2009, 08:29:10 PM
Without getting too sappy, thanx guys. You changed the way I think and hunt.
...still want to see what ricochet comes up with....
Post by: jackelope on May 20, 2009, 10:30:02 PM
unlike the rest of you mule deer freaks, i like whitetails.
:dunno:
Post by: huntnphool on May 20, 2009, 10:37:15 PM
are the frickin giant whitetails from washington?
Is it going to keep you up tonight if I tell you mine is ;)
Post by: wastickslinger on May 20, 2009, 10:47:09 PM
Post by: wastickslinger on May 20, 2009, 10:51:12 PM
Post by: huntnphool on May 20, 2009, 11:05:50 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 05:36:08 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Flilhawgbonebuck.jpg&hash=de5d488c484713e80427a7003ffc44b87f7f52ff)
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 05:36:45 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 05:52:02 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2F4x4-1.jpg&hash=851d0e60a96d8753b18b7e7719c5fc633e44f0b7)
Post by: huntnphool on May 21, 2009, 05:55:53 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 05:58:23 PM
This was probably the biggest on film this year.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2F3big3.jpg&hash=01fc79235088ee3b0dc345d8404e5db9d27eebda)
Post by: huntnphool on May 21, 2009, 06:01:44 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 06:11:26 PM
Post by: Pathfinder101 on May 21, 2009, 06:15:26 PM
...hmm...wonder if I am going to dream about mule deer tonight...? :tup:
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 06:16:49 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 06:20:30 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Ftheview.jpg&hash=ce70d8d5f5f00b713225f31de595f11db72c1447)
Post by: Pathfinder101 on May 21, 2009, 06:21:44 PM
mkae sure you check out some of the old buck series threads in photogrpahy. Hope you are healing up!
Will do. started doing the deer thread as part of my Montana research... but I just couldn't pass up anything that looked like it had mule deer in it, and I am bedridden with nothing better to do, so... I am pretty much reading almost every thread...
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 06:27:41 PM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fstickers.jpg&hash=39509033aebafd1263a00090a64b462ce68c4b49)
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 21, 2009, 06:44:08 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 06:49:21 PM
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 21, 2009, 06:56:09 PM
Thanks Tom, and he is young.
He's the kind that you hope nobody shoots him until he gets all grown up. It'd be a shame to never get to see what he coulda been.
Post by: Pathfinder101 on May 21, 2009, 07:00:05 PM
Thanks Tom, and he is young.
He's the kind that you hope nobody shoots him until he gets all grown up. It'd be a shame to never get to see what he coulda been.
That's true Tom. But I for one could not pass that buck up. Even knowing how young he is.
Post by: Tom Reichner on May 21, 2009, 07:03:00 PM
Thanks Tom, and he is young.
He's the kind that you hope nobody shoots him until he gets all grown up. It'd be a shame to never get to see what he coulda been.
That's true Tom. But I for one could not pass that buck up. Even knowing how young he is.
No, because you never know . . . you pass him up, only to learn that someone else shoots him a week later . . . or he gets hit by a car. Gotta take him if you can.
Post by: Timber on May 21, 2009, 07:41:44 PM
Post by: boneaddict on May 21, 2009, 07:49:19 PM
Post by: PacificNWhunter on May 21, 2009, 08:57:21 PM
Post by: TeacherMan on May 21, 2009, 08:58:53 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on May 22, 2009, 01:44:33 AM
Keep the photo's coming, great bucks all you have posted.:yeah:
Post by: kitsap on May 22, 2009, 06:54:53 AM
+1 on keep them coming! Thank you!
Post by: boneaddict on May 22, 2009, 07:14:52 AM
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on May 22, 2009, 07:19:16 AM
there are some dandy's in those photos keep em coming. And thanks for sharing them.
Post by: huntnphool on May 22, 2009, 11:03:45 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on May 23, 2009, 01:18:59 AM
Post by: OneHorn on May 25, 2009, 07:00:54 PM
Post by: heavy hauler on May 25, 2009, 07:40:39 PM
Post by: RPM on May 26, 2009, 09:51:34 PM