your best big game animals IN THE WILD

[Tom Reichner]

No zoo shots . . . no photos from game preserves, drive thru wildlife safaris, or high fence ranches. Let's see your best images of big game animals such as deer, elk, bears, or mountain sheep in truly wild settings. No captive animals!

[Grafixwld]

Geez Tom you set a high bar. Those bighorns look unbeatable.

[FlyingPhotog]

Elk from RMNP last September:
http://www.pbase.com/flyingphotog/image/103195479/original.jpg
40D + 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS .. 1/250 @ f/5.6 ISO 400 on tripod

[Tom Reichner]

Elk from RMNP last September:
40D + 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS .. 1/250 @ f/5.6 ISO 400 on tripod

Wonderful!

Rocky Mountain National Park may just be the best place to photograph elk in the US. You mentioned September . . . When I was there in Sept of '06, the elk were bugling like crazy and the bulls were very busy gathering harems. Did you find that they were doing the same thing during your visit?

I've wanted to plan a trip back to RMNP, but want to be sure to go when the elk activity is at it's peak. Any info you could give would be quite helpful.

Thanks, Tom

[FlyingPhotog]

Wonderful!

Rocky Mountain National Park may just be the best place to photograph elk in the US. You mentioned September . . . When I was there in Sept of '06, the elk were bugling like crazy and the bulls were very busy gathering harems. Did you find that they were doing the same thing during your visit?

I've wanted to plan a trip back to RMNP, but want to be sure to go when the elk activity is at it's peak. Any info you could give would be quite helpful.

Thanks, Tom

Hi Tom...

We were only up there for one day (about 7 hours total.) And, we couldn't go any farther on the Ridge Road than the 11 mile point (already closed beyond that due to snow.)

I think someone slapped a bumper sticker on our rental that told the Elk to avoid us at all costs.

There were posting warning people that the Rut was on and to please stay behind the line formed by the signs. We could see fairly large herds grazing in the meadows but this was in fact the only Elk that came within 300 yards of us all day.

FlyingPhotog as Wildlife Shooter = Epic Fail :(

But it's gorgeous up there. I liken it to an inverted Grand Canyon. Rather than feel like you could fall in at any moment, you feel as if the massiveness of the rock could crush you. It really, really messed with my sense of space and distance too. What looks like a couple of miles away could easily be 50 miles!

[Tom Reichner]

I love it there! The first time I was there I saw 5 or 6 huge mule deer. All enormously antlered bucks together in a group. I wasn't a photographer then so there are no pics of them . . . only my memory. Of course, I've been back a few times since, and never seen another trophy class mule deer again. So you're not the only one with some bad luck in RMNP.

[XPert]

Great Elk shots, and those are huge Bighorn!

Here are my favorites from Glacier National Park:

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/ReDirkulous/Moose.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/ReDirkulous/Grizzly.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/ReDirkulous/MountainGoat.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/ReDirkulous/Bighorn.jpg

[Tom Reichner]

Xpert,

Your stuff is terrific! Obviously you spend quite a bit of time afield - images like yours don't just happen by getting lucky.

-Tom

[Flo]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/emmaloudawg/Pipers/IMG_0032.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/emmaloudawg/Pipers/IMG_0021.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/emmaloudawg/Pipers/IMG_4392.jpg
Not as impressive as the Big Horns.lol.but they are like rabbits here on the island.don;t have to go far to drive around them;)

[tomjd]

They aren't all that big in Indiana.....
http://www.pbase.com/tomjd99/image/107013313/large.jpg

[XPert]

Xpert,

Your stuff is terrific! Obviously you spend quite a bit of time afield - images like yours don't just happen by getting lucky.

-Tom

Thanks Tom... I was actually just doing some backpacking more for the landscapes, but I think I was lucky to get close to so many big game animals. Glacier NP is just full of them, they're hard to miss. ;)

[Maureen Souza]

Taken in early morning light in the Grand Canyon.

[Tom Reichner]

Maureen,

I love the low angle looking up. Definitely an uncommon perspective for bull elk images!

[FlyingPhotog]

Taken in early morning light in the Grand Canyon.

Good Heavens what a perspective!

[Maureen Souza]

He was above me about 8 feet up an embankment. He posed and posed... I took lot's of photos of him.

[FlyingPhotog]

Would you belive that in my 14 years in AZ, I've yet to see an Elk in the wild?

Coyote, Bobcat, Cougar, Bear, Pronghorn Antelope, Snake, Javalina, Road Runner and even the odd transplanted Ohioan, but never an Elk.

C'mon Maureen, fess up... You brought him from home, didn't you? The leash is just out of frame, right? ;)

[Maureen Souza]

Funny, Jay. Actually, we saw two herds of them that morning; one on either side of the path!

[bubba zanetti]

Free range in a 7000 acre area classed as non zoo ? Only 3 rhinos left in Zambia.

No fences near by to run to.

http://wadjelaphotography.smugmug.com/photos/426273837_E5oRj-L.jpg

He got wind of us & came over for a close look. Guy i was with just said freeze & he will do his thing & move off...man i was so s%$# scared i couldnt breath until he decided we werent interesting. He got within 12 inches of us for a smell. You have no idea how much i suppressed the instinct to run.

http://wadjelaphotography.smugmug.com/photos/6557864_ExEK4-L.jpg


Camping on road side tracks & fire breaks in Botswana we sometimes would shine the torch about to see what was watching us in the dark...really bad photo of a Leopard checking out our camp. It was lions that we were sort of worried about as there was just 5 of us in light tents on the ground with no weapons.

http://wadjelaphotography.smugmug.com/photos/6652538_ttycY-L.jpg


Elephants on the side of the road through Botswana.

http://wadjelaphotography.smugmug.com/photos/6600413_Kj4W6-L.jpg


Baboons on the side of the road.

http://wadjelaphotography.smugmug.com/photos/6590682_DMaqp-L.jpg


http://wadjelaphotography.smugmug.com/photos/467115669_EA7Td-L.jpg

[Flo]

^ The monkeys scare me more than the rhino!!

[Tom Reichner]

Bubba,

That looks like one awesome trip you had! Camping out in the habitat must have made it especially exciting.

[bubba zanetti]

^ The monkeys scare me more than the rhino!!

Thieves ...the lot of them.

[bubba zanetti]

Bubba,

That looks like one awesome trip you had! Camping out in the habitat must have made it especially exciting.

It was a great trip. Travelled along the border/fire breaks of Botswana & Zimbabwe in an old ex Rhodesian army unimog. Once i was so sure a pride of lions had surrounded us as we sat eating ...i was caught between the truck & our fire & i started to dry wretch through fear, didnt even know the body did that sort of thing. Scariest moment in my entire life.

Elephants walking past us all night burbling & talking & they didnt ever once bump the tent strings unlike ALL humans lol !!

[jaybird]

Thieves ...the lot of them.


I hate baboons. I have two rungu's (the clubs used by the Masai) in my truck....just to keep them away. I have bite marks on the top of one cooler from those buggers.

[Buterbn]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/139/349342715_5f1ddc3c55.jpg

[Tdragone]

This was one of those.."I was was just planning on taking pictures of redwoods; when I came around the corner and..."
No time for changing settings from tree to wildlife mode :|

http://www.pbase.com/tdragone/image/102978751.jpg

[tmwag]

Beautiful... very nice autumn shot

They aren't all that big in Indiana.....
http://www.pbase.com/tomjd99/image/107013313/large.jpg

[Tom Reichner]

Hello, Tom!

I love this as a "habitat" image. What a beautiful autumn setting for these does!

[tomjd]

Thanks,
It was actually quite early and dark when I took this. I was happy to be able to lighten it and get the colors that I did (esp. since I only know the basics in PS). Probably my favorite shot I took for all of last year.

Beautiful... very nice autumn shot

Hello, Tom!

I love this as a "habitat" image. What a beautiful autumn setting for these does!

[Michael_Lambert]

We don't get much in the city and i need to venture out more into the wild north :D

But i was pretty excited to stop and find this hiding in the bushes.

[tonylong]

Not so big, but fits the "deer" description: I took this right after sunrise (ISO 3200) as I was wandering through a wildlife refuge on Sauvie Island, OR last year:

http://www.pbase.com/tonylong/image/99130159/original.jpg

[Tom Reichner]

I thought we should revive this thread, so I'll get it going again with an Elk from Rocky Mountain National Park from my visit this past September:

[pushpinder]

wonderful shots...

A blue bull from the bharatpur Keoladeo National park in Rajasthan, India!
This is the largest antelope in Asia.

416653

[ducklabdad]

Well this is not "technically" my "best" from this fall, but it is one that is one of my favorites.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp203/ducklabdad/016-1.jpg

[Tom Reichner]

Well this is not "technically" my "best" from this fall, but it is one that is one of my favorites.


That's a cool shot! The stubble in the field has an almost ethereal quality to it.

[ducklabdad]

That's a cool shot! The stubble in the field has an almost ethereal quality to it.
Thank you! coming from you that is truly appreciated!

[Maureen Souza]

We are headed to Yellowstone in May...can't wait to get some wild animal shots to post.

Tom, I am going to rent a lens as we only have one 100-400 between us. I would like a 400mm but what do you recommend? I am also going to buy a beanbag cushion to rest it on the window.

[Tom Reichner]

We are headed to Yellowstone in May...can't wait to get some wild animal shots to post.

Tom, I am going to rent a lens as we only have one 100-400 between us. I would like a 400mm but what do you recommend? I am also going to buy a beanbag cushion to rest it on the window.

Hi, Maureen!

It's awesome that you're going in May - that may be the very best time of year for photographing wildlife in Yellowstone!

As far as a lens rental goes, I would opt for a 'supertelephoto'. I recently traveled with a friend on a wildlife shoot, and he had rented a 500 f4 for the trip. Combined with his 7D body it gave him an effective focal length of 800mm! With the 1.4 extender, he was shooting at 1120mm! This is a huge amount of reach, which can be wonderfully effective for wildlife. However, if you do rent a 500, be sure to be able to support the camera & lens properly. THe bean bag is a must for shooting out of the car, but you'll also greatly benefit from a tripod that can handle a big lens. I recommend the 500 instead of the 600 because it is quite a bit lighter and easier to handle. The 600 is an absolute beast, and takes a little extra time and alot of extra muscle to get into action. The 800 is a great lens with incredible IQ, but unless you're shooting with a full frame sensor body, it's simply too much magnification to support without a very high-end tripod and head.

Another good choice - if you have a 1.6 crop body like a 40D or 7D - is a 300mm f4 IS. It provides excellent IQ even when used with a 1.4 extender. Alot of reach is not always necessary in Yellowstone, as there are sometimes great roadside opportunities with Grizzlies, Black Bears, Elk, and Bison. These are all large animals, and when encountered near the roadside a 300mm is sometimes quite enough. But there are also days when nothing you see is close. No one lens will fit all situations encountered. Just be sure if you are shooting at a very long effective focal length that you are supporting the lens in a rock-solid manner.

[Maureen Souza]

Thanks, Tom. I am feeling inclined to go with the 400mm lens as I have a 70-200/2.8 for things just outside the car window. I am taking both my 5D and my 50D so I will just have to survive the best I can.:) Hopefully there will be some great photo ops that are nearby but I am also looking forward to shooting scenery as well.

Your wildlife photography is always a great inspiration to me!!

[rtronick]

http://www.rtronick.com/Animals/Ducks-Other-Animals/Deerfhdr/407344989_qKtLV-L.jpg


Randy T

[Grafixwld]

A few desert bighorns taken in the Colorado National Monument

[FlyingPhotog]

From The Grand Canyon in August '09:

http://jcbeckman.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p560179639-4.jpg

http://jcbeckman.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p849962391-5.jpg

They were both up on the East Rim trail along with the tourists...

[Tom Reichner]

I love seeing these Desert Bighorn pics. I have yet to photograph a Desert Bighorn. Came close in Joshua Tree NP - waited at a water hole for a day. Saw their tracks from the day before, but no luck finding the sheep.

[eastcoastsponger]

Shenandoah National Park, VA

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/eastcoastsponger/IMG_7312-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/eastcoastsponger/IMG_7326-1.jpg

[Grafixwld]

Here's a couple more desert bighorns taken in Colorado's Escalante Canyon

[Grafixwld]

This may sound stupid and there has to be a simple solution. How do I get some space between the pics so they're not stacked. I'm uploading pics stored in the computer, if that makes a difference.

tnx

[eastcoastsponger]

This is what I do. When u post an image and it pops up in the window for you to view click just to the lower right hand corner of it. The cursor should show up next to the image. Hit enter on your keyboard ones or twice and post your next image. I hope that helps.

[Grafixwld]

This is what I do. When u post an image and it pops up in the window for you to view click just to the lower right hand corner of it. The cursor should show up next to the image. Hit enter on your keyboard ones or twice and post your next image. I hope that helps.



Thankyou, it was quite annoying seeing them stacked like they were.

Phil

[blink_72]

First shot ever out of my Camera. Not to good. But thiers 3 doe and a fawn.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blinkphotography72/4189507518/

[Maureen Souza]

Just helping this thread along....:D

[kent andersen]

First shot ever out of my Camera. Not to good. But thiers 3 doe and a fawn.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blinkphotography72/4189507518/

Congrats with a great camera, and a great first shot with it. I wish my first shot was worth posting.