Photos from the field

Through my adventures photos are taken that never seem to make it into specific fish posts. So much of my fishing goes unseen or heard. Even though these pictures may not be ready for prime time fishing posts, I still add them on occasion to shamelessly pump up the post count on my blogilicious. And with that I submit to you…Photos from the field.

Hidden Driveway

Winter this year has been a real mudder ducker. The snow levels have been above average and even though it’s a real pain in the axle to drive in…the watersheds around here need this extra moisture. Times like these it often helps to look on the bright side. At least you don’t have to shovel this guy’s driveway. (see picture below)

These are all pictures that I have taken myself using my new Canon Powershot A2000 IS. So far this thing is doing real well with the pics and ok for the video. Video quality is still better than my POS Koda-smack that was rendered useless after a few minor tumbles. Check back with me in a few months and see if the Cannon is still keeping up.

Eagle Eyes

Below: I was blessed with a great shot of a bald eagle perched a few hundred feet away from me while fishing on the tooner. This is just a basic zoom shot against a cloudy background. I am still amazed that this shot turned out so well.

This raptor was eyeballing me pretty hard. After a while I figured this bird was thinking one of three things:

1. “I wish this guy would hurry up and kill a fish. An easy breakfast would really turn this cold morning around.”

2. “Hmmm…wonder if he has any live bait in that tackle bag? Everyone else brings a minnow bucket. I could go for a bucket of minnows right about now.”

3. “One talon swipe and that red pontoon boat is scrap rubber.”

Elk and Bison…Hooves on the Landscape

The Front Range is an amazing place with all sorts of wildlife opportunities. It is almost as if the deer and elk sightings are daily commonplace. Unless it is hunting season of course. Below is a gratuitous elk shot snapped from a “local herd” a few days ago. Made it through another cold season.

Deer, elk, coyote and other sightings occur enough that they blend into the common landscape. Something becoming more common (at least for me in my travels) are sightings of bison. A few ranchers raise sizeable herds of these “Buffalo” for profit and it really gives Colorado that old western feel. Bison “on the farm” here in Colorado comes with some controversy. In this case shown below, only a small fraction of this herd is culled for profit every year. The majority of the herd is kept intact (as recommended for the social benefit it provides to the herd overall) and the numbers have grown over the years. Bison are kept far away from cattle (to spare transfer of certain disease and bacteria) on a large expanse of land maintained by the owner.

In my view this is an example of where profit and conservation of a large midwestern animal (that was once nearly extinct) can go hand in hand. Not a perfect example to be sure but better than protests on both sides that solve nothing and confine these creatures to only Yellowstone National Park.

In closing I want to say thank you all for your comments, rates and patronage on my blogilicious. This will be my second year on the blogspot scene and I truly hope that my viewers, readers and even the occasional passer-by take a moment to soak in the humor, sarcasm, shameless bragging and of course the sense of adventure that I try to pour into every other post or so.

My name Matt and I’m a fishaholic.