Viewing entries tagged
wildlife photography

Day of The Deer

March 8, 2023

Day of The Deer

Of all the amazing, unique, and sometimes rare forms of wildlife that I see in the wild landscape beginning only three minutes from the house, the deer rules the animal kingdom on my mother’s list. She has helped me to truly value the ever-abundant deer that roam the desert.

The winter season is remarkably slow in terms of seeing wild things on my hikes. The deer is one of the few animals that I see all year whether it be 15 degrees outside or 110.

This Day of the Day involved a three-mile hike and twenty-four deer across the landscape. This would be impressive, but there was much more to a day where I may see deer in my dreams. Or at least in a couple of photographs.

I had seen the king of deer in the top photograph earlier in the winter. A glance and a very poor photograph, but the impressive rack were not to be missed. I would guess that #2 king deer might be 50 to 70% of the size this guy is toting. No, this is not Colorado. We rarely have King Deer here.

I caught the fabled deer in the side of my vision. What surprised me was the lack of motion. Just munching and occasional glances to make sure I wasn’t reaching for a rifle. Perfect for shooting…photos.

I have seen him a number of other times in much less dramatic circumstances. He is still proud to be wearing his notable antlers. A rancher friend of mine who has also seen this deer says that this time of year is when the male deer exit family life to go on their own. It is also the time of year that the rack will fall off. I will keep my eyes open. This time frame is for deer roaming Montana, but I am guessing it should be pretty similar to here.

Minutes later, I exited my trail and had just entered the neighborhood when I saw the ‘flying deer’. It was a group of three or four deer roaming a yard next to the cement ditch I was in. I quickly grabbed my camera as I saw deer jump the fence into the backyard of this location. Probably the same clan of deer. Another surprise as the deer leaped over the highest part of the fence. Amazing! Nope, that photo is not a tremendous photo, and I did not have the time to switch to the action setting on the cam, but I am thankful to have gotten a flying subject and end my day in good form.

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The Bobcat

October 6, 2019

The Bobcat

I shared, recently, that this has been an unusual and somewhat disappointing summer for wildlife sightings during my runs. There have been tarantula’s in extreme numbers, and a record year for encounters with one my favorite desert dwellers, the Horny Toad. Other animals seem to be hiding, or avoiding the human on the trail. Or maybe they are waiting for the Monsoon season to arrive (it was a no show).

The wild file is beginning to fill up with some epic photos and videos as the fall begins to unfold in the arid, but, thriving Desert Southwest. I have seen a number of animals, recently, and not just those that possess a rattle.

My photography/video skill level has improved over the summer season of running on Dave’s Trail and this has been a banner year for what I consider the best photos and/or videos of a lengthy list of animals. My best photos of a bobcat would surprisingly unveil as my trail shoes tapped onto my special trail (I think I have seen two people on it all summer).

As I crested the first hill, my eyes darted to an animal crossing my dirt track. My first thought was it was one of the two coyote youngsters I had seen in the same exact location the evening before (their home is very close by). When I have witnessed the coyotes, I have fumbled for my camera, only to see them scurry out of sight, before I can fire a shot off.

I caught sight of a jack rabbit about twenty yards down the dirt track. Ears thrusting to the clouds, these rabbits are still an odd sight. My eyeballs about fell out when I spotted a bobcat hiding within the brush a handful of feet to my right. Neither the animal with the ears nor the bobcat seemed to be concerned with my presence. They both must have seen me go by extremely slowly, in the past. Not a threat in running shoes.

I took a few quiet steps toward the bobcat. Some excitement in the air as this was my first bobcat this summer. I usually see two or three over the oven baked season that is summer.

Feline eyeballs were focused on hoppity ears, but the scene was playing out very slowly. This was likely a very young bobcat having been ‘kicked’ out of the home and was experiencing his first days on his own. Not totally at home with hunting and not leary of humans, I was enthralled to witness nature in the wild.

Hoppity ears crossed the trail and the bobcat lazily took the bait. Seeming to be more amused at seeing an animal that was 63% ears, than needing to have a meal, the bobcat sat on the hillside for 10+ minutes, gazing ahead. Gazing, but not grazing.

I was about thirty feet away, snapping photos and getting some jumpy video on my non-stabilized point and shoot camera. It was getting dark and I got a rare look from the bobcat as I tried to get even closer. He eventually moved up the hillside, never ringing the dinner bell. I took off down the trail only to see an owl, about thirty feet away, in a tree next to the trail.

Photo of a jack rabbit from the day after seeing the bobcat. This must be ‘the’ jack rabbit as I have come across exactly one rabbit that I can get close to (and that a certain bobcat can get close to). These hoppers are super duper skittish and when I enter the same zip code they smash their paws against the dirt in frantic rhythm and escape.

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A Wild(life) Year in Video! 2015

December 24, 2015

A Wild(life) Year in Video!

I shared in my previous blog

A Wild(life) Year in Photography

Another 'wild' year for me and my encounters with wildlife. The wildness factor dipped into my photography and in video. If I am taking photos I am usually just a button touch away from capturing wildlife in video. It is always my goal to walk away with photos and video if I happen to encounter a Sasquatch, Aliens, javelina, or whatever crosses my path or chases me in the rugged landscape of desert terrain in which I call home.

I have posted some memorable moments below with links to video(s) taken. I have not posted all of the videos under each photo. It was a good year for the videography, whether it was filming a tarantula crawling up my arm, a rattlesnake a few feet away or something away from the animal/insect kingdom.

Other videos on my channel can be found at:

Dave Nevins YouTube Channel

Thanks for your visit and I look forward to more unique and exciting opportunities to use my camera in the future.

Roaming

Bison in Colorado

Roaming Bison in Colorado - Video #2

Roaming Bison in Colorado - Video #3

Gila Monster - Video #1

Gila Monster - Video #2

Gila Monster #2 - Video #1

Gila Monster #2 - Video #2

Elk herd near Fort Garland, CO (150-200?)

Bobcat family in the neighborhood

Bobcat family in the neighborhood - Video #2

Wild Horses near Fort Garland, CO

Wild Horses near Fort Garland, CO - Video #2

Wild Horses near Fort Garland, CO - Video #3

Bighorn Sheep jumping fence

Bighorn Sheep near the Rio Grande Bridge / Taos, NM - Video #2

Bighorn Sheep in the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, NM

Tarantula - on one of my runs

Tarantula #2

Desert Tortoise - on one of my runs

Rattlesnake - on one of my runs

Rattlesnake - on one of my runs - Video #2

Roadrunner

Roadrunner - Video #2

Rattlesnakes interacting

- on one of my runs

Javelina - on one of my runs

Baby Horned Lizard - on one of my runs

Walking Stick - on one of my runs

Cow eating Prickly Pear Cactus (with spines)

Young Desert Tortoise

The Little Cruiser - Video #1

The Little Cruiser - Video #2

Gambel Quail and 5 juveniles

Tarantula Video #2

Deer in Colorado

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A Wild(life) Year in Photography!

December 6, 2015

A Wild(life) Year in Photography!

Me and the Roaming Bison in Colorado.

Photo by Eric Peffer.

It has been been a wild year for me, in many aspects. One of those areas that continues to make my head swirl, is the amazing desert I live in and the wildlife I have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with.

Most of the photos are from my home base in Catalina, Arizona, although photo adventures to Colorado and New Mexico have added some new animals and geography to my photo line up.

Part of the large herd of elk in Colorado (approximately 150)

I have a number of things in my favor:

1. An eye for things that are 'wild'

2. a 70-300 lens

3. Many of my photo adventures are with a wildlife biologist.

4. I run in an a desert area where I see maybe 1 person a month. More of a true desert setting.

5. Just plain luck

Family of 4 Bobcats in the neighborhood

Many of my photos are taken during my daily runs through the desert. I typically run near sunset, which I feel is a better time to see animals plus it puts me on the highest road in our area to capture stunning sunsets. The runs limit my camera options but I have had good success with a decent point and shoot camera (Samsung WB350F). The Samsung is sporting a 42x zoom. Oh yeah!