In My Yard
I live in a small village in north-central New Mexico and the Jemez River runs through my yard. There is one apple tree; I don’t harvest the apples. In the fall when they begin to ripen, the deer make my yard their own and feast on the apples.
They also come through to get to the river. There is a drainage that runs from the mesa top five hundred feet above and the deer use this as a conduit to move to and from the river which is the most reliable source of water for miles.
The deer: bucks, does, and fawns have become a regular source of enjoyment for me. Just looking out and seeing them browsing at the tree or grazing in the grasses gives me a sense of connection to them and their world–my world.
Last week while editing some images and trying to pick one to post to my Facebook page, I went to my coffee pot to pour a cup, then to the door to survey the yard. I was greeted by this majestic bull elk. There are plenty of elk in the Jemez Mountains and I’ve seen many on, or near the road, especially in the high country; but this was the first time I had seen one in my yard. He was nervous and I had to move slowly to get into position to get a decent line of sight.
I managed to make eight exposures and the two I have posted here are my picks. I hope this guy makes my place a regular stop in the future.
Beautiful images Jim. I like the blue elk pictures especially.
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January 16, 2013 at 9:12 am
Thanks. That elk was an unexpected gift.
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January 16, 2013 at 10:16 am
I meant bull elk..
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January 16, 2013 at 9:13 am
You are lucky man, Jim. =)
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January 17, 2013 at 7:38 am
What a busy yard you have! I am taking a lot of yard pictures now that I’ve moved to a small beach town in Costa Rica. Parrots fly by in the morning…almost impossible to get an emotive shot of them – they’re busy. Howler monkeys will at least sit still, and the Capuchins just sit and throw stuff at me. I guess I got to live somewhere. I’ll guess your posts will be my large mammal fix for now…there’s none of those around here, just a lot of geckos, iguanas, tarantulas, and scorpions. Pura Vida!
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January 17, 2013 at 6:18 pm
I am so jealous, love photo!
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January 18, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Thanks.
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January 21, 2013 at 7:53 am
Nice shots! You’re lucky to have such willing and photogenic subjects as neighbors.
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January 19, 2013 at 6:11 am
A lot of beautiful elk photo’s
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January 19, 2013 at 4:29 pm
You are extremely talented! Love your photography.
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January 22, 2013 at 7:52 am
Thank you Jennifer. I appreciate your kind words.
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January 22, 2013 at 8:04 am
Beautiful shots, gorgeous Elk.
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June 15, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Thank you.
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July 6, 2013 at 12:18 pm