PHOTOGRAPHY - BLOWING MY OWN HORN

Photographer, writer, speaker, and OWAA board member, Jim Foster won Honorable Mention in the 2009 Refuge Photography Contest sponsored by the National Wildlife Refuge Association, ATP Oil & Gas Corporation, Southwest Airlines, Barbara’s Bakery, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Wild Bird Centers of America.

His winning photograph of a Painted Bunting was taken on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

Jim Foster is a full-time outdoor writer who specializes in writing about and photographing nature, the outdoors, travel, and adventure travel. He has served as South Texas photo stringer for the Associated Press and was regional editor of two saltwater fishing magazines. A native Texan Jim now lives in Salmon, Idaho.

He is a columnist and feature writer for the Port Isabel Press and the San Benito Newspapers, the South Padre Island Times as well as his own well visited and sponsored on-line Blog He edited and wrote the OUTDOORS SUNDAY PAGE for the Valley Freedom Newspaper Group for over 7 years. Jim has just been signed on to write a photography column for the ISLAND PARK NEWS and their On-Line Magazine. This column will feature many of Jim's images taken in Yellowstone National Park.

His photographic images have appeared in magazines and newspapers across the country and in several books. He maintains an extensive stock photo file and sells to publications as well as the advertising community. Jim was the commissioned photographer for Henderson, Nevada to photograph their new birding and wildlife area. Henderson will be using the images for promotional items, their web site, and has produced a series of photo CDs on the areas wildlife. His birding images have been used by several Chamber of Commerce publications.

Jim is a member and serving on the board of directors of OWAA, and a member of Professional Outdoor Media Association, the American Society of Media Photographers, The National Society of Newspaper Columnists, The Southeast Outdoor Press Association, and is a past president (2 Terms) of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association and served 11 terms on the TOWA board of Directors. Over the years he has won over one hundred awards for his writing and photography.

His First DIGITAL BIRD BOOK is going into its second printing and his sponsored BLOG receives multi-K hunts daily.

Jim also is a popular lecturer and gives slide presentations on photography, fishing, hunting, wildlife, birding, and travel locations and events.

Jim has also written about and taught wildlife photography at several colleges and universities. He has also displayed his photography his photography at the Idaho State University gallery and several commercial galleries and has been a guest speaker schools and birding groups across the country on several topics.

END OF HORN BLOWING -

JIM'S GEMS - "THE" REFUGE

HUNTERS & FISHERMEN PAY - BUT NO PLAY
by Jim Foster

A known fact that has been around for quite a while is that hunters and fishermen were the first conservationists and remains so today.

Millions of hunter’s and fishermen’s self imposed tax dollars have been used to purchase and operate the National Wildlife Refuge System. These taxes were not forced on sportsmen but were taken on gladly in order to provide for the collective good.

It is a shame the people charged with the management of these “public lands” have a hard time grasping the facts of who paid for what. Of course we know the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has become a “politically correct” bureaucratic agency having within their ranks the anti-hunting crowd. Maybe, just plain lazy might be a better nomenclature.

Now, I don’t want to be excessively hard on these people but a glaring example might be the small number of hunting days and hunters allowed on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR). And, there is no fishing on the refuge proper.

Saying there is fishing on the refuge because the USFWS “leases” a strip of land to a county park does not mean there is fishing “on” the refuge. It is at best this is misleading information at worst a downright untruth.

A bit about fishing. The LANWR has mile after mile of bay waters that would be excellent wadefishing water. However, the refuge management has refused to listen to suggestions on how this water could be used for additional recreation. One reason given is that anglers would trash the shoreline. I walked this area last March and the whole are is littered with trash – who did this? With no fishing allowed the answer is NOT fishermen.

Bad excuse, so where are their clean up crews?

A few parking areas and entry points would provide fishing to hundreds of people and maybe justify the taxes they paid on their fishing equipment. I have offered to show the refuge how this could be done at very little cost but have hit a stonewall, excuses and more excuses. Being a bird watcher as well as an angler I can’t see the conflict.

The hunting year in the state of Texas begins September 1 and closes near the end of February with only a few exceptions that adds up to approximately 181 days Texas hunters may hunt and fish for a combo license fee of $60.00.

On the LANWR, the total numbers of days hunters may hunt is a whopping 22 days – that’s total. Wow, and that includes the two bow season held in December and January. Many hunts last only 2 days and the cost for any portion of these 22 days, is $60.00.

These minimal hunts take place on over 50,000 acres of the refuge that would support many more hunters and a larger number of animals killed. It would seem there is no actual management been done here.

Throughout the NWR System, excellent opportunities exist for sportsmen to pursue waterfowl, big game and much more.

Hunting is a popular public activity on refuge land and a practical means of maintaining optimal wildlife populations. This has led the USFWS to manage land to produce and maintain wildlife populations that will support the sport – or so they say.

It is also nationally recognized by the USFWS, that hunting is an important wildlife management tool on refuge lands. It is a real stretch to think 22 days of “low results” hunting opportunities will accomplish anything.

Now, as I have said not all refuge management exhibits this type of negative refuge use. I experienced a positive attitude when I visited the Brazoria NWR, near Houston and the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah where waterfowl hunting is not only allowed but also promoted.

The federal taxes are being paid daily but the rewards in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas are almost a moot point. It’s time for a change.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

TRAVEL - BOISE, IDAHO

THE CITY OF TREES
By Jim Foster

Traveling to Boise in a raging snowstorm in search of photographing some fishing on the Boise River, I discovered a city of over 300,000 population that is quite urban but with a rural atmosphere.

Walking around the city proper I was greeted with birds of several species and a plethora of the scampering red squirrel – even scratching on my hotel window.

I was impressed with the many historical buildings, including the Idanha Hotel. This old structure is still in use and at the time of its completion in 1901 at a cost of $125,000 dollars, was the most expensive structure ever built in Boise, was the tallest building in the state, and had Idaho’s first elevator.

Boise, is the capital and largest city of the State of Idaho, is the hub of commerce, banking and government for the state. It is a blend of both traditional and non-traditional sights and attractions.

Located along the Boise River and nestled against foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Boise offers many outdoor activities, from skiing at Bogus Basin Ski Resort, to biking on the Boise River Greenbelt to boating at nearby reservoirs.

Let’s not forget the Boise River can brag about being one of the Rockies best urban fisheries and both cold and warm water species can and are caught here. The Green Belt is well maintained and groomed. Drifting the entire length of the Urban River is a popular activity.

Boise Parks & Recreation maintains 22.5 miles of pathway along the Boise River Greenbelt corridor. Types of services provided includes: mowing of riparian areas, tree trimming, path and hard surface maintenance, snow removal, litter removal and site amenity maintenance.

It would seem the city has it all - desert, rivers, mountains and lakes for hiking, camping, kayaking, river rafting, hunting and fishing.

So named The City of Trees, Boise has one-of-a-kind museums and urban parks. Among the many unique sites to visit are the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, Idaho Black History Museum and the World Center for Birds of Prey.

Of course Boise is capitol city of Idaho and the location Boise State University, the state's largest university with an enrollment of over 19,500 students. Education is important in Boise and in is exhibited by 5 high schools, 9 junior high schools, and 34 grade schools.

The impressive state capitol building is seen from most downtown location and looms majestic at the end of Capitol Street. Boise is a town with many faces and should be explored in depth with an adventurous spirit.

A visit here should be required for all residents if Idaho and on the travel list for all Americans.

For more information on Boise and the Boise area contact the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau at; http://www.boise.org or give them a call at 800.635.5240 / 208.344.7777 Fax: 208.344.6236

To contact Jim Foster with news or comments Email him at jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com/

PHOTOGRAPHY - THE TRIPOD - A USEFUL TOOL

HOLD ER’ STEADY
By Jim Foster

Anyone who may have attended one of my photo workshops or seminars might remember I love photographing flying and running subjects with a hand held camera. This involves panning, fast shooting, a fast focus, and, oh yes, some luck involved.

The flying owl image was taken in this manner. This type of shooting in reality should be the exception and not the rule.
The number one photo accessory after the camera and lens is a tripod and like your glass buy what you can afford and don’t skimp.

It’s always better to use a tripod. If you take one of your hand-held images and give it a close look – maybe select – VIEW ACTUAL PICTIALS in PhotoShop – you may see where your image is not as sharp as you might like. This can be the case in spite of using a very fast shutter speed.

True –tripods are a pain to lug along, and I have had my share of problems lugging these three-legged monsters around. On a trip to the rim of Paria Canyon in Arizona our group was caught in a storm. In the haste to get to a lower elavation I lost an expensive tripod from the back rack of a 4-wheeler and having the 2 people behind me run it over ruining it forever.

Something like this could make a photographer leave their tripod the car on the next trip.

However, if you are going to be taking photos in the wild, a tripod can come in very handy to produce quality images. Now before we progress much further, many photo-experts will tell you that you “must” have a ball-head for your tripod. Their name for the other kind is a “video head”.

Well folks, I have never shot a second worth of video in my life and find that type of head quite useful. I do use a ball head from time to time but find that each tripod head has its advantages and disadvantages. For example turning loose of a long lens on a ball head without the proper tightens will cause you multi-thousand dollar lens to go crashing down, many times causing your tripod to fall as well. For shooting out of a hide I prefer the video head.

Now, when working with a micro lens where very small movements matter the ball head is what you will find on my tripod. A fraction of an inch move is not a problem when dealing with something as small as a flower or a butterfly on same. I would say this would be the preference of the photographer and of course your equipment budget. As for me I carry two or more tripods and both type heads.

The tripod comes into its own when the subject is photographed using a slow shutter speed or for weather like multi flashes of lightning. Trying to accomplish this hand held is a near impossibility. As you become more accustomed to using a tripod you will find many other places where it will save the day or at least make it easier to get a sharp image.

Selecting the proper tripod can be frustrating experience until you ask yourself the question. That being, how the tripod will be used and how much weight it will carry safely. Choosing a flimsy lightweight tripod for your 2.8 500 mm lens is a disaster just waiting to happen. Be careful what you buy.

Getting into the “good stuff” that will support professional lenses expect the cost to be higher. This is not the place for a $29.95 Wall Mart special made of plastic.

Choose a tripod you can use standing up as well as from a hide or a sitting position. My choice for a solid working tripod was a Vanguard ELITE 4 CF. I also use a quite light-weight Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT. This is an Aluminum Alloy tripod. The feature that makes this tripod a must-have is the multiple angle control column, making getting hard to reach angles a breeze. Used with the Vanguard SBH-50 ball head. Not only will this tripod get low to the ground but made macro photography of a honey bee much easier.

After using this product for some time, I met Jody Lamb at our OWAA annual conference and was surprised to learn the model had been discontinued. I was accustomed to this happening to computers, cell phone, and digital cameras but not tripods. This tripod is a quality product – and reflects all the Vanguard line of tripods and photo accessories.

All of the better tripods use what I call mounting plates. They will attach to the camera and then will quickly slide into slots on the tripod and lock in place. Some are called quick links.

Sorry to say, most of the different models of tripods have different sizes and shapes of mounting plates. If you are shooting with multiple cameras and lenses this will create a problem or at least slow your work down considerably.

Here’s a tip; when you settle on the tripod you want buy several extra mounting plates. This will save you from the hassle of changing plates when you change cameras or lenses. It’s a small price to pay for making a smooth change from one camera to another.

Tripods are as important to a photographer as any accessory in his or her bag. Take your time and select a product that will meet or exceed your expectations and you will never regret the expenditure.

To comment or to send news items Email Jim at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

TRAVEL - A WESTERN TRIP

THE GRAND CIRCLE
By Jim Foster

Leaving Salmon, Idaho and driving east along the Lemhi River has been the foundation of many memorable adventures. The morning was crisp and cool with a mere wisp of a breeze. Deer and one lone moose watched my passing.

Nearing the community of Rexburg the sight of the Teton Mountains came into view. There was a haze against the mountains created by virtually hundreds of farm combines harvesting the mile after mile of wheat - amber waves of grain as the song goes.

After crossing the pass the town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming came into view - as usual I was again surprised how the town has grown. Each traffic light created a line of high-priced SUV, Land Rovers and the like. Many of these so-called off-road vehicles had never actually been used in four-wheel drive. Tourists were numerous while not one cowboy could be seen. Needless to say no stops were made.

Thoughts crossed my mind of Boots Allen and his son Dick who ran guided trips on the Snake River in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. They also ran a general store where they did sold the Humpy dry fly Dick tied all winter. The story goes that Boots came to Jackson as a youngster riding on the back of a west bound wagon. A grand man he was.

At the edge of Jackson is the beginning of the National Elk Refuge. No elk were sighted due to the time of year but a pair of Trumpeter Swan did catch my attention and called for a stop - maybe add an entry for my second bird book.

Easing down the little embankment to the refuge fence my camera was soon rested on the fence. Another photographer was already set up and watching the swan so I quietly eased to the side out of his way. We exchanged quiet pleasantries and both took a few shots. As my time was somewhat limited I took several images of the feeding birds then moved on leaving the large waterfowl to fill his lens.

As the day progressed I searched for a reported large bull moose along the river and around several small lakes but the bull avoided my camera. The clouds over Grand Teton were forming so as a late afternoon activity I stopped and took several images of the mighty peak.

The next morning found me following the road away from the park and driving in the direction of Alcova, Wyoming to meet up with an old friend and past president of the Wyoming Guides and Outfitters Association, E.K. Bostick and his son Coulter.
The father son duo would be hunting with guide and now outfitter Jerry Lake on the Rattlesnake Grazing Association Ranch. E.K.’s plan was to have Coulter, a senior at Powell High School kill a trophy pronghorn.

I had hunted mule deer with Jerry near Cody so it was like old home week on this hunt.

On the first afternoon of the hunt Coulter did bring down a very respectable buck pronghorn with Jerry’s top guide Scott Martinez. That evening the sky showed signs of a weather change and by the time I had rolled out of my sleeping bag the next morning the weather had arrived. It was cooler and looked like the rain might follow any second.

We were the guests of Bob and Becky Martinez. Bob is the ranch ramrod and I must say I had second helpings of Becky’s biscuits and gravy the next morning.

Following breakfast a small group of Sage Grouse wandered close by and I grabbed a camera and did what I could considering the weather. These large birds make for some great hunting and I was happy to add them to my stock image files.

Coulter stayed in the bunkhouse while his dad, Jerry, Scott, and yours truly took off in search of a speed goat for E.K. At almost noon we spotted a nice buck.

After a round robin palaver E.K. decided he would give this one a try. The buck was standing at almost 400 yards and the rain had started to fall when E.K. settled the .270 on the shooting sticks. A split second later the buck was his.

After the photos, congrats’ and a large bowl of Becky Martinez’s “Cheeseburger Soup” we all pulled out for our respective homes- E.K. and Coulter for Powell, Jerry for his home in Thermopolis, and I for a hotel and a hot shower in Cody. The next day I would be in Yellowstone Park and then home.

Entering Yellowstone through the East entrance and driving to the Fishing Bridge area was uneventful with some bison and one mule deer buck but very little other wildlife. The drive around the lake to West Thumb was a beautiful drive but here again little wildlife.

Again between West Thumb and Old Faithful there was nothing to photograph but the scenery – not a bad thing except I live surrounded by great scenery. It was strange not to see the large herds of elk that usually greet the visitor. Could it be the much favored and highly contested gray wolf is bothering the Yellowstone elk herds?

A few miles further a group of 8 to 10 mature bull bison were standing guard over their cows and displaying to the other bulls just how big, tough, and how much dirt they could make airborne.

Following Grand Loop Road I did finely get to photograph one lone bull elk – a fantastic animal to be sure, after a brief few minutes wandered off into a stand of pines and was gone.

Leaving the park through West Yellowstone my attention was drawn to several of the Fly Shops so a bit of browsing was in order. Turning left on Highway 20, I was soon crossing the Idaho border leaving Wyoming and Montana and the Yellowstone behind.

A short while I crossed I-15 and an hour later crossed Gilmore Summit into the Lemhi Valley. The circle was now complete and Salmon was just down highway 28.

Home on the side of the mountain was just down the highway, a place to recharge and think about friends, travel, and the beauty of God’s nature.

To make comments or to report news or information contact Jim at jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

JIM'S GEMS - MORE WOLF "POOP"

THE ANTI-HUNTERS SHOW THEIR TRUE COLORS
By Jim Foster

Just a mere few days after Bob Millage, who bagged the first wolf legally killed in Idaho on opening day he told 670 KBOI news in Bosie, Idaho, he's received some threatening calls.

Some of these emotional under educated jerks have told him “he will never sell a house again – he works in Real Estate”, his business is doomed, and things like that.

Others say he should feel ashamed of himself; hopes the wolf haunts his dreams, and other equally stupid things that only an anti-hunter-animal rights radicals spout. I would bet money that none of the GED Wannabes gave their name. Cowards all.

It was encouraging to learn that Mr. Millage wasn’t disturbed by these calls. I say, “GOOD FOR YOU BOB”.

I don't really let it bug me that much…” Said Bob

Of course, as I have written in the past, over in Montana that so-called “judge” is still debating on whether to stop the hunt like his animal rights buddies are telling him to do.

Molloy refused to listen to the facts and real science the last time so I am assuming this time will be no different.

As my Dillon, Montana buddy likes to say, “ It’s obvious this guy (Molloy) didn’t make the third grade picnic”. I do agree.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

JIM'S GEMS - LET'S HUNT A WOLF

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
By Jim Foster

{The Encarta World English Dictionary defines “GREEN” as the following; 1. A color in the spectrum between yellow and blue. 2. Consisting of or containing green leaves of vegetables. 3. Consisting of or containing grass, plants, or foliage. 4. Green or green supporting or promoting the protection of the environment. 5. Produced in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way, for example, by using renewable resources. 6. Unripe or not mature.}

It is a shame this simple word, and beautiful color have led the way to so many negative words and activities – and so many have turned something good into something so wrong.

Upheld by many of the uneducated masses as well as the over-educated idiots with more interest in continuing their grants, stroking an ego, or political advancement, than protecting anything on this planet. I do wonder about judges who make such outrageous rulings a first year law student could spot the wrong thinking. In many cases, “fair and impartial” does not include the Montana judge.

Adding issues to the Green List has been easy. The first and most widely spread, and sadly believed, is “global warming” which has been touted in the mainstream press parroting the words of the presidential loser and noted mental midget, Al Gore. His winning an Oscar and the Nobel Prize just go to show how environmentally stupid some people have become. Just remember Yasier Airafat won the Pease prize, a man responsible for killing thousands with his PLO.

Hollywood’s recognition is not that surprising due to the numerous personalities who believe their show business popularity gives them the ability to comment on other issues. Most of these “stars” are not the sharpest tools in the shed.

And then there is the issue of the gray wolf in the Rocky Mountain States. An emotional issue involving emotional people who don’t know or want to know the facts as they are – not the “facts” according to the Humane Society of the United States or the ever so phony, excuse the expression, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, Sierra Club. These two groups aren’t green they are mean.

I would like to remind these educated jerks that when they sue the U.S. Fish & Wildlife for something stupid it’s their tax dollars that are used to defend the suit.

So, now the gray wolf is off the endangered species list and Idaho has opened it’s first hunting season complete with a resident license costing $11.75. Thousands of hunters were on hand the day they went on sale to buy their tags. To sweeten the pot on opening day two Idaho hunters from different ends of the state filled their tags with a lot more season left in which to hunt.

Unexpectedly the wolf loving federal judge Molloy hasn’t ruled in favor of the 13 so called environmental groups who filed the suit in his court. I am sure groups thought the suit was a done deal considering the way Molloy ruled the last time putting the wolf back on the Endangered Species List.

The dismal truth is that Molloy completely ignored the science offered in his court by experts and ruled in favor of his wolf loving buddies. Many believe he should be removed from the bench and then disbarred. Of course these were some of the milder comments that were made, after all he does live in Montana where hunting is a way of life and anti-hunters are considered somewhere below the lowest vermin.

One funny item to come out of the wolf issue the Friends of Animals group from Connecticut has urging people to boycott Idaho potatoes because of the wolf-hunting season. I do wonder what these human speed bumps will boycott when the Montana wolf season opens?

So folks you can be friends of whomever you wish – for this writer I will continue to friends with people.

So, I will close this and go wolf hunting.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com