Whitetails Crossing the Buffalo Pano

Another cold, icy day.  Time to fiddle with more post processing. This picture is the 4th from the shoot I got from the Ponca low water bridge. Nice to get the deer all the way across the Buffalo. 

Getting stir crazy to get out and shoot. These gray skies can't last forever. 

Whitetails Crossing the Buffalo River at the Ponca Access

Why Not Black and White?

Days like today are great for working on your ideas and learning some new things. I took the river crossing image into my preferred  BW plugin and played around with it.

I applied a red filter to bring up the deer. Took the tree trunk and roots behind the deer down darker so the deer would pop out a bit. I lightened up the deer still more. I burned down the foreground water, again to lighten up the deer.  No formula, just eyeballing the end result.

Why not play with black and white?  It will teach you about how to work with darkness and lightness in the same composition. What you learn in black and white readily translates to your color post processing.  In some ways you might find experimenting with only black and white will help you better manipulate color values. There is the chance you will get hooked on black and white, not a bad problem to have. Whatever makes your photography enjoyable is what matters.

Whitetails Crossing at Ponca Low Water Bridge BW

Whitetails Crossing the Buffalo at Ponca

I got to the valley late today, almost didn't go because it was so cold.  After a talk with myself, I went -- it was 17 degrees.  No elk to be seen except scattered bulls that offered no great photo opportunity. 

As is my habit, I kept grinding. I made a second visit to the Ponca Access and saw a group of 7 does and fawn north of the low water bridge. Experience has taught me to wait and see what might happen. As it turned out they piled into the river fairly close to my parked car and gave me a nice series of crossing shots. 

Don't underestimate the Ponca low water bridge as a setup spot for wildlife crossings. There are trails close to the bridge both upstream and downstream, and others further on both directions. I have shot deer, otter, white winged crows, bald eagles, green herons, blue herons, king fishers, and elk in the river from the bridge. It is worthwhile. I usually stop there twice on any visit to Boxley Valley, sometimes 4 times if I make a double survey of the valley. 

Whitetails Crossing the Buffalo at Ponca Low Water Bridge

6 Point Buck by Ponca Low Water Bridge Saturday

A few of us were waiting on the bridge hoping to see otter and this 6pt buck visited for the second day. This time he only went into the river a short distance and returned to cover.  These deer crossings close to the low water bridge are fairly common both up and down stream.

Small 6 Point Buck at Ponca Low Water Bridge

Deer Crossing at Ponca Low Water Bridge

Pickings were slim this morning, but a small buck crossed the Buffalo right in front of the low water bridge at the Ponca Access as we waited for otter that never came. 

Whitetail Buck at Ponca Low Water Bridge

Boxley Valley Whitetail Deer

Visitors to Boxley Valley will see more than elk. There are trumpeter swans at the mill pond, often near an active beaver dam and mound. Whitetail deer are also pretty common. 

In my trek to one of my favorite elk spots today, I saw a coyote and a gray fox (missed them both). But I did get the whitetail doe that was standing in the river peeking at me through the foliage. 

The picture shows that wildlife photography can be approached as an abstract subject. All that out of focus color is called bokeh, and it is a fundamental creative tool in every photographer's tool kit. 

Whitetail Doe in Buffalo National River

Whitetail Deer in Mid-Summer

Doe and Twin Fawns, Ponca Mill Pond 7/29

For some reason this year there seem to be many more deer around. Everyone seems to agree on this point. It is also true whitetails are more visible around the Buffalo National River. This is most likely due to the drought -- the river might be about the only place there is much water these days. Many farm ponds are now dry.

I see whitetail deer in Boxley Valley nearly every visit, but this year there must be 5 times as many deer visible.

There are two whitetail compositions I look for in July and August. First, I like to get pictures of bucks in velvet. Second, I like to take pictures of does and fawns.

If at all possible, I like to get both in and around water. I am really fond of reflection shots. One very good spot to catch whitetails in the river is the Ponca Access just outside of Ponca past the HWY 74 intersection off HWY 43. I like to sit on the low water bridge in the very early morning and wait for deer. Crossings and deer drinking are quite common now. There is a game trail that crosses the river just upstream from the low water bridge.

Ponds are also a good bet. Pay attention to ponds when you drive by. The picture of twin fawns with the reflection above was spotted while driving by. I backed up and turned around twice to get this photo from a few different angles. The deer did not spook because I stayed in my car and used it as a blind.

Taken at the Ponca Access

Time of day. Just about any time is good for whitetail deer, but the ends of the day are best for photography and the deer move more then.

This strategy will work anywhere on the Buffalo National River. Get up early, post yourself near a pool downwind from the animals and animal trails, and wait. Generally you will not be disappointed. If they cannot smell you, and you remain still, deer will often walk up pretty close to you.

White Winged Crow, Ponca Access

If you get on a good game trail, you might get an elk crossing or even a turkey crossing. Other river wildlife could show up. You do have to be patient. Any day on the river is a great day, even if the animals do not cooperate. I am writing this at 5AM and planning to hit the river again today. You never know what you will get, and just like fishing you might get skunked, but hours spent in the wild are never disappointing.