Grinning Bull

[Bob]

When I was working on The W290 hack, I asked if anyone knew what the third button was for on the button bar. Javin found this info on the Sony site and informed me that it was the smile shutter button. Then he made a comment wondering if we could get the elk to smile. Well Javin, this bull has a big ole grin on his face, and I think I know why he is grinning. He is thinking about what he is gonna do to my camera. I missed this series the first time through my pics, and I deleted the pics where he was slobbering up my lens. At least now we know that elk do smile.
Bob

[Willy]

Looks like he was asking you if you know a good Orthodontist.

[tbass]

Good shots Bob.

[bowhunter57]

now that's getting up close and personal.

[saltlick]

amazing how much horn he has on. great pics.

[javman]

Nice! I knew that button would be useful

Looks like a dandy bull. I think your rocky mtn bulls get a head start in the antler department over the roosevelt bulls over here... I set up a cam in big bull country on Saturday, but I probably won't check it for two months... If I can wait that long...

[Bob]

Javin, I doubt that you will be able to wait two months. I know I would have a hard time doing that. I checked this camera this evening, and I am very disappointed. The mineral lick has been taken over by bears, at least six of them. They ate 150 pounds of feed in three days, 50# of corn and 100# of garbanzos. One took my fawn decoy away, but I found it. Two cubs got mud all over my camera. Sure g;ad I had my bear boxes in place
Bob

[javman]

Holy smokes that's a lot of feed -- no wonder those antlers are growing so fast!

The only reason I can wait two months is because it's 4 miles off-trail and over a ridge with 3000 feet of elevation gain in the way... I'm still sore four days later! Then again, if I checked it every weekend, I'd probably be in great shape by the time hunting season rolls around...

[Bob]

Javin, That feed was supposed to last for awhile. The bears got it all. I had 22 elk pics this time. Last week, I had about 1,500 elk pics. This bull is not all that large for around here. He will probably be a 350 bull this year. We have bulls that go well over 400. A friend found a set of sheds that scored 445 including the estimated spread. That is a 405 bull with no spread credit. The heavy antlers fall off first, usually in late February or early March. The small raghorn bulls can carry their antlers into April, and they don't have much new growth yet. I am not taking any more feed to the set for awhile hoping the bears get lost. This mineral lick is about a mile from my house. I can see the ridge it is on from my front yard, and my neighbor can actually see the lick. He saw four bulls at the lick early this morning, but the bears ate my batteries, memory and my feed, and then they got my lens muddy. Bears are hungry when they are eating corn and garbanzos. The deer and elk like the garbanzos. I am glad to find this out beacuse a 100# bag costs less than a 50# bag of corn. For the time being, this is going back to being just a mineral lick, no more feed.
I forgot to mention that the bears turned my camera stake so that it is not aimed where it needs to be. This sow and her two cubs were the first ti show up on the first night. That is a 50# bag of corn poured out on the ground. The garbanzos are to the right of the corn but you can't even see them thanks to the cubs.
Bob

[Cutter]

Nice shots!

Cutter