Camera Critters: The Thief Cometh To Kill And Destroy

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: John 10:10 King James Version

Looking back upon the events of the past two weeks of the Pennsylvania rifle deer season, I couldn't help but think of a portion of a scripture verse and reflect upon how accurately it portrayed some of the events that took place.

It all began with the loss of the adult doe featured in last weeks Camera Critters post and gradually escalated until events reach a climax yesterday afternoon. During the course of events a beautiful fawn such as the one pictured below was shot through the head.


It was within plain view of the public road, which passes through the property, and was quite close to it. There was no chance that the shooter did not see the animal fall. It was a classic case of wanton waste (simply shooting the animal for spite, or the depraved joy of shooting it just to watch it fall). I do apologize for showing such an unpleasant scene, but I do feel it is important to show what some individuals are capable of doing.


This is not the same fawn as shown in the first photograph, but it was one of the same herd. I cannot find a good photograph of this animal while it was alive, so I substituted a photo of one of its' fellow herd members.

I have found where at least one other deer was shot and removed from this property illegally. Fortunately, I was on the scene on Friday afternoon when road hunters came to the area again.


Thanks to a prompt and efficient response from Pennsylvania Game Commission Conservation Officers and The Pennsylvania State Police, the violators were quickly rounded up and now face substantial penalties. At some point in the future I will share the events of that afternoon with you, but I must wait until the case clears the judicial system before doing so.

Sadly, I am convinced that they are not the only wildlife criminals causing problems in this area, and the herd of whitetail deer, which are featured often on this blog, still face a great deal of danger.

The fawn pictured today was discovered while engaged in apprehending the violators on Friday. This particular deer was not killed during that violation; however, but had been killed previously.

Ethical hunters and non-hunters alike, despise the acts described here, but unfortunately there are a substantial number of persons out there engaged in this type of activity.

For more Camera Critters photographs, click Here.

Remembering The Blue Skies Of Summer

As I write this post today, the skies are overcast and rainy, and the air has a bone piercing chill. At times such as this, it is good to remember more pleasant days, so my mind wandered back to our late August trip to Yellowstone National Park, and I selected two photos featuring much more pleasant weather and stunning scenery.

Both were taken at Norris Geyser Basin. Norris is comprised of several features such as Steamboat Geyser, but today we feature a valley known as Porcelain Basin.

Canon 30-D: Porcelain Basin

These areas are very beautiful, but can be deadly to the unwary. Regulations forbid straying from the marked trail, which is often a boardwalk. The earth's crust is thin in many areas and it is easy to break through resulting in severe injury or death from underlying superheated water.

Canon 30-D: The Gallatin Range From Porcelain Basin

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are spots the serious outdoors person should visit at least once in their life.