Hunting with my camera...

This morning I got up at the practically unbearable hour of 6:00am, showered, and headed north to
pick up Shawn and do some deer scouting and 4 wheeling in the snow.  I was groggy until I got a green
Monster in me, and then we took off for the mountain range known as Dog Valley, just to the west of us.
We spent about 4 hours driving and hiking in the snow.  As much as I hate getting up that early, it was
well worth it, being in the winter mountains during sunrise with the Nikon....

The snow was very dry and deep in many places, and covered with deer tracks and other small mammal
prints.

Scars left by a previous fire...



Pretty much right away, we spotted a few deer. 




I love the snow and all the colors and contrasts of winter...


The VX actually did much better than I expected it to do, but then again, it IS a VehiCROSS....




The deer are incredibly difficult to spot.  You have to really look to pull them out of their surroundings...


Event though this photo is out of focus, I still like it for some reason. I am looking through a tunnel at
them, and they stare back, wondering what the strange creatures before them have in mind...


The terrain...less than 20 minutes from my front door...


Find the raven in the photo below. 


:)






The sunrise in the mountains creates perfect moments for the camera...




I'm fat and outta shape...






Deer on the ridge...


Its hard to tell with the photo reduced to 600x400, but there are actually 9 visible deer in this photo, 
maybe more!


In this closer view, you can see 7...


Tiny snow crystals...




I wish everyone on the planet saw the Earth the way I see it.  The infinity of it, and the beautiful largeness of it,
and the incredible smallness all at the same time.  A place that is much better without mankind.


Shawn with his scope ascending...


And one final shot of a large buck and his doe...far away but watching us just as close...


Its moments like the one above that make me wish I had already bought the telephoto lens I want...