Photo regrets

[nmtaxi]

After Leftturn's barbary pic, I started thinking about hunts I have been on that I didn't get good photos. I love looking back at past hunts, and really enjoy looking at the one's that I took a lot of photos during the hunt, and not just the end result. But, it really stings when the hero shots don't come out well.

The worst one I had was my AZ coues deer hunt. My buck wasn't the biggest, but I was really proud of it after 7 hard days of hunting. I was solo on that hunt. After I killed my buck, I set him up under a saguaro cactus and was ready for the best field photos of my hunting career. Click - shutter stuck, batteries dead. Ended up with awful backyard photos.

I also wish I had a little better photos of my moose. But to get better photos I think you need a whole team of guides to move these beasts around. Vinny and I did the best we could, and the photos came out pretty good. Just wish we could have got his nose down more to show more of the rack.

The hunt my dad regretted not getting better photos of was his bighorn sheep. Beautiful animal, just not very good photos. This one was the best he got.

What are your biggest photo regrets?

 

[smarba]

Good thread. IMO a good trophy photo is as valuable as the trophy in the first place. WAY too many trophy photos are of a gutted critter hanging out of the back of a pickup truck, etc. and for me just don't capture the essence of the hunt in the first place.

Growing up in Alaska, back in the day my dad would carry a tiny camera and take 1 or at most 2 photos of the hunt and/or trophy. What I wouldn't give to have had him burn through a couple of rolls on every hunt!

These days when I take trophy photos (obviously very easy with digital) I will take a minimum of 20, most of the time 30 or more posed trophy shots. It's amazing when looking through that many typically only 1 or 2 will stand out as being 'the shot'.

I also carry my camera in a hip belt dedicated pocket so that I can snap away very easily while hiking/stalking, etc. rather than having to stop and dig the camera out of my pack.

In the field it always seems like I'm taking too many photos or blah photos without much subject (just landscape) but when back home showing them to my family I realize how priceless they are, and often kick myself for having not taken even MORE!

 

[NMPaul]

Boy, I would hate not having better pics of your dads bighorn.

You dont look to happy in the pic with your coues either.

I basically do not have any pics from over 10-15 years. I finally with my kids started to get better pics. Now we take about a half hour to take pics. With my buck this year I bet we took 200 pics and it was over an hour. I was so excited.

Most recent regret was Kharts barbary ram this year. We were rushed and the photos no where near do it justice. He brought his horns over the other day and compared them to mine and they are monstrous.

31" ram is way bigger than a 24" ram.

the point and shoot camera I carry takes AA batteries like my GPS.

I always have batteries now. I wont buy a camera with a battery pack, to much crap to worry about.

 

[crazeymaez]

I have a bunch.I regret this one the most,
My wife and I heard some bulls bugling opening morning.
We start getting closer.Joselle starts getting so nervous and tells me she don't think she can shoot.

I see the cows and am trying to locate the bull All this time he's bugling every 30 seconds,To 2 other bulls to our left.
It's gonna be a long shot for her with the muzzy,about 120 yrds.

I crank her scope all the way up and tell her when I cow call
and he stops shoot.So I cow call a few times.At this time I catch movement to my left and this bull is standing 8ft from us.

I whisper to the left.All the time this bull is stareing right at us.Odd enough he dosent spook and walks broadside in front of us. She shoots By this time i'm a nervous wreck and having a hard time reloading the gun for her.This bull is now 50 yrds from us standing there.

I ask her did you hit him?she replies all I saw was fur.
At this time he starts losing his legs and drops.

The sun had just broke the horizon.The herd bull was still screaming.There was a beautiful pond in front of us.
I could see my breath and was thinking this is so awesome
And no camera

 

[hank4elk]

Way to many to remember. And I can't find a bunch since moving and getting PC stolen. I have a good point and shoot now that unfortunatly uses a lion battery pack. But as far as keeping it real handy during a hunt,guilty.Would rather have the gun ready than worry about pics...

 

[hntbambi]

The hunt is burned into my mind. I am not that big into pics of the end result. If I have a camera available I will take a pic but I don't waste time prepping and posing. Get the pic and get on with business.

If I kill too many to remember the hunts, I guess that is a hard problem. Sounds like someone whining about their "ruby slippers being too tight". I have 54 whitetail kills from back east and remember each of them.

If I get to the point of not being able to remember, I have bigger problems than remembering a hunt.

 

[nmtaxi]

hntbambi, while I understand what you are saying, I cherish the photos I have taken. I remember the hunt as well, but nothing can take me back to those days like a picture. I only wish I had more. These two photos mean more to me than any trophy I will ever take and I'm so glad I took the time to take them (so will my son)...
My son's first hunt -

And my father's last -

 

[npaden]

Here's my most recent photo regret. My 2009 New Mexico mule deer. Solo DIY hunt using a timer, and I thought looking at the LCD on the camera that I was walking away with some good pictures. Turned out the camera was focusing on the piece of grass and every shot was blurred.

I have been trying to get pictures with my son when I get back to camp or get home though, and this picture is one of my favorites with the same deer, so even if the field photo doesn't turn out perfect you can sometimes salvage a good photo out of it.

Of course I have almost no pictures of all the hunting experiences as a kid. Not one single picture of my dad who is now gone out hunting. Digital cameras sure have helped keep the memories alive that's for sure.

 

[leftturnabq]

I've got many, with the Barbary just being the most recent.

I'd have to say that my biggest photo op regrets have been my 2 biggest bull elk, both having been taken at last light with archery equipment. I spent a roll of 35mm film on the first only to have them all come out way too dark. The other ended up being way too dark by the time I found him, and being that it was on September 1st, it was too warm, so I had to break him down that night...so all I ended up with was the typical decapitated head shot:

We've gotten a lot better in taking our field pics, and I belive that is what got my dad's elk hunt story into Trophy Hunter mag.

I like Paul's idea, in fact, immediately after this last incident with the Barbary, I decided I am going to pick up a smaller camera that uses AA batteries versus a proprietary setup.

 

[nmtaxi]

You guys are making me feel a little better. Maybe we should start a business doing photo renderings of hero shots (kind of like King's). What do think?... There. I stole a field photo from Wayne Billings and photoshopped my head and my coues rack on it. Nope... just not the same haha

 

[woodruffhunter]

Great, great, great.....Thread!! With digital cameras, you should take a minimum of 50 pictures for your field photos (after the kill). There is no reason not to do it. Out of 50 pic's, you will get a couple of really good ones.

I have made this mistake of getting so involved with getting the animal cleaned and packed out, I forget about the pic's as well. Its unfortunate that this happens. What I wouldn't give to have some deer hunting pic's from our hunts in the 70's and 80's. We have very few.

Also, make whoever you have with you, bring their camera as well. Its good to have two cameras taking pic's.

 

[Elkhunter96]

I have several regrets, most being I was by myself trying to take pictures/pack out the bull. I just recently bought a small tripod to go with a small spotting scope so I will be able to take better pictures in the future, but it does not take away the regrets from past sucesses...

 

[leftturnabq]

>You guys are making me feel
>a little better. Maybe
>we should start a business
>doing photo renderings of hero
>shots (kind of like King's).
> What do think?... There.
> I stole a field
>photo from Wayne Billings and
>photoshopped my head and my
>coues rack on it.
>Nope... just not the same
>haha
>
>

That's awesome!! Made me laugh.

 

[TerynItUp]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-10-11 AT 04:58PM (MST)[p]Haha great thread. I don't regret this photo but I just regret what I was doing in it!! I had gone coyote calling on my way from Farmington to Albq. one weekend and had killed one stinker. I got to town, showered, ate lunch with a friend, and then on the way back to his house off of Tramway Blvd. I forgot this coyote was in the bed of my pickup. So I was going to toss it off in some rabbit brush but wanted a picture before. Right as my buddy is snapping the picture some Lib drives up and see whats going on and gives me an earful!! Sorry for killing the "beautiful animals that live in your backyard!"

Really though, I am not sorry one bit. See below.


Hunt Hard. Shoot Straight. Kill Clean. Apologize to No One.

Hunt Hard. Shoot Straight. Kill Clean. Apologize to No One.

 

[pirogue]

I hope a lot will learn from this thread and and be more conscientious in the future. Cameras are smaller than a pack of cigarettes these days. No reason to not have one in the field. Maybe we won't see the back of so many pickups. Mayby one day, there will a site that will not allow pics unless the animal is whole, presentable, and in its natural setting.

 

[nmtaxi]

Leftturn - I thought it was hilarious. Glad somebody else did too.

Teryinup - the story along with the look on your face made me laugh. That's a funny story.

I like any success photos. I could care less if somebody wants to take it in back of their trucks, blood everywhere, tongues hanging out. Doesn't bother me what other people do. As long as the kill is ethical and the meat is salvaged - that's where ethics come in. I don't think a photo has anything to do with "respect" for the animal. For me, it's just a great way to remember and celebrate the hunt. It's still just a picture of a dead animal.

 

[stinkystomper]

Photo regrets?????

Hmmmmmmm, when I think about mine I would have to say absolutely.

I guess my greatest photo regrets were back in high school. there was this one chick and oh my god!...............

Oh wait, you guys are talking about something else aren't you? lol

 

[nmtaxi]

No, we're not talking about your yearbook photo Stinky. I'm guessing this was before QTpie met you.

 

[stinkystomper]

I was a handsome S.O.B wasn't I.

they called me the mac daddy womanizer! Now i gotta manscape the rug under the collar which takes away from my exotic allure.

Friggin wives just don't have any taste these days do they?

 

[Lewy]

Great Thread!

This year I shot my first Bull and I really regret not getting some good field pics without my face paint on. I took some back at camp later but they were just not the same as the whole animal in the field.

He was a club but you have no idea the blood sweat and tears it took for this first bull!! These pics today make me choke up. I can't imagine how they will feel years later.

REGRETS! Check out the two eyed monster holding him!

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos/53new_mexico_10_051.jpg

 

[WapitiBob]

Note #1)
Back your stuff up to DVD's and USB drives. If you don't know how, ask the kid down the street.
A real shame to lose pictures.

I'm not a picture guy so I bought my wife a real camera for Christmas so we can get more pics. She did most of the picture taking on my 2009 NM hunt. Lots of scenery stuff that captures what we were doing and where we were. I never did that on hunts before and it sure makes a difference when you go back and look.

 

[NMPaul]

Cheapest point and shoot digital camera I have seen is on Woot.com today.

http://www.woot.com/

$50 is a great price for a 12megapixel camera.

Unfotunately it does not take AA batteries. I know the Nikon coolpix does take AA batteries and you can pick one up for about $100

They take amazing field shots compared to the old 35mm cameras.

As technically retarded as I am, I figured out how to use the timer, prop the camera on a rock and take pics of my solo barbary sheep this year.

 

[Paradox]

My biggest regret is I have very few pics of hunts with my dad.
He died of leukemia last year at 70. You always think there's always next year!
When I went through my hunting pics, I could only find a few poor pics.
Take lots of pics while your parents are alive and your kids are young!!
You never know.

Ed

If you ain't the lead dog,
the view never changes

 

[ronaldo]

Regret: My biggest archery elk and I didn't realize I had a water droplet on my lens.

 

[HunterHarry]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-19-11 AT 03:21PM (MST)[p]In October of 1998 I was flying out on an interior grizzly bear hunt.
My guide who was the pilot of the supercub tilts the wings down and we look at a freshly wolf killed moose along the Gakona river.
There is snow on the ground and we can see the many wolf tracks leading down to a sunny snowbank along the river.
There on the snowy flat are about a dozen wolves.

I had 3 wolf tags in my pocket and tell him I'd really like to try for the wolves.

In Alaska you can't hunt same day airborne.
We decide to land the plane about a mile away and spend the night, hoping the wolves are still cleaning up the carcass in the morning.
The next morning we were up early and sneaking our way toward the dead moose.
We get to a couple hundred yards downwind and there they are.
I flopped down prone and take aim at the biggest of the bunch, a big gray with real white legs & belly with the classic dark upper & light lower gray wolf colors.
He was a stud.

My first shot hits snow that was unseen in my scope and misses the alpha male.
The pack bolts, but I get one more shot and knock one down.
My guide whispers for me to remain quiet and begins howling.
Sure enough I see another wolf pop his head out of a willow patch about a hundred yards away.
With a steady shot I knock that one down as well.
High fives abound and we go over to check them out.
They were great looking wolves.
Just before we start skinning them, my guide suggests we get some photos.
OOPS!
With the frigid cold weather I had put the camera in my sleeping bag to keep the batteries warm the night before.

BIG MISTAKE

In our haste to get out hunting in the morning I had forgotten to take the camera out of my sleeping bag in the morning and to this day deeply regret not having pics of my two wolves.

That won't happen again.