Elk Crossing Bennetts Branch

There is something about the successful incorporation of water in the composition that makes a wildlife photo or video clip have special appeal, whether it be of animals drinking from a stream or pond, or crossing a stream that passes through a picturesque setting. As I noted in the last post, I spend little time near the river when in Pennsylvania elk country, but I frequently think about the outstanding photographs and video I have seen taken there, such as video segments taken by Billie Cromwell in the late 1990's and stills by Ron Saffer from that time and earlier. Another outstanding example that I think of frequently is "Water Fight", which features two bulls in fierce combat in the river near Driftwood.  It was taken by the late Terry Younkin and is featured on a sign at the Hicks Run Viewing Area.

At any rate, as promised here is the video of the herd of elk crossing Bennetts Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek, which most persons I know simply refer to as "the river".



This video was taken with the Canon T3i DSLR, a Manfrotto 516 fluid head, and a Canon 100-400mm L lens at varying focal lengths. All clips were taken at ISO 100.  It is always a tough choice  between using this and the Canon XL-H1.  The H1 is sharper and as long as one uses the normal lens the auto focus works well, but once one shifts to the longer lenses it is easier to obtain accurate focus with the DSLR as both must be focus manually when taking video with these lenses.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard HIll.

Late February In Elk Country

For the past several years I have spent a substantial portion of either the last week in February  or the first week in March in Pennsylvania elk country.  I decided to do so again this year, so late Monday morning found me traveling up I-99 under sunny skies with the goal in mind of arriving in Benezette in time to photograph the evening's elk activity.  The ground is usually covered with snow at this time of year, but today conditions were more like mid to late March, with  most of the fields being bare.

View From Gilbert Viewing Area-Usually Snow Covered In February

There was some snow cover in wooded areas--especially in areas protected from the direct rays of the sun, and some portions of  back roads were treacherous as well.  There was light snowfall on a few occasions  during the week, but there was only minimal accumulation and that melted quickly. All in all it was more like early spring than winter.

I did see quite a few elk, but not as many as usual, and bull sightings were few and far between.  I checked out Gray Hill several times, which is where many have seen bulls lately, but I did not see one elk let alone a bull.  Two young bulls were sighted at Devil's Elbow on Monday evening, but I filmed them with the Canon XL-H1 and  have no still photos to post of this encounter.

After checking Gray Hill and Winslow Hill at dawn on Tuesday, I traveled to Hick's Run where I found a herd between RT 555 and Bennetts Branch.  Eventually most of the elk crossed the river and again I concentrated on filming them, rather than taking stills, but I did pause at times to fire a few still frames.  It is always a special treat to film and photograph elk in the water.

Cows Crossing Bennetts Branch

A beautiful 6x6 was with the herd. He is not really a large bull, but is impressive enough to make an excellent photographic subject.  This was evidently one of the most commonly seen bulls this week as I have seen his photo posted several times on Facebook and on blogs.  Again I concentrated on video rather than stills as I have not filmed a bull crossing the river in my many years of going to elk country (I spend most of my time in the meadows and mountains, instead of the low-lands).  Of course I would love to have still photos of a river crossing also, but since video is my primary focus, I wanted video clips much worse. Eventually he walked to the edge of the river and paused to drink, and I took a still at this point.

Bull Drinking From River

One only needs to push a separate button the remote to take a full 18 meg-pixel still while in video mode, but the main problem is that one needs to use a shutter speed of between 1/30 and 1/100 when filming, with 1/60 being recommended in most cases.  It is of course possible to shift to higher speeds to take stills, but one cannot resume filming until they drop back to a more acceptable speed, or they end up with unnatural looking motion.  I took the still  without boosting the shutter speed as it seemed likely he could take off across the river at any moment and catch me changing settings in which case a wonderful opportunity would be wasted while I fumbled with camera settings. This resulted in a bit of softness in the image, due to either camera vibration, subject movement or both. As it turned out, I successfully film him crossing the river, which made an otherwise lackluster trip into one that I will not forget.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Paul Staniszewski Featured Friday On VisitPA Facebook Page

Paul Staniszewski, who is a frequent contributor to this blog e-mailed me to let us know that VisitPA has a facebook presence and that they featured one of his elk photographs on  "Fab Friday Fan Foto"  The photo is also posted below with Paul's permission.

Bull Elk In Winter: Courtesy of Paul Staniszewski-all rights reserved.

Those who have a facebook account are encouraged to see the post on the VisitPA  facebook page.  Be sure to follow the links for information on The Elk Country Visitor Center.

Winter is an excellent time to visit Elk Country, especially when there is snow cover,as it can make for  exciting photo opportunities.  I especially like to film elk in the falling snow as it is easy to capture the falling snow flakes on video, and the snow creates a wild, dramatic backdrop against which to photograph wildlife.
Snow does not show up as well in still as in video in many cases, such as in the photo below of a young bull on the weekend before the 2011 elk season.

Bull Elk During Snowstorm

There was a moderate snow coming down, and while the flakes do show up in the still photograph, they are much more noticeable in video taken at the same time.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Winslow Hill: Bull Elk In Winter

6x6 By Roadside

Tuesday March 1, 2011, in Pennsylvania's Elk Country, and a young 6x6 grazes in a camp lawn on Winslow Hill as the rays of the mid-afternoon sun provide a welcome relief from winter's cold.  Some  consider this to be a large bull, but he is not--although he does have potential.

6x6 Up Close: Note Damaged Points

This situation was perfect for the 70-200mm lens as one was able to take an "animal in its' environment" type shot at the 70mm setting and a close-up portrait type when zoomed in to 200mm.

Later in the afternoon, I found a portion of the large herd that ranges Winslow Hill near the intersection of Tucker Lane and Winslow Hill Road.  There were two bulls, one a respectable 6x6, the other a raghorn.

6x6: Dudley's Meadow

Raghorn: Dudley's Meadow

They had a few brief sparring matches, but I was unable to film or take photographs of these encounters because of intervening cows.  The 300mm F2.8 worked quite well in this situation, although the 500mmF4 would have also been an excellent choice for a head and shoulders portrait shot.

I saw not one mature bull from Tuesday afternoon, until the end of the trip on Thursday evening.  It was common to see several  on Winslow Hill and in the Medix Run to Driftwood  corridor before the current elk season began in 2001.

All photos taken with Canon 7D.  Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

A Winter Trip To Pennsylvania Elk Country

My brother Coy and I of Country Captures traveled to Pennsylvania Elk Country for a one day photo shoot on Friday February 18th. There was still significant snow cover when we arrived, but the weather turned much warmer as the day progressed and the snow melted as quickly as I have ever seen.

George B. Stevenson Dam

Bennetts Branch of the Sinnemahoning was high and discolored, and the ice had already broken up.  One could find ice jams at spots along the river and sometimes one of the jams would break loose and a flow down the river, making for interesting photographs.

Ice Flowing Down-River Near Benezette River Bridge

When we arrived most areas were still snow covered and the Gilbert Viewing Area had more snow cover than is shown in the first photo of the  post of February 15, 2011.  This had changed significantly by the end of the day and the ground was almost bare. 

Gilbert Viewing Area-Almost Bare By Late Afternoon

It was a strictly average trip from the standpoint of elk photography.  Herds of cows were scattered along Route 555, and we did see a few bulls around Elk Lick Campground, but they were not in a favorable location for photography and we did not stop.

Cow Along 555

A young bull and several cows were in Benezette most of the day, and we paused to photograph them out of the window in the late afternoon.  By this time many of the lawns in Benezette were bare.

Herd In Lawn In Benezette

We encountered a bachelor group of three bulls at a feeder along Winslow Hill Road.  The first is the largest we saw on the trip.

6x8 Along Winslow Hill Road

6x6 At Feeder

On a disturbing note, we found that the sign at the gate to the Elk Country Visitor Center was damaged by someone firing rounds from what appeared to be a handgun into it.  Visit Country Captures to see photographs of the damage  and other photographs from the trip.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

As Winter Relaxes Its' Icy Grip, Wildlife Sightings Increase

There is still well over a month to go before winter officially ends, yet a change is in the air as Pennsylvania enjoys a winter thaw.  Even in years with a heavy snow cover and bitter cold, it is quite common for the situation to be much improved by late February or early March.  A period of relatively warm, beautiful weather is often followed by a heavy snow storm, but now as the sun moves further north and the days are longer, snow does not linger as long.

Wildlife sightings may dramatically increase as herds of elk and deer tend to congregate in areas where the sun has melted the snow cover away, exposing desirable food sources such as the food plot below located on a reclaimed area of SGL 311 in Elk County.

Bare Areas Appear As The Snow Cover Recedes

Bull Elk Sparring In The Early Morning Sun

Many are anxiously awaiting the shedding of the elk's antlers, and some are expecting them to fall off any day now.  While there may be a slim possibility of this, there is little likelihood of finding antlers until the end of February, and I have seen many large bulls still carrying antlers at the end of the first week in March.  In most cases, the large bulls loose their antlers first, with the smaller bulls loosing them later.  It is common to see large bulls with significant new antler growth, and raghorns still carrying last year's antlers.

Unlike elk, whitetail deer in Pennsylvania shed their antlers in a period ranging from December to April, but the great majority have lost them by early February.

Most PA Bucks Have Shed Their Antlers By Early February

Regardless of one's particular field of specific interest, be it photography, hiking, shed hunting, etc., these periods when winter relaxes its' icy grip are great times to be afield.

In Winter, Animals Prefer Sheltered Areas Exposed To The Rays Of The Sun

Soon the tempo will pick up even more as snow geese and tundra swans arrive, to be followed shortly by other species of waterfowl.


Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Early Winter

Early January and the temperatures are often cold with the ground covered with snow.  Bald Eagles may be found cruising the skies or silently perched in trees near the waters edge, either resting or patiently waiting for an unsuspecting fish to swim by.

Mature Bald Eagle Searching For Food

Mature Bald Eagle Resting In Tree By Water's Edge

Other wildlife such as elk may be found where food is readily available.  Animals prefer the sunny, south-facing slopes at this of year as the temperatures are warmer there and as a result snow cover is less making food more easily available.  These areas are often sheltered from the cold northwest winds, making living conditions much more comfortable.

Elk Spending A Cold Winter Day In A Sunny Area

A Stand Of Evergreens Help Shelter Elk From Winter Winds

Winter is often brutal and unpleasant, but there is still much of interest to be found in the great outdoors and while we can escape the elements to a certain extent, the creatures of the wild must endure whatever comes their way.

For more photographs, information, and discussion of nature in Pennsylvania's Elk Country be sure to visit Elk Scenic Drive on Facebook.  A special thanks to Marci Geise for launching this much needed forum.

Originally Posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Late Winter In Pennsylvania's Elk Range-Part 2-Camera Critters

Mature Bull Stands In Timber-cut

In addition to grazing, elk also feed by browsing from trees and saplings. An active timber cut provides a prime food source as the tree tops that remain after the logs are cut and removed provide easy access to twigs and buds that are ordinarily out of the animal's reach.

 Mature Bull Browsing

This timber-cutting operation had just started on the day I arrived in Elk County, but a bachelor group of bulls had already found it.

Bulls Resting In Timber-cut: Note Largest Is Chewing His Cud (click to enlarge)

Three different animals are shown in this post, while five bulls were in the area. The largest bull in the last photo is not the same bull that is featured in the first two shots.

For more Camera Critters Photos, Click Here!

Original content posted at http://pawildlifephotographer.blogspot.com/

Late Winter In Pennsylvania's Elk Range-Part 1

Late winter, and the bright glaring rays of the mid-day sun are almost blinding. While temperatures may be quite cold at night, they rebound to a great extent after sunrise and the snow cover shrinks rapidly. This is technically not good light for photography, yet I like to see photos of large herds of deer and elk taken under these conditions, as they portray that the end of bitter winter weather is near.

 Distant Herd Resting At Gilbert Viewing Area

Distant Herd Feeding On Recently Reclaimed Area: Gilbert Viewing Area

I was in Pennsylvania's Elk Country from Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning and had numerous encounters with the animals. At this time most interest is focused on the shedding of the antlers and "horn hunting". I heard reports of a few sightings of bulls that had already lost their antlers, but did not see any myself. The largest bulls usually shed first. It is possible to see large bulls with new antler growth, alongside raghorns, which still have last years antlers. During the next 2-3 weeks most of the antlers will be dropped.

Saturday morning found a bachelor group of young bulls feeding and sparring by Winslow Hill Road. One of the animals stood out above the rest and I took a portrait shot of him with a Canon 40-D and 500mmF4 lens.

An Outstanding Young Bull

This animal appears to have great potential and should grow a larger rack this year. The photograph was taken soon after sunrise resulting in much better colors than the first two photos, and of course there is no substitute for being reasonably close.

Stay tuned for more photos from the trip in the near future.

Winter In Pennsylvania's Elk Range

Visit SupportPAElk For Discussion Of Pennsylvania Elk Issues.

Cow Elk At Gilbert Viewing Area

Yesterday fellow SupportPA"Elk team member Coy Hill and I traveled to Benezette, Pennsylvania, where we met with noted Pennsylvania Elk photographer Ronald J. "Buckwheat" Saffer.

Coy Hill And Ron Saffer Discuss Elk Photography And Issues

A large herd of cows, calves, and young bulls were at the Gilbert Viewing Area and we spent much of the day with them.

A Portion Of Herd At Gilbert Viewing Area

By now most mature bulls are banded together in bachelor groups, but there was one fairly impressive 7x7 bull still with this herd.

7x7 With Cows And Young Bull At Gilbert Viewing Area

Look for more elk photographs and analysis of conditions and issues in Pennsylvania's elk range in the near future.

Be sure to visit SupportPAElk for information about elk and elk management from the perspective of the non-consumptive user.

Camera Critters: Cow Elk In Winter-Short Video Clip

Elk are primarily grazing animals, but will browse if desirable woody growth is available.

Cow Elk Browsing On Autumn Olive Shrub

Filming Bull Elk With Canon XL-H1

Here is a short video clip of late winter in Pennsylvania and shows a small portion of the best video footage that I obtained on last weeks trip to Benezette, in Elk County. (The eagle was filmed in Fulton County, but it is possible to see them in the elk range).

Blogger does not do justice to the clip in comparison to what this looks like in wide screen, high definition, on a modern wide screen television, but it is still well worth the time to watch it.



Winter In Pennsylvania's North Woods

For more Camera Critters Photographs, click Here!

Camera Critters: Pennsylvania Elk In Winter

Here are more photographs from the trip to Pennsylvania's Northwoods earlier this week. For more photos from this trip, check the previous post.

While elk often feed in the meadows in early morning and late evening, they ordinarily spend the rest of the day in the woods.

Elk In Woodland

The animals spend most of the day resting, but periodically move about and feed. Sometimes they rub their antlers or other body parts against trees and saplings.

"Scratching The Itch"

While he sometimes made antler contact with the sapling this bull mostly rubbed his head and neck against it.

A Battered Warrior

This bull was quite the warrior in the rut last fall as two of the points on the right antler just above the head are broken.

For more Camera Critters photographs, click Here!

Pennsylvania Elk In Winter

Mid-Monday morning, February 23, found me traveling to Pennsylvania's North Woods to photograph and film the majestic Pennsylvania Elk. A few of the mature bulls have already shed their antlers and many more will do so in the next few weeks so this was likely my last chance of the winter, to record the animals while they still had antlers.

Most Mature Bulls Will Shed The Antlers Soon

It was bitter cold until Wednesday afternoon with deep snow remaining on the highest elevations, but the river bottoms and some of the meadows on the wind swept ridges had substantial areas of bare ground.

Bennett's Branch-Sinnemahoning Creek Near Hick's Run

Ronald "Buckwheat" Saffer met me on Tuesday afternoon and we spent portions of that day and the next photographing a bachelor group of bulls.

Buckwheat In Action In The North Woods
Canon XL-H1 Camcorder in foreground.

Mature Bull Resting At Sundown

Although we did not see a large number of bulls, the ones that we did encounter presented many excellent opportunities, which I hope to share with you in future posts.