hwqile I’m down at Tejon ranch chasing hogs, I’m gonna let my buddy from Montana, DJ Rankosky tell you all a story complete with pictures, about a couple of bull elk he has gotten to know over the years on his trail cameras:

One of the things I like to do with my trail cams is hike them into some remote basins and set them up on wallows and springs. Obviously I get some pretty neat elk pictures and bear pictures, but I am more surprised at what I don’t get. Not one picture of a lion, lynx, wolverine, or other small carnivores like weasels or martens.

Like I said, I get lots of elk, and two bulls stirred my interest in the summer of 2007, one I dubbed “toad sticker” and the other “thirds”. The “toad sticker” bull had a freakishly long left second tine, it stuck out to the side like a sword. Overall he was a nice six, long main beams but very narrow, not being 36 inches wide. “Thirds” was a nice bull, the big dog in the basin; his third tines were much longer than any other bull I had ever seen in this country. They never showed up together, but “thirds” had a little tag-along rag horn that was always with him. Both bulls played into archery season 2007, but “toad sticker” is the most interesting story.

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A Roosevelt elk herd North of Orick

Big Daddy was keeping watch.

A Tule elk herd near Laytonville.

Ok.   Here is a look at the big guy…

The grass on the hills is all a golden tan, and only the faintest traces of green grass remains around hillside springs and low lying valleys, in the North Bay Area.  Deer are being concentrated in the evening and mornings on the few places where green feed is still abundant.  In the rural/suburban interface, these are usually lawns and golf courses that are kept green with sprinklers.  Since the Blacktail bucks are still grouped up in bachelor bands, it can make for some great wildlife watching.

At first glance, you might think that the high fence is part of a deer farm, but that is NOT THE CASE.  One of my friends was kind enough to send me these photos of some bucks who were in the city limits at a manufacturing facility.  Goes to show what kind of blacktail genetics are in Sonoma and Marin County. 

I always wondered what made the dogs all start barking in the middle of the night, when we had their kennel out behind our bedroom. it wasn’t until i was out chopping thistles the other day that i discovered the culprits.

A den of foxes has set up shop in the blackberry bushes just 200 yards friom the house. In the evenings the pups come out and roughhouse with one another. I was able to get a few photo’s the other night.

I get a kick out of old hunting photos.  I received a copy of this one from a fella who I work with and did some detective work to figure out who is who in the photo.  The most colorful figure is the big man on the right. Charlie Hall was the stuff legends are made of.  The “Bloomfield Giant”  could out-work, out shoot and out drink nearly anyone who would take him on.

From the LEFT
Chuck Bricker (on the ground looking to his left)
Back row L-R
Frank Bean
Chuck Reeves (boy with no hat)
Paul Martin (John’s dad)
Colby Martin (John’s Uncle)
Marie Roberts
Fletcher Roberts
Gene Steinbeck

Front row L-R
George Reeves
Ken Martin II
Harry Steinbeck
Ken Martin I (John’s Great Uncle)
Kenny Reeves
Billy Steinbeck

Charlie Hall (on the ground on the Right of the picture)
Dog-Jill (Harry Steinbeck’s Turkey herding dog)
Taken in 1962,
at the Steinbeck Ranch on Roblar Rd.

I bought my Canon S2 IS in December of 2005.  Since then I have pretty much taken it everywhere with me.  I’ve taken pictures of family events, critters along the roadside, lots of Sunsets (we get good ones with the fog rolling in the evening).  While on my Alaska trip I noticed that sometimes when I powered it up, I would have a black display in the viewfinder.  It happened again when I was archery hunting on the weekend of August 18th.  I thought it was cold, but when I did some research it seems that this is a common occurrence in Canon Powershots.   Apparently it is (for you techies out there) a fault with the CCD chip connection to the LCD screen.  So common in fact that many models have a free repair advisory.  I was hopeful that was the case for my camera.

After sending my camera to Canon, they sent me an estimate for $127 including shipping.  I reluctantly agreed and authorized the repair.  I should have the camera back in seven business days.  My alternative was a refurbished camera for $175.  So I guess I will take my lumps and get my camera repaired.  I feel empty with out it.