The Wind River Canyon, here in sapphire skies Wyoming, is an ecology that's in constant change; the weather and the wildlife never sit still for very long.  Early in the morning I always look to see what wild animals are "out and about" in this cold valley.  Last Thursday before seven o'clock my big, curious buck mule deer was in the small field just behind our cabin.  I knew right Mule Deer-My Friend-Wind River Canyon, WyomingBuck Mule Deer photographed in The Wind River Canyon, Wyoming. away it was him again, as no other buck deer in the area is built the way he is:  I had seen his tracks in the melting snow and mud last week.  He's big, strong and probably weighs nearly twice what I do.  

     This particular mule deer has a strange curiosity about me in particular, which actually began years ago.  We were both younger then, and I was just beginning my quest for bigger game to photograph digitally, when one afternoon two bucks came around to feed on some sweet, green grass.  I grabbed my always ready camera, and my usual cowboy hat, and went outside to try and photograph these always wary deer.  To my astonishment he made eye contact with me, and didn't just bound away in two seconds.  He was wary, but seemed to desire more interaction than deer usually do.  We spent a little time together that very first meeting, and all went well.  I was to see him, and his "mates" again and again over these past years; and he always loves to make eye contact and spend some time together.  

     This kind of interest from a large wild animal is unusual, and is a real thrill to experience Mother Nature this way.  And Thursday morning March 26 I was outside with my favorite buck deer and Canon lens.  We were both calm and relaxed in the early morning Spring cold, yet something truly bizarre was going on as I arrived on the scene.  

     A Black-billed Magpie was sitting on my deer friend's back!  Magpies nest in the area, and are a fun, gregarious large bird, that will eat almost anything; except carrots for some reason.  This big black and white bird was picking nits off his slightly ragged winter coat, yet this strong, friendly buck deer didn't seem to mind a bit.  In over half a century of hunters and photography I had never even heard of such a thing.  I was trying to photograph this obviously rare event in the dim Wind River Canyon; the Sun doesn't reach the bottom of the canyon for quite some time.  Making adjustments to the camera on the fly, it was a real challenge to get something that was usable later.   

     Now, for the technical part of this early morning Spring adventure:  Rarely do I ever run the ISO above 400, which means the lens was wide open at f/4, the shutter speed was set at 1/100 of a second; hand held of course.  Because the lack of any good light, this early in the morning in the canyon, meant lousy color, I finally came around to working some of the digital files in black and white (monochrome for you old guys like me).  This technique is relatively simple, or as complex as you want.  I used Canon's supplied software on the large RAW file, the method I recommend, then "touched up" the monochrome in Adobe Lightroom; adding more sharpness, contrast, and a slight vignette; which I love because it reminds me of my grandfather and his darkroom days.  

     I had to crop out the stuff in the original digital file that didn't belong, or didn't please me.  And in this don't be shy, it's your vision and your photographic art; go for it!  Keeping in mind certain rules of art, it's your photograph to make the way you see.  And in this I have always been adamant, make your picture your photograph; and don't be afraid to break a few rules in the process.

Magpie Riding Mule Deer - Wind River Canyon, WyomingMagpie Riding Mule Deer in the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.        Now, for a fun observation from this early morning shoot; is this Magpie the "Deer Whisperer?"  And how do I get either of these wild animals to trust me the way they trust each other?  I've been working for ages to get a Magpie to trust me, and they don't.  They have no reason to trust humans, as they've been slaughtered in the past; a bounty was paid for their feet in the early twentieth century.  

     The bounty for a dead Black-billed Magpie's feet in that far-off time?  Believe it or not, the bounty for just the feet was ten cents!  I was told a story, many times, of a ranch lady that paid for a new sewing machine this way.  Magpies were considered pests, and killed by the score, yet both of these perceived "pests" are vital to this ecology.  And you gotta admit, these two make a cute couple........

Blog and photography by Michael John Balog - Hogbats Photography - Wind River Canyon, Wyoming

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