A Hint of Fall - Sitting in the Woods Scouting for Deer Photo Ops

 Summer tried its best to linger well into October, however, the Fall season is in the air with cooler temps, a brisky breeze, a hint of color, and the Whitetail Deer Bucks are showing signs of entering the rut. 

Yesterday and again this afternoon, I took a photo walk out back of my house and ran across several signs the deer population in the area are in fact nearing the rutting season. Found a good number of fresh rubs, where the bucks rub their antlers on saplings to mark their territory and leave calling signs for any available doe. I also discovered a couple of scrapes, that's where a buck will paw the ground and urinate in the dirt, again to leave their calling signs. Lots of turkey feathers littered the edges of the woodlands. 

This afternoon I hiked over to the pond and into the woods beyond it and discovered several large rubs, most of them found within a circular area of somewhat open woods. Big and small bucks will make small to medium sized rubs, but only big bucks make big rubs, and these I found today are big.

As a result I went back later in the afternoon a couple hours before sundown just to see if I might get lucky and catch one of those big bruisers visiting his rub line. Did not run into any bucks (they are probably making their rounds at night with the bright moonlight), but did encounter several doe who played a cat and mouse game with me. Seems they knew I was in there, snorting several times, but just could not find me.  They moved back and forth about 40 or 50 yards away along the inside edge of the woods. I could see them, and hear them, but the picture taking was difficult because of the thick cover.

 Even so, it was a lot of fun to once again get out like that and mingle with the local wildlife. Along with the deer, I saw several fat squirrels, two different flocks of turkeys, and assorted other birds. 

Right now there is still standing corn in the field which makes it more difficult to photograph the deer when they might otherwise meander across the open areas. Probably within a week or so, the owner will harvest the corn which will offer a more open field of view and as the season progresses, the deer will more and more utilize the spilled corn from that harvest.

On my way back from my first outing of the day, I noticed several blue birds sitting on a fence post. This one was highlighted by a beam of sunlight against a shaded background. It made for an interesting composition as did an old piece of farm machinery sitting beside the still standing corn field. Against the brilliant blue October sky, it made for a rustic and scenic composition.

There were two separate flocks of turkeys on this day. The first one, maybe a dozen birds, eventually meandered across the corn field and into the woods on the north side of the field. Later, as I hiked back home, I ran a cross another flock of maybe 6 or 8 birds on the south side of the field.

Overall it was a good day afield and I look forward to more outings like this one as the fall season progresses. 

Overnight Canoe Camp - Best Ever Fishing Day!

 Managed to finally load up my canoe again for another overnighter canoe camping/fishing trip on Kentucky's Barren River Lake. Even though I often find myself returning to the same location(s), every trip is unique and each one possesses a different flavor. This trip was no exception. Early fall is one of the best times to get out and October possibly the best overall month for the weather tends to be in transition with warm days and crisp and cool nights. 

Packed along some good food on this one again feasting on a wonderful Ribeye steak cooked in a cast iron skillet and cooked over a campfire. Man-o-man...mighty tasty and satisfying. Breakfast the next morning consisted of crispy bacon along with scrambled eggs again cooked over a campfire.

The first day was simply a paddling day...about 4 miles was all...but done in a leisurely style just enjoying the blue skies. Camp was set up tucked away on the edge of an isolated point of land where a simple and rustic gravel beach offered a nice respite from life challenges. Slept under a tarp with a great view of the lake.

Day two started out in an unhurried manner fixing breakfast, clean up, packup, load the canoe, and a mid-morning shove off. About half way back, I started casting my fishing line next to a long and rocky bluff that dropped off into deep water. A few casts later and the first fish of the day grabbed hold of the lure. He turned out to be a nice 2 1/2 lb black bass with a bigger fight than his size would indicate. A few casts later and bass number 2 was on. He turned out to be about a 3 lb bass. Over the next half hour or so, I caught several more fish before moving on .

A half mile or so later I started casting another line along a similar bluff. After a few casts and another bass was hooked. He was another 3 pounder or so and had a lot of heart. One cast later, and another bass was on that was about 3 1/2 lbs or so. (just a fisherman's estimate on the sizes). What a morning fishing! Ended up catching 10 fish over all including 4 nice bluegill, and several bass.

Turned out to be a great overnight trip....please enjoy the video!

To Be Alone - Quiet Times in the Woods or on the Water

 Recently, someone asked me, "What's your favorite thing to do?" The answer required about three or four seconds of thought; "To be alone in the Woods." In all honesty, being alone in nature (with my camera) is probably a more encompassing answer, for that is where I feel most at home and most intune with who I am as a person and a photographer.

Nature has always fascinated me. Growing up in southeastern Oklahoma as a young boy, I often found myself sitting outside in the shade of my grandparents big yard and dreaming about wild adventures. I read adventure stories, there were no DVD's or VHS videos back then, so reading was just about the only way a boy could build his imagination. One of my favorite publications was Boy's Life, the Boy Scouts magazine. It was always filled with true life adventures that came to life through the wonderful illustration that filled the pages. Oddly enough, I was never a real boy scout, I just sort of became one on my own, and I loved the BB Gun advertisements on the back of comic books. Oh my, how I wanted one of those Daisy pump BB guns. My parents never did get one for me, but I did eventually manage to own a trusty lever action Red Ryder...still have one. (Some of my fondest memories raising my two boys was when I taught them how to shoot it.)

I'd build miniature log forts and cabins using the numerous broken limbs and sticks that littered that dusty old yard. While doing so, my young mind would flow across time to imagine what it must have been like back in Daniel Boone's day. (Come Fourth of July, I'd blow them up with firecrackers.) But, the most adventurous moments of my youth came when I'd take off on my own, cross the railroad tracks behind the neighbors house, and head off through the woods and fields to eventually find the shallow running shoals where the  Poteau River split. In the imagination of a young boy, I was exploring the deepest of backcountry woods just like ole Daniel Boone did. In reality is wasn't very far. Even so, I'd sit alone for what seemed like hours, until I'd get hungry and make my way back to civilization. 

Those imaginings from way back then became ingrained into my heart and I still treasure those moments for without them, I'd not be even close to who I am today. Things have changed in a lot of ways since then, but in other ways they remain the same. That young boys adventurous spirit still lingers inside of my now older self, only now I am able to play them out for real, more or less, with my canoe, my backpack, my Jeep, and my camera. There are few outing I explore without my camera for with it, I can visually capture the essence of what it means to be alone in the quiet of the woods or canoeing across a lake with the sun setting across the way. Oddly enough, the mental images I made all those years ago are just as sharp, just as real, and just as rewarding as any photograph I've ever made...maybe even more so.

I need those simple quiet times in the woods to clear my head of all the nonsensical rhetoric that floods our world today. I often long to revisit those simpler days when I was a boy, but I understand...you can never go home again. Yet making time for a short hike and finding a quiet place to just sit awhile and listen to the wind talk to the trees or listen to moving waters as they dance across a set of shoals, or maybe watch as a swollen creek tumbles over a waterfall well, it's a good way to clear away the clutter from inside. Along the way, I'll take a photo or two just because I can. Maybe someday, someone will see one of those images and understand why the moment was important.