atthewall

Thanks guys! Yes the rut kicked off early this year, roughly 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Should be some backside rut activity around Travis County now....just make sure you hit the woods with a North wind. Things swing to the slow side on SE or S winds right now...enough heat left in the Gulf of Mexico to swing temps 30 degrees up on the wrong side right now. Here's one from the end of last week. Note his doe in the top left corner.

I have my eye on all of them Thank you! I enjoy studying this herd and it's a very rare place indeed.....no hunting....light livestock....huge ranch and no management. It has several natural springs, stream areas have been cleared just enough to provide browse/forbes year round. Denser areas full of cedar breaks mixed with oak, are left natural allowing for cover and other forage/browse options for these guys. It's low fence and the bordering properties are hunted but.....it's huge enough to contain many mature animals. I have been blessed to watch these guys live a full lifecycle from beginning to end. I roam here year round with my cameras...it keeps me out of trouble LOL! I hunt another ranch deep in the South Texas brush country (Golden Triangle - near Mexico). It's not prime there till roughly mid-December when the rut kicks-off. South Texas bucks are simply bigger....if you can believe that after staring at these guys. Scene from this morning

Thanks guys! Don't worry about the Texas Tarantulas...it's starting to cool down now and they will hibernate somewhere out there.....along with the rattlesnakes Trekking through the brush out here, one should wear snake boots and always keep one eye peeled for rattlesnakes. Prickly Pear cactus, the huge expansive patches (we call them Pear Patches) are typical rattlesnake spots. The spines protect them from predators above and they can hunt the small critters that feed/live below the cactus. A few shots from yesterday evening. Each shot has a doe nearby....note the posturing....sniffing the wind as their doe tries to feed upwind. Bucks typically try to keep their doe pointed upwind..prefering to hang back downwind relishing that doe in heat smell. Rob

Here's a few more Couple of months ago I managed to catch this pair in velvet. And a few more recent rut scenes Real late evening here Ghosting out of the cedar break Working a scrape line And this guy needed a drink LOL! This was this year's key to our "above average" rut. We went through a serious summer drought, broken by tons of rain and major drops in temp. Things simply kicked off in a big way.

Thank you y'all! Come on down - plenty of land and mucho big deer!!!

Roughly a week ago, the Texas Hill Country rut fired off in a big way! During recent years, warm weather, uncooperative moon phases as well as drier range conditions extended our classic rut out several weeks. This year's rut was different, cold fronts mixed with rain, excellent range conditions coupled with a full moon kicked off a very aggressive and well defined rut. Here's some scenes witnessed last week....ENJOY! Rob I've watched this buck for roughly 4 years now. Each year he simply amazes me. Junior "Bird Dogging" a hot doe LOL!

Thank Y'all.....coming from this bunch....I'm very honored!!!!! Yes the Gobblers on a Tear was a scene to witness! God sure has a way to humble us.....I've been blessed!!! Rob

It's spring Turkey time here in Texas. Rios are pretty darn active and very vocal. Iridescent Pipes http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3383379079/"] Dual Strut http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3383378111/"] Strutting! http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3381499702/"] The Stand-Off http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3372157082/"] Halo http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3371333749/"] Gobbler Warriors on a Tear http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3384187518/"] http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3384187244/"] http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3383373417/"] http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3383372897/"] http://www.flickr.com/photos/atthewall/3383372643/"] Rob

Thanks guys! Yes the Mexican Eagle is a great looking bird indeed!!!! They work in pairs and it's very interesting to watch them hunt.

Pics of my scene this past weekend deep in the South Texas Brush Country. The Harem Foggy Morning Sniff Got Doe? Happy Hocks Pull Over Spanish Dagger The Fence Post RAPTORS Harris Hawk Crested Caracara (Mexican Eagle) Perplexed Peccary (Javelina) Adios! Launch Time The Staredown I snuck up onto the edge of this sendero...just hoping to get a peak of any critter down the road. Well this old boy noticed a little movement in the brush and hit a run dead onto me...staring hard as he moved, he then skids to a stop and we both simply stared each other down at 30 yards.....CLICK - Vaya Con Dios!!! Absolute Thickness - blink blink and it's vanish! I never know what I'm going to run into down there. Rob

Scenes along the Texas/Mexico border in Southwest Texas. Just another highway marker Kind of reminds me of a song by Stoney Larue "Shot full of Holes" The Sendero & miles upon miles of South Texas Brush Country Javelina This old boar is a bruiser - note his ears And now he wants a piece of me....slightly PO'd! Evening forage Cruisin 11,000 acres Full of whitetail Ancient Homestead

Congratulations Bill!

Thank you all, appreciate it!

Thank you all! Jim for these shots it was a well worn Canon 350D DSLR body matched to a 300mm Canon f/4L Prime lens.

Young and trashy....wonder what next year brings? Injured buck closeup. This buch has a bum back leg and in turn it's played a role in his overall headgear configuration. This doe has finally had enough of the big 8 pointer tailing her. She is bedding down up tight against prickly pear in an attempt to curtail his rutting behaviour. Here's the Big 8, standing just to the right of her position.....hoping she gets up. Off in the distance, he has his eyes on another doe bedded down...afraid to move. Here's the other doe. The Big 8 couldn't get anywhere with the prickly pear cactus doe and bird dogged his way over to check on this old gal. Both have opted to simply lay down hoping one gets up and distracts Big 8 enough to clear. I spotted this old boy limping along slowly, nose to the ground. Apparently he's been rutting for days on end and probably strained a back leg fighting or chasing females. In spite of his worn look, he's still engaged in his courtship pursuit. Just another hot doe opting to lay low with the boys nearby. Scent checking a hot trail Working the scrape line I snuck up on this buck, tailing his doe and feeding along a creek edge. I had the high point and worked cover to close. Here's our first view....me now skylighted and him down low thinking "UH OH!!!!" Darn the fading light....he coiled up and sprung out of there and all I could do was hang on and follow! This old boy cruised by, working a scent trail and suddenly realized I was there....the eye is now staring at my CLICK And as expected......he simply shifts gear quickly with me once again hanging on with a long fixed lens LOL! Rio Grande fenceline strut I love hunting with my camera. These are all low fence, free range critters running wild and free near my home here in Kerr County Texas. I'm enjoying this more than dropping a string on any of them....guess I'm getting old Rob