Coyotes in the Snow
While Patrick was getting some cows out of a canyon, this fella peeked out to see what all the fuss was about. He quickly ran off and hid but his buddy came in a little closer.
They were both pretty far away and it was getting dark. I was glad to capture a portrait of each these guys before Patrick came back and spooked them off.
The Rut
The rut is a time period, usually during late fall, when deer, elk, and other species from the deer family breed. The buck will chase after many does for weeks, with barely eating. The buck has one thing on his mind at this time of the year, and that is to find as many does as he can. The rut can take its toll on these guys; they are definitely worn out by the end of the breeding season.
We interrupted a handsome, thick necked mule deer buck courting a doe. Her yearling and a few more young bucks were hanging around peeking over the rocks at us too. We quickly moved on after a couple of portraits.
He is definitely rutting. Just check out that neck. Hope he takes good care of himself. He’s a handsome fella.
Against a Bald Sky
When it is overcast with no cloud detail or blue peeking through, we call that a bald sky.
A bald eagle took off just as the sky opened up to pour down another inch of snow.
You Knock Me off My Feet
It’s amazing what you’ll find off I-25.
A Bison ranch right off the frontage road has a large herd of Buffalo and their calves. This girl was having a blast rolling around in the dirt.
She’s glad it’s Friday.
And so am I.
You all are so good to me and I enjoy each and every one of your comments. Thank you for your encouragement and inspiration. You guys knock me off my feet! Have a great holiday weekend my friends.
Hugs, Leah
on a Hilltop
An evening drive yesterday went from sunshine and warmth to blowing snow to overcast to sunny, all in one climb. When we reached the top of this hill, we saw young rams grazing and then they went over to climb the next hill.
We made our way down toward the river and we saw a large group of mule deer running up the hillside.
“My, what big ears you have!”
Happy first day of Spring my friends!
a Wisp in a Wire
A young deer learning how to jump fences got a tuft of hair caught in the barbed wire.
Family Portrait
This family is my most recent client for a Christmas card portrait. Mom and Dad were great and looked at the camera the entire time. The two young ones finally looked at me on the last shot but the teenager at the far left just wouldn’t cooperate at all. There is always one in the bunch!
Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. Many HUGS from us here at Uprooted Magnolia. Thank you again for being loyal viewers of our little blog. ♥
The Big Hoorah
We drove up into the hills to put out salt and mineral for the cows when Patrick spotted movement about a mile away with his hyper-vision. It was a herd of Bull Elk fighting on a flat.
Just look at this guy in the top right. He would circle the herd, run toward the hill and then turn back around to charge one of the others.
He’d go at it with one…
…and turn around to fight another.
I’m sure glad these guys made it through hunting season. Such an awesome sight to see in our backyard.
Tis the Day Before the Hunters
Did you see the hunters moon this week? It was so beautiful. It is the first full moon after the harvest moon and is named this because it is ideal light for the hunter to hunt and stockpile food for the winter.
I love fall but I dislike hunting season. It opens tomorrow. All year, I get watch these young bucks grow up and graze our meadows only to have them shot and then hung on the wall as a trophy. I knew coming into the ranching lifestyle that hunting was part of it, but that doesn’t mean I like it.
So I whispered to these guys yesterday during my hike,
“Run, hide yourselves. You will be hunted soon”. Obviously they didn’t get it because I saw them this morning in their usual spot.
But hopefully they will hunker down in some tall grass and stay quiet until the gunfire ceases.
This girl can only hope. Until then, I shall accessorize in orange.
Over & Out,
Leah
Big Horn Sheep- the Ram
Whenever we drive highway 34, my face is glued to (or hanging out of) the window looking for big horn sheep. I’ve seen rams in the wild before, but they are always so far away. But at the Game and Fish, a few of them have a cozy home and a lot of land to roam. And I was lucky enough to capture some shots of them on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
I am so fascinated by these creatures. I could stare at them all day long. They were curious and didn’t scatter when I got close to the fence, giving us time to enjoy our little photo shoot.
Elk Week: Bruisers
These two bulls are the favorites. The heavies.
This guy posed beautifully in the sunshine by the sunflowers.
We woke this one up from a nap and sat with him for a while.
He checked things out then started grazing.
This image feels like the cover of a magazine along with the one on Thursday.
I’m not a hunting woman, at least not with a gun. I hunt with a camera. But if you are in the market for one of these bruisers, you can book a hunt with Edwards Outfitting and see these guys for yourself.
Well, that’s it for Elk Week. I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at these magnificent creatures. The last time I photographed them, they were in the velvet. This time, their antlers were shiny and smooth with silver-tines. We had an incredible time watching them play in the mud, run through the sunflowers, and we even witnessed a couple fights. Yikes.
Thanks Rich Edwards for a fabulous getaway!
Elk Week: Babyface
As the sun went down, the young one made his appearance.
He’s got a sweet face and his coat is spotless.
His rack ain’t half bad either. Silver-tines and all.
We woke him up as the sun was rising. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and gave us a pose before he started grazing.
The “big bruiser” is coming up tomorrow and he will close out Elk Week for us. I’ll also give you the information on where to find these fellas. See you tomorrow!
Elk Week: A Favorite
Once we left the mud pit and passed by the sunflower field, this gentleman ran right in front of us and stopped at this tree. I guess he felt the need to strike a pose because it can’t get any prettier than this. This is Patrick’s favorite shot from the weekend. Not necessarily his favorite bull, but favorite shot.
Stay tuned for Babyface. He will make his grand appearance tomorrow. Until then, keep your powder dry!
Elk Week: Wallowing in the Mud
A nice way to cool off during these hot temperatures is to….well…
wallow in a mud hole of course!
Just splash it on your belly.
And lay down in it so that you get covered from head to toe.
Make sure, though, that it tastes good enough to be rolling around in.
Do some stretches to strengthen your neck muscles and scratch that itch.
Then make your way to the sunshine to dry off.
If you follow these easy steps, you’ll find it’s a surefire way to beat the late summer heat.
Elk Week: Bugling for Sunflowers
Spent some time with several bull elk,
in a sunflower field,
under the Nebraska setting sun.
We had about 24 hours of free time this weekend so Patrick and I ran away to Nebraska to listen to the bugling elk after they wallowed in the mud pits and shined up their antlers in the brush.
I have more photos to show you of these creatures but I thought I’d give you a tease before sharing the others. We’ll call this Elk Week.
Hope you had a nice and relaxing weekend!
Honk Honk
I’m in town today working at the gallery and I’ve got the doors open to let the cool Wyoming breeze through. Diesel trucks are growling and honking as they pass by on their way to the Platte County Fair. There is a lot going on in town this weekend and I hope we have some gallery visitors.
Have a great weekend folks!
♥Leah
Baby Turkeys do a Snake Dance
Definition for Conga Line: snake dance; a group progression in a single-file serpentine path.
Do not worry, this is not a gruesome tale.(as the title may make it sound)
Yesterday I showed you where the deer and the antelope play. Today I will show you baby turkeys! While I was focused on the deer, I heard quiet clucking. I looked in the patch of tall grass ahead of me and saw several hens.
Occasionally I would see little heads peek up and run to momma. The grass was too tall to get a good view of them but I patiently waited to see where they were going to step to next.
Then one came out in a small clearing.
I looked out onto the road and saw another hen with her 2 babies.
I looked back to the clearing in the tall grass and saw a couple more little ones. This time showing off for the camera and they were starting to file into a single line. They haven’t quite grown into their feathers have they!
This is probably my favorite shot of the baby turkeys by far. I love the conga line across the road. “Look at me Mom!”
I counted 7 baby turkeys in all. Lately, I’ve only spotted them in smaller groups so I was happy to see this many at one time.
where the deer and the antelope play
In the freshly cut meadow, the wildlife can’t hide as well.
While driving into the ranch a couple evenings ago I came upon deer, antelope, and turkeys all grazing in the meadow together.
It was a beautiful sight and I noticed a lot of them hanging out near the sprinkler probably to keep cool. We’re watering it for the second cutting for horse hay.
Does and bucks were all together with antelope grazing without a care in the world.
But the mommas were on the lookout and very cautious. They stayed close to the brush for a quick hop to their hiding place if need be.
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