Elk Predator

In NE Oregon, elk cows often return to the same birthing grounds year after year. Once they go into labor, they separate from the herd and seek quiet isolation. When the calf is born, it is not unusual for the cow to leave the calf unattended for small stretches of time.



elk cows at a traditional birthing ground in ne oregon


Predators know this, and bears and cougars will often spend their time methodically searching for hidden elk calves – an easy meal. For such a large animal, elk calves can hide extremely well. I once spent hours searching for a calf that I spied with my binoculars bedding down at 75 yards. I had no luck.



elk calf hiding in grass


Nonetheless, an arch predator like a mountain lion has far better senses than me. And they will find the easy kill. The calf below was found and killed by a cougar, and then covered for later feeding. The photo shows the cougar uncovering the calf. Note the scars on the face of the wild cat. Life has not been easy, and the calf was likely a rare break in the animal's hunting life – where it did not have to risk injury to secure food...



wild mountain lion uncovering elk calf cache

Stolen Cameras

For years I have been using custom built, remote camera systems to photograph elusive and nocturnal subjects.

I can still remember how elated I was to photograph a wild, nocturnal mountain lion at Zumwalt Prairie a few years back. Wild mountain lions are almost never photographed unless they have been trapped or cornered by dogs, so this image was a particular accomplishment.

wild cougar (felis concolor) photographed at night.

From mountain lions to white-footed mice, I have refined the system constantly over the years to allow me to photograph a variety of subjects in a variety of situations.

white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)

Perhaps one of the most common subjects, by default, have been raccoons. They seem to be everywhere.

a nocturnal raccoon (procyon lotor) on a game trail, arizona.

My systems are considerably more advanced and complicated than the average trail camera that can be purchased at Cabella's, and they often use fairly expensive digital cameras for image capture.

I have always known it was risk to leave this equipment out in the forest for weeks at a time. I would always evaluate the risk, and make a judgement call.

Despite being aware of the risk, I was a bit surprised to find my equipment stolen when I set up on a log bridge in Washington State. This is a remote location, and far off any trail. The equipment would have been very hard to spot tucked away under a fallen log.

Whoever stole the equipment smashed the weatherized camera housings, and then re-assembled them nearby – laid out neatly on a log. A message perhaps? The cameras were of course, gone. 

Below is the final test image taken before the equipment was stolen.

I have since built a new system, with some major improvements. Hopefully I can hang onto this one for a while.

A Near Miss

I made a trek into the Wind River area in Washington to do some scouting for an idea that has been percolating for a while. I am specifically looking for large, old logs that have fallen across streams to become natural bridges. Wouldn't it be interesting to see what kind of animals use these crossings, especially when the water is tumultuous? For this purpose I brought along a remote camera that would photograph any creature that made the crossing, and I left in place for 22 days to see what kind of activity I could photograph.

These images are not particularly good, but they give me some interesting ideas about how I might approach the project. I was surprised at the number of small creatures that used the log. I have combined two separate images, to show this rabbit and bushy-tailed woodrat in transit. I also have numerous images of tiny deer mice running along the log as well.



I was especially surprised by the appearance of a mountain lion on these frames. Again, these are not great photos by any means, but I love the idea of a wild mountain lion, also called a cougar, puma and panther – crossing a stream called 'Panther Creek'. The cat jumped onto the log from the stream bank, and I assume he just sauntered across in search of deer. I am always thrilled when I photograph a wild mountain lion because they are so secretive, and so rarely photographed in the wild





Too bad I got the back-end, otherwise it might have been an interesting shot!