A Beautiful Drive

Having been on the road for almost two weeks, I have passed through some beautiful country. Most of it put to memory, but I did take a few minutes to take some pictures that caught my eye. I made a trip on Tuesday that was possibly the most spectacular drive I have made. I plan on going back through the same area on my return trip, just to see it again. It lays between Spearfish, South Dakota and Newcastle, Wyoming. The drive is called the "Spearfish Canyon Drive", it is breathtaking, especially during the changing of the colors in the fall.

Jasper Provincial Park ~ Canada

Jasper Provincial Park ~ Canada

Banff Provincial Park ~ Canada Needles Highway ~ Custer State Park (Black Hills) 1 of 3 Tunnels "The Needles" ~ Black Hills ~ Custer State Park

In My Rear View Mirror ~ 9/18/2010

Mt. Denali (Mt. McKinley) Custer State Park ~ South Dakota

"Sunset Over Theodore Roosevelt National Park" Sat At A Picnic Table On An Overlooked and Watched This Spectacular Show

"Terry's Favorite Rodent" "The Breaks" Little Missouri River

Sunset Over The Badlands ~ Eastern Montana A Good Sign

"Dead Snake On the Highway"

"The Wild Ones"

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in western North Dakota. Although, called the badlands, it is a beautiful, rugged, and scenic area. As a young man, Theodore Roosevelt was an ardent big game hunter and this particular area was his favorite. He later started a ranch in this area and was very successful, until one bad winter wiped out his stock. He would later become President of the United States.

As President, he championed the cause to turn some of our federal lands into national refuges for wildlife, consequently the National Park system was established. The Roosevelt Memorial National Park was established after his Presidency. In later years, the word Memorial was also removed from the original name. There are two sections to this park, the north and the south. The south park was more scenic and had a greater variety of wildlife and better access throughout the area.

While there, I was able to recognize at least three different herds of wild horses. The herds ranged in size from 6 to 12 horses. Each herd had an established lead stallion, the entire herd revolved around him including the younger studs that were in the herd. I was able to get close to one herd that was led by a big sorrel, it took some time for him to work the herd into where I was at, but once I was detected, he had the herd turned and on the move to safety. Except for gnarled manes and tails, they looked good. They had good body weight and well muscled.

No one knows that much about these horses, their origin is unknown but it is believed that their forefathers were originally horses that had escaped from local ranches and even from the American Indians that inhabit this area. I understand each year a few are rounded up and put out for adoption in order to keep the herd small enough for the area to support them. Lead Stallion Detected My Presence This Is One Of Colts From The Big Black Stallion

"Danger Call"

Black Stallion Was Wanting this Mare to Go While She Was Nursing

Duplicated Picture ~ My Error

Sorrel Stallion When He Detected Me

"Eyeballing Me"

Herd On the Mountain

Black Hills ~ Rocky Mountain Bighorns

The Black Hills of South Dakota is one of my all time favorite places to visit. There is such a wide diversity of interests to explore and enjoy in this area. If I did not love Alaska so much and the fact that my family is there, I would have to give the area of the Black Hills some very serious thought. But, I will be content in visiting it, to take advantage of the natural beauty of the area.

I last visited this area in the fall of 2009, during that trip, I had the opportunity to come face to face with four Rocky Mountain Big Horn Rams. I enjoy viewing and photographing wildlife.

Having that opportunity to witness those Rams running together was a sight that I thought was one of those "once in a lifetime experiences".

I returned to the Black Hills again this year, hoping to have that opportunity just one more time. I was not disappointed, I thoroughly enjoyed over three hours of watching and photographing seven (7) Big Horn Rams. I took over three hundred shots, which will provide me a long winter project to sort through.

Each of the Rams were at least a 3/4 curl or better in size. These are the breeding Rams that will soon be going into the rut. There were no ewes in the area, just the Rams hanging out together, for a few more days. This is typical of many of the wildlife species just prior to the rut. They accommodate each other currently, in another couple of weeks they will be butting heads to determine their dominance in the breeding cycle. They are a massive and impressive animal. "The Gang of Seven"

In the event you are wondering, these shots were taken in a range of 20 to 60 feet in distance.

Dawson Creek To Canadian Border

Arriving at Mile "O" of the Alcan Highway at Dawson Creek, I went south to Grand Prairie where I would pick up the Bighorn Highway. I had never traveled this route, it was only last winter that I discovered the name which references Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep.

There are Big Horn Sheep in this area, but with no snow they have not moved to lower locations. Usually the snow and or the rutting season will bring them down. Not seeing any sheep, I asked several locals why it was called the Bighorn Highway. They had no clue! This is a great trip, very scenic with rolling hills timbered heavily with aspen, cottonwood and pine.

The Big Horn Highway takes right into the opening of Jasper Provincial Park. What a fantastic place, the scenery alone is breath taking. The Canadian Rockies is a fabulous range. From Jasper, you slip right into Banff Provincial Park. A few miles, you cross the border and have our own Glacier National Park.

Not seeing any wildlife on the Big Horn Highway, I was looking forward to Jasper. Less than a mile after passing the entrance, a small buck Whitetail Deer was waiting to greet me. This area is so pristine, majestic mountains, pine forests, clear water lakes and streams. Less than an hour into the park, I saw a herd of cow Elk bedded down in a meadow so I pulled over to take a couple of shots. While watching them, I noticed a single elk just down the road a little further, standing up and had antlers. When I got to him, he turned up to be just a very young bull, but old enough to know it was time to be with the cows. Then I heard the first bugle, so did the small bull and that was what was keeping him from the cows. After several bugle calls from the unseen bull, I finally spotted him laying down in a grove of trees, less than 50 yards from the cows. I tried waiting him out, but he was content that his bugling was keeping the little bull at bay and there was no sense to get out in the heat of the day. I have several shots of him bedded down and his antlers, don't know how big he was but he did have a head full of horns.

Sometimes, even when I screw up, I get lucky! Nearing an intersection, despite the better judgement of my GPS, I took the wrong turn. I should have stayed going straight. "Suzie" was a touch mad because I was not listening to her, demanding that I make a U turn. Finally, I stopped and checked the map, she was right. Retreating back from where I came, I halted at the stop sign and waited for the traffic to clear. Looking up on the hillside in front of me, I saw movement in the trees, an elk stepped out and then another. Getting an opening, I got across the intersection and parked. A grassy, light timber meadow was at the bottom of the ridge. An occasional flash would show through the trees, with time the first of a dozen cows came into the meadow but they kept looking back up onto the ridge. The small herd, comprised of cows and young heifers, had gathered and was grazing. But I could still make out yet another brown and tan body on the hill. In time, he stepped out and I could not believe I had got this lucky. This is a Bull Elk of a lifetime. A Elk this size is referred to as a "Royal", if they have seven or more points on each side of the antler. This guy was big, he was majestic, had an impressive rack and he knew it. He enjoyed strutting his stuff. Sure glad I was not shooting old fashion film, it would have cost a fortune to developed the number of shots that I have of this guy.

In Banff Provincial Park, I saw several herds of Big Horn sheep, predominantly ewes and lambs. The rut has not yet commenced so they are still high on the mountains. I did come across one small flock or group of ewes that had a young ram with them. I saw this same situation in Thompson Falls, Montana (later posting). This young Ram has the basic concept, he is just a little early.

I have several pictures of him going through the "mating ritual", although the ewe's were not real impressed. In the picture below, he is "lip curling" where they will actually roll their lips as a sensor to gauge when the female is in season, several species do this but the sheep is one of the most pronounced. This young ram had better get lucky in a hurry, because soon the big boys will come to town and he does not have enough "horn power" to be competitive in the competition.

With time, I hope to catch the blogs up to my actual location. I am now several days ahead of this posting. I know, "just post pictures and don't be so verbose".

Alcan Highway ~ Southbound

Had a great trip down the Alcan Highway, the timing was perfect with the changing of the colors and the snow dusting the top of the mountains. Looking forward to the return trip, perhaps by then the snow will have driven the Rock Sheep to lower elevations.

In the next photo, there is always a herd of Elk in a pasture just before you get to Toad River Lodge. This year was no exception, but I could only get distant shots as they hold on the far side of the pasture. Looked at the Elk, wondered where the horses were at and traveled down the highway less than a hundred yards and there is the Mule Deer Buck that I was worried about getting on my trip. He was running with a smaller buck which is typical just prior to the rutting season. He goes onto my record, however, at the time I did not know what awaited further down the road and a few days later.

The Toad River area is my favorite place on the Alcan, there are so many species with strong populations in this area.

Mule Deer ~ Alcan Highway ~ Toad River

Yes, he is "sticking his tongue out at me" ~ I have that effect on animals. (See previous posting)

Still excited about getting my Mule Deer for my collection, I traveled only a few miles and came across yet another herd of Caribou. At this time, the herds consisted of a half dozen cows and calves as the bulls have yet started herding them up for the rut. However, this bull Caribou got a early start and had already selected a few lady friends. I was surprised to see him, although no Record Book trophy, he is big enough for my record book. Watch a valuable lesson in nature with him. He was road smart. He was following the ladies, they crossed the road in front of me, half of them spooked and went back on his side of the road. The others got across as I come to a complete stop and shut my truck off. By butting them and working like a cutting horse, he got them to start crossing the road, about that time, the cows that had crossed thought they should go back so he had cows going both directions. It took him a few minutes to get all of them going in the same direction, but eventually they crossed and he was the last one to make the transit.

Looks like he has fed well this summer, nice shiny coat, he is ready to go to the prom and then wait out the long winter.

You cannot help but take pictures of Buffalo. So far I have collection of Buffalo pictures from the Yukon, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Upon my return, this winter I will take some pictures from each region and see how they compare in size and coloration.

Eight Days On the Road

Tonight, I sit just a stones throw from the east side of the Milk River, a far piece from the south bank of the Anchor River. Have crossed a lot of rivers in the past eight days. I am currently in Malta, Montana after crossing the prairie of central Montana today. This morning I woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the Montana Rocky Mountains at the entrance to Glacier National Park, tonight, rolling hills of grass.

To date, I have had a great trip, have not seen a touch of rain or clouds, since I left Alaska. The prior planning last winter has paid big dividends in locating game and picking the best route. Although, some may want to contest that when they see my map book. Had to go to Thompson Falls, Montana to see a concentration of Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep. That put me a couple of hundred miles south of the Canada Border. Saw more sheep in one day than I have in my lifetime. Unfortunately, the big rams have not moved down from the higher elevations for the rut. I saw primarily ewes, lambs, and small rams that are going to get their butts kicked in a couple of weeks for messing with the girls.

Yesterday, I had to cut back north to get to Glacier National Park to find a Mountain Goat, finding myself forty miles from the Canadian Border. Wanted to drive the "Highway to the Sun" which bisects the park. Arriving at the west side gate, I discover the pass is closed for the season due to construction. Only option was to drive to the east entrance, which was suppose to be my exit point to drive across Montana. Had a beautiful drive to the almost the top of the park, but again road construction and the road was closed. All I needed was two more miles to get to the goats! However, it is spectacular country and the fall colors are just starting to show good. Retreating, I headed across Montana.

Yesterday morning, I had a fantastic morning at the National Bison Refuge a few miles west of Thompson Falls. Although, named for the bison there is a variety of wildlife. Evidently, it is the time of the season that anything that has horns is in the mating mood. The deer, elk, antelope, and sheep seem to always group but the breeding males will run around together, knowing that within a few weeks they are going to be fighting. The Bison Refuge is a drive through area, 24 miles of roadway. The first two animals were two trophy size Mule Deer running together. Later, while coming down a steep pass, I happened to look down the slope, to Mule Deer Bucks were sparring. By the time I got stopped, got my camera ready they decided their play period was over. I would have loved to had a shot of them locking up horns, but at least I got to see it in reality. They were also very big bucks, but the smaller one has probably testing the larger one to see how a real battle would play out. A few miles down the road, came across a big herd of Antelope in a meadow. There was 27 does and one very massive buck. The buck Antelope I saw in Colorado last year was big, but this guy was a trophy book animal. He was proud of his little group of ladies. He would use his antlers and rub them on the brush, often bringing up grass clinging to his horns. Every time a doe would squat, he would run over and sniff the ground, I assume to check the scent to see if she was in season. Out of nowhere, a second, but smaller buck showed up! The big buck caught him and gave chase. Chased after him for a quarter of mile before returning to the herd. A little later, the smaller buck tried to sneak back and once again, the chase commenced. The small buck finally got the message and stayed a safe distance away from the herd.

To date, on the trip I have got some good photos of a trophy class Bull Caribou (at least in my book), trophy class buck Mule Deer (5), largest Bull Elk, I have ever seen, and hundreds of pictures of Big Horn Sheep, but no big Rams, but they will come.

Now, you ask why I am in Malta, Montana. Just south of here is the Russell (famed western artist)Wildlife Refuge which has a variety of wildlife in the Missouri Breaks. Checking around this evening, talked to one local that assured me that the was down there last weekend a saw literally 1,000 Elk including the bulls ready to go into the rut. If this rumor is true, I will be ecstatic, if I see just a few, I will be happy!

However, if some think I am out just to get that trophy shot, some of the best shots come from the little ones, their curiosity and innocence is much like that of our own little ones.

This young Caribou did not think I should be using his highway, so he stuck his tongue out at me. (Alcan Highway)

This youngster, did the opposite, turned her back on me told me to "piss off" the highway was her personal trail. (Alcan Highway)

This young Buffalo Calf, did not care who was watching, it was lunch time and he was hungry. (Alcan Highway)

Downtown Thompson Falls, Montana. Took "Dutch" down to play in the park and found this doe and her fawn enjoying the waters edge.

Last night, Dutch and I cooked dinner and made morning coffee by flashlight, camped in a little grove of aspen trees that were turning gold. This morning awaking just before daylight, I was having my morning coffee (Thermos Bottle) and from the front window of the Ford Motel, I could barely make out a sheer rock wall of a mountain several hundred feet high. As I sat there, having my coffee and waiting for good shooting light, I watched the bluff turn from a light red to a very deep red as the sun rose over the mountains behind us. It reminded me of a story I heard about about guy as to wheter he caught any silvers that morning, he ran out across the ball field and hollered back,"no, but I caught a beautiful sunrise", my thoughts were of him.

Coundown 365 ~ T-250

The coming of the fall season is arriving rapidly, soon we will be seeing flocks of waterfowl winging their way south for the winter. Today, while visiting the Eagle Nest I could not help but notice the parking and camping area in the tidal zone of the Anchor River was empty. Since early May this area has been used by visiting fishermen, today it was vacant.

On Monday, the last day that I visited the Eagle Nest, although the third sibling had stopped by to visit for a couple of couple of days, he had once again departed the nest for for what is assumed good. His two remaining siblings in the nest, continued to practice that aerial maneuvers from the safety of the nest.

Today, arriving at the nest I found it to be vacant as the set of siblings also departed the safety zone and protection of their parents. For the first time, the nest is empty although the siblings do remain in the area perching in adjoining trees

"Empty Nest"

Although a prospective "renter" did stop by to check out the digs to see if they would be suitable for a winter home.

"Magpie Visiting Eagle Nest"

As the day breeze commenced, blowing up the slopes of the bluff, the young Eaglets came out to play on the wind currents, perhaps their concept of "passing in review". Two of them spent the better part of an hour gliding in the air currents above the nesting area.

"Young Wings"

"Flying Like A Pro"

"Catching A Downdraft"

Every new pilot has to be tested by the more experienced, however in this case, the crow had been heckling the "new flyer" by doing dive bombs on him. In this photo, I can only imagine, the Crow must feel like a Piper Cub aircraft with a F-16 Fighter Jet bearing down on him. It was enough to send the crow on his way.

"Combative Maneuver"

Just as I was getting ready to leave, I was packing up my camera and happened to glance at the nest to see one of the young birds return to the nest, just a brief touch and go and likely the last time I will get a picture of one of them on the nest.

"Stopping By To Say Goodbye"

I have no concept, how many hours that I have sat on the bluff, watching the nest and photographing their growth. I started watching them as they were laid in the nest as eggs, their hatching, and the changes that transformed during the brief summer. I have taken over 1,000 shots of them during the summer months, it has been a great educational opportunity watching their development, individual personalities, and traits. I will miss the family, hopefully the parents will return in the spring and once again raise a family. I wish them fair winds in their journeys.

The Eagles are not the only ones that have been preparing their young to live on their own and survive their environment. The cow moose that has been staying in our meadow all summer returned to our yard with her youngster. Earlier in the spring, he had to jump our lawn fence to follow his mother, but now, he is larger and able to follow in his mothers footsteps. He is prepared to handle the deep snow that he will encounter this winter.

"Resident Cow Moose"

"Her Calf ~ Born In May"

"It Has Been A Great Summer"