Bugs and Bulls

[Bob]

Elk one of the most difficult animals to get pictures of. They tend to screw with your camera more than bears do. None of my cameras survived a week without the lens getting screwed up. The elk lick on the salt block, and then they come lick my camera. They get salt and slobber all over the lens, and they only do this at night. They don't seem to pay much attention to my camera during the daylight. This bull just left my camera, and he has already messed up my lens a little bit.



But later, another bull comes up the hill toward my camera. Here is he watching my camera. It seems that the illuminator and flash attract the elk to the camera. Kind of like how your porch light attracts bugs. On rapid pics mode, there must be quite a light show from the camera. I think this attracts bugs in the sommer because I get lots of pictures with bugs in them.




This bull stopped at the salt block just long enough to load his tongue with salt. All the time he was watching my camera, and now here he comes



Not sure what is going on here



It looks like he sprayed salt and slobber all over the lens. My pictures from this one on were not worth saving, and this happened the first night after checking this camera.



I have decided that my camera light show attracts elk and bugs. This picture was taken in July 2008. The bug and the bull appear to be in a race to get to the camera. I am not sure who won



But this was the last picture before this bull slobbered up my lens

[tbass]

I feel your pain on this one Bob. I put my cam about 7 feet up in a tree over a salt block because they won't leave it alone.

[macroguard]

I have a grandaughter that can't keep out of the camera shot as well. however the one with the bug is great.

John

[Michaux Fur]

Funny story right there! Such problems breed innovation. You may be the first to invent the "bug zapper slave" build. Frying bugs and zapping tongues! Thanks for the chuckle.

[saltlick]

luv the last pic.

[drahthaar]

I agree, elk love getting flashed or something. They slobber everything up all the time.

[boss hog]

I think they're just breathing on the lense of the camera. I've had thousands of pictures of elk and each time one messes with the camera. The pictures get foggy for about 2-5 minutes then they clear up

[Bob]

I also have thousands of elk pictures, several thousand from 2010 already. My lenses have mud and salt on them not elk breath. This happens in July and August also, when fogging the lens is not a possibility. The elk also knock my cameras around. They are very hard on the cameras, and I am not the only one that has this problem.
Bob

[bkieffer]

Bob looks like you will need to put a muzzle on those bull's !
Bob K

[boss hog]

I also have thousands of elk pictures, several thousand from 2010 already. My lenses have mud and salt on them not elk breath. This happens in July and August also, when fogging the lens is not a possibility. The elk also knock my cameras around. They are very hard on the cameras, and I am not the only one that has this problem.
Bob

I guess I must be lucky. , I've never had that happen yet and yup that would really suck having to pull the cameras just to give it a wash down. At least mine keeps taking good pictures after a few minutes when the condensation clears up and for that I'm grateful. My pictures were also from the months July, Aug & sept.
You sure you aren't salting your camera down for a real close up?
Just kidding about salting down your camera, Yes Elk are hard on equipment I've lost a few sensors from slave flashes to those critters, but never any camera damage yet until maybe the bulls decide to use it for a rubbin post in this summer