But the other turkeys are going strong and I will show you a few of them.
TMBB
It requires me getting up at mid night and diving for over 3 hours, packing in a blind and my equipment to the lek, and and having it all set up before they fly in, (which is usually around 4am plus or minus 15 minutes. Then you sit there in the cold (is 0 degrees or below cold?).
They fly in and start their thing all around me, A few times I had birds hit the blind as they fought. But for three hours you basically sit there in the dark, with all this action going on around you and wait for it to get light enough to shoot. Then once it just gets to decent light, they fly away (usually between about 7:30 and 8:15). That is unless a hawk or eagle flies over and they all leave. And I have driven up there and did all I described and had an eagle fly over before I even got to take on photo.
The only people really dumb enough to do that are die hard bowhunters! Ha Ha
But there's a big payoff when things work out right and here are a few photos from those times from this year.
Have a great bowhunt. BB
Have a great bowhunt. BB
Interesting to know that they fly in when it’s still dark. Would never have guessed that.
Thanks, always enjoy when you post pics.
Great pics BB...... thanks much...... a lot of work goes into that stuff. How far away were the shots?
Sage grouse are found in landscapes with lots of sage, that have small ravines, springs and meadows. Most are found in the intermountain area. (Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado etc. From 6,000 to 7,500 feet is where the majority of them are found.
Leks are areas where they come and have come for many years. By that I meant hundreds if not thousands of years, to the same spot, each year to strut and mate.
My dad used to tell me about them when he was a kid there were thousands upon thousand of them, but its to that way anymore. There number of dwindled and they are becoming quite rare. But their lek activity is something to behold.
For example the lek I like to go to, has at its height over 100 males doing their thing for the ladies, but the hens end up choosing just one or two of the rosters to mate with, so most of the males go without.
This phenomena goes on for about two months, beginning around March first and going in the first weeks of May. Most hens are bred by the end of April and the lek begins to fall off with less participants as time drags into May.
The hens go off to lay and sit the eggs and as spring turns into summer the males and females intermingle in coveys, Grouse season is usually in the late summer or early fall in most states that allow hunting. I hunted them every year when I was in junior and senior high. If you shoot the young birds they are wonderful to eat. My Mom cooked them better than any I have ever had, and her sage grouse are still the best wild bird I have ever eaten.
Well I hope I answered everyone questions. If I didn't ask again and I will try to check back in the answer them.
And here's another funny looking turkey that was lucky enough to photograph. Its a mandarin duck. They are an Asian duck, and very rare ducks and seldom found in the United States. I saw five males and one female the other day walking my dog, but by the time I took her home and got my camera and returned I ended up just finding four males. They have to be the prettiest ducks on earth. I am not a duck person and seldom will take any duck photo, but I love wood ducks and now mandarin ducks are my favorite. I hope some of you can appreciate their beauty and enjoy these photos.
Have a great bowhunt. BB
Have a great bowhunt. BB
