Red Rabbit

Part of the problem may be that the camera lens diameter is much bigger that the spotter eyepiece. You may try to spot meter in the center, as opposed to using a wide matrix metering.

Looks like you will be keeping a taxidermist employed for another year. Congrats on a nice trip. I like the springbuck best.

A few days ago, I had the great opportunity to join some photographers from Prescott and travel to Monument Valley to meet and photograph Susie and Effie Yazzie. Susie Yazzie is perhaps the oldest living Navajo woman at about 97 years of age. She has appeared in many John Wayne and John Ford movies set in MV. She still weaves beautiful rugs in her hogan. Effie Yazzie is Susie's daughter. She has a friendly and bubbly personality. She graciously herded some of her sheep across the sand dune below Ear of the Wind Arch. From the Yazzies' ranch, a lone tree that Effie's father planted in 1949 is set against the sandstone mesa. Our day climaxed by chasing a rainbow across Monument Valley. More images from this memorable day can be seen in my gallery. http://www.plateaulightphotography.com/Landscapes/Monument-Valley/11677636_t553t3#1449763235_mHpMc4c Thank you for looking. Doug

David, Looks like good cover for spot and stalk, but the spotting may be more difficult. Congrats on a great buck! Doug~RR

This past weekend was rather special on the Navajo Reservation and was one of the most productive photographically. Friday evening was spent watching the full moon rise above the Cardinals in a remote canyon After the moonrise at sunset, I went to a lesser traveled part of a different canyon for the moonset at sunrise Saturday morning. More images from these two canyons are posted in my gallery here: http://www.plateaulightphotography.com/Landscapes/Navajo-Country/11905461_pf4i2#1434509533_Z7p3DvX Saturday afternoon, I met a friend from Cortez Colorado and we drove to a remote point overlooking the Colorado River in Marble Canyon to photograph the following sunset and sunrise. Moonlight passing between the clouds dappled Marble Canyon. Sunday morning broke with rain clouds above the canyon and Kaibab Plateau, but an opening to the east allowed the low angled sunlight to form almost a complete rainbow over the horseshoe-shaped bend in Marble Canyon. More images from Marble Canyon can be seen here: http://www.plateaulightphotography.com/Landscapes/Doug-Koepsel-Photography/11289820_iMwnH#1435278454_jjFFSrW And on the drive out, we even saw a young UNICORN Doug

Thanks for the comments. I had a quick day trip last week to Monument Valley that was blessed by a leprechaun, but I have not put together a post yet. Doug

That might also trickle down to the local governments and businesses who possibly pressure the USFS to remain open for the touri$t $.

Steve, congrats to ya on a super buck.

I don't have a book, but it is the middle of the archery antelope season. Does this question infer grand success?

Cool. Just wait for the real harem bull to show up in a few more weeks Did you hear any light bugling?

Here is a great source for Lee's Ferry info http://www.leesferry.com/ Flow is a constant 25k cfs now. I might wait until it comes down, along with the temperature.

Sehr Gut! Any details from the 5 hours of stalking?

It's almost all national forest, so wherever he gets closer to where he wants to hunt should be fine. Does he have a map of the Coconino National Forest?

With archery deer season fast approaching, be sure to register for the coues buck contest before your hunt season begins. The only requirement to be eligible for the buck contest is to be a forum member before your hunt season begins. Contest info: http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=26562 Registration Info: http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=global&section=register A good hunt is wished to all of the archers. Doug~RR

Wesley, WaynesWords is a good source for Lake Powell info. It's a beautiful lake. Have a great trip and fish fry. http://wayneswords.com/index.php/fishing-report

You mean there are WT near Schnebly Hill ovelook? Whooda thunk? Nice photo

Nice looking buck. It's nice that the stalk came together for you first morning. Sounds like you did not have to overcome any watchful doe eyes.

If you already have a good pack, you might consider getting the Kifaru Universal Gun Bearer. http://kifaru.net/gunbearer_hunt.html

Fall/Winter 2011/2012 Coues Whitetail Buck Contest CouesWhitetail.com will again be sponsoring a COUES BUCK CONTEST for the sixth year. The contests purpose is to garner interest in hunting Coues whitetail and this website, and to share our hunt successes and pleasures from chasing the gray ghost. This contest will be open to registered forum members of CouesWhitetail.com and their immediate families living in the same home (i.e.- husband, wife, son, daughter, sister, brother). Deer must be taken legally from Arizona, New Mexico and/or Mexico during the August 2011-February 2012 seasons. If you have multiple tags, i.e. from different states or reservations, you may enter deer from each hunt. Contest Categories (15): Youth (ages 10-17) - largest Coues buck Youth (ages 10-17) - smallest Coues buck Archery- Highest P&Y gross Typical frame Coues Archery- Highest P&Y gross Non-typical Coues AZ&NM rifle- highest gross B&C Typical frame Coues AZ&NM rifle- highest gross B&C Non-typical Coues Mexico rifle- highest gross B&C Typical frame Coues Mexico rifle- highest gross B&C Non-typical Coues Smallest Spike Coues buck Smallest 3x3 typical Coues Buck (not counting eye guards) Best Field Photo of Harvested Deer (aka Hero/Trophy Photo) - Based on composition & quality of photograph, not antler size. All contest photos will automatically be considered for this category. This post may help with the taking of your photo: http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3754 Best Spirit-of-the-Hunt Photograph- Captures the spirit and moment of the hunt. These may include photos of packing, hiking, glassing, camp, scenery with hunters, etc. Photos may be taken while helping others on their Coues hunts. (Field photos of harvested deer excluded). Best Photo Essay of the Hunt- Best pictured story of the hunt with numerous quality photographs supported by a well-written story. Best Junior Hunt Story as written by the Junior Hunter General Drawing- those entrants not winning a prize in one of the categories will be entered in a drawing for prize. Registration. There is no pre-registration required, but you do have to be a forum member before your hunt starts. Anyone who is a registered forum member BEFORE their hunt starts is automatically eligible to enter the contest. Entry Fees & Prize Donations. There is no fee required to enter the contest. You may wish to donate a piece of hunting equipment to the prize packages. Prize donations are not required, but are appreciated. You may also send a small financial donation to help with shipping or purchasing of the prizes. To donate financially, please send the money through PayPal on the CWT.com home page and note that it is for the contest. Please contact Doug/Red Rabbit if you wish to donate an equipment prize. Prizes awarded, and the number of contest places, will depend upon the number of prizes donated. To enter your deer:Post your picture and hunt story in the regular forums. If you have difficulty posting a picture, this thread may help, or asking another member will certainly get it done. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3721 Then, E-mail Doug/Red Rabbit the field photo of you and your deer, its gross B&C/P&Y score, and a link to the story you posted. Amanda and Doug will post pictures on the home page and in this contest thread. Dougs email address is dkoepsel @ aol.com (remove spaces). If you do not post a story, photo, and email the info to Doug/Red Rabbit, you will not be entered in the contest. If you just wish to share your hunt but not enter the contest, then do not send Doug your link, photo and score. Scoring your deer. Amanda has a nice how-to on the home page complete with photos, instructions and downloadable score sheets. Again, the gross score is needed for this contest. Do not add any non-typical point lengths for the typical category. If the deer is a spike, submit just the lengths of the two spikes. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/how_to_score/how_to_score_Coues_deer.htm Entry photos with info/story must be posted in the forums and e-mail received by Doug/Red Rabbit by Feb. 15, 2012. Hope all of you have a successful Coues season. Doug~RedRabbit

After the quality vs quantity debacle, I believe G&F went to 4 hunts over 3 coues hunts to reduce the number of hunters in the field each hunt. If they were combined into one, I could imagine the scores of hunters on each hill opening morning that would want "first crack". I cannot see the advantages of a single season outweighing the disadvantages. The current system minimizes the conflict with mule deer and junior hunters during their seasons.

I would suggest Mormon Lake also for mid2late September. One can hear plenty of cow and calf calling right now.

T-bolt, were the cameras on a water catchment or tank?

Bill, It's good to read that your freezer has some fresh elk meat. Are you having Tenderloins for a birthday dinner? Doug

Good luck, enjoy the hunt, and may you not run into any jerks.

After Monday's trip to Mormon Lake, I decided to drive south of Flagstaff again to seek the wapiti of Mormon Lake and take in the bountiful flowers again. A group of 5 bulls were up feeding in the wide open, so rather than waste a stalk and push them away, Rica and I took in the golden carpet on the lake bed. After inhaling our daily dose of pollen, I noticed that the bull elk had bedded in the tall grass out in the lake bed. So with Rica under the camper shell and 300mm lens attached, I simply walked towards the bedded elk with the wind in my favor. Guess on heard me walking through the grass about 100 yards out and stood to stare my direction. Oh well, I just ventured towards them in an unstealthy manner again until the second of the two bigger bulls in the group also got up. Took a few shots as the five milled around before they barked and trotted away. After walking back to the truck, we drove to another area and found about 8 bulls together in an opening. With the sky overcast with rain clouds and being 20 minutes before sunset, the light was not the best for photographing. The non-typical in this group may make some hunter pretty happy this fall. With the bulls gone after the wind shifted 180*, a quick stop at the inlet to Upper Lake Mary afforded a sunset image. Doug