No head shot, but a remarkable shot of the torso

Wild game has been part of New Mexico and the Land of Enchantment continues to be a destination for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts worldwide. It is rare to capture these incredible beasts with a camera and I have to study and adjust to their habits if I have any chance at all of coming home with pictures or videos of wild animals.

The bear footage above was captured by an I-phone camera while driving with one hand and filming with the other (let’s be clear, this is not safe). This area is north of the High West Ranch and due to the large number of elk I see in the area I decided to arm myself with the camera on video mode in the event I saw something;  I was not going to miss out again on taking images of these elk herds. As I rounded the corner on the dirt-road I saw something grey or white moving in the trees and immediately pressed video play. It turns out what I saw in the trees was a pack of coyotes waiting for the bear to leave the carcass as the smell of death was powerful and distinct (even to my human nose).  I surprised and startled this huge bear gnawing on the dead carcass and upon seeing me he sprinted across the field so quickly I never had a chance to catch-up. The footage I caught was brief but exciting. Once the bear left I set-up my game camera to capture the aftermath and feeding frenzy but when I returned to retrieve the camera a few days later the carcass was simply too far away for the camera to take images of the activity. The nearby ranch manager said he had seen a mama and cub in the area and I’m sure she did not return as there is plenty vegetation to eat and my “human element” was too dangerous for her to take a chance on coming back especially if she had a cub to protect. The coyotes and vultures took care of the rest of the carcass.

Not far from this bear sighting heading in the direction of the Angus Hills Ranch I had placed a game-camera at a nearby pond. The number of hoof prints certainly indicated this was a good place to capture some really great images of game activity and I was hopeful and enthusiastic about this location.

                                                                                

Approximately ten days after placing this camera I was stunned when I arrived at the pond as the size had increased by 50% and now the game camera was right on the very edge of this pond. Take a look at the sequence of photos here as this not only demonstrates the size of some of the elk in the area but the sheer magnitude of rain that falls in the area of the Willow Creek Ranch. 

If you are interested in pricing and details regarding hunting, ranching, or recreational properties at the Willow Creek Ranch feel free to call or write.

Tom Rael – Great New Mexico Properties, LLC

505-670-7299

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