jon-rista

Its been quite some time since I last hauled my camera out for anything more than a few shots of the moon. My time has been consumed by my day job and fixing up little things around my home (latest project involves sanding down my deck and refinishing it with new stain and seal. Not an easy job!)  But, fall is arriving, and the Elk Rut of 2011 is picking up steam. The bulls are huge this year in Rocky Mountain National Park. Some of them appear almost as large as a full grown bull Bison, which is rather startling. Its good to see a lot of healthy elk, though.

This past Labor Day weekend, I managed to capture a number of great shots of the elk, including some shots of the bulls bugling and herding their harems. In the middle of my quest to get better and closer shots of the elk, I also managed to capture a few shots of a coyote lounging and stretching under the setting sun. Foxes and coyotes have always seemed just out of reach and hidden in the grass, and this weekend presented the perfect opportunity to get some great keepers of at least one of those animals.

So, I hope you enjoy the new wildlife shots I'll be uploading over the next few days. Let me know what you think, and if you have the time, please offer a critique!