Sax-Zim Bog gathering

[MN Shutterbug]

Getting out of the vehicle only when we see something, sounds like a good plan to me, especially if the mercury dips below 0. That's how I did it at the refuge in Missouri. It was 35 degrees there, though.

[jonny_redhorse]

couple pics from the "bog" of years gone by:

this eagle was on the McDavitt road 2 years ago during the "owl invasion"...actually there were 2 about 15 feet apart

and a great gray right on hwy#7 near the sax road:

what's left after the critters got at this white-tail!(taken on the South Admiral road)

the "bog" in winter:

and a few "scenic" farm shots are in the area:

[JayinMN]

Back from another bog vist today. I saw numerous eagles, crows , ravens, chickadees and a magpie. I know it is still two weeks from now, but there are quite a few deer carcasses out there on those roads that the birds are feeding on. Johnnyredhorse lives in Hibbing too so I am going to list some of the hot spots for today since he could maybe get a trip in before hand. This one isn't in the bog but its real close to home for me and johnny. On highway 5 between 169 and 37, on the back side of Carey lake a deer got hit and an eagle has been feeding on it for the last couple of days. You might want to check that one out. So back to the bog, South Admiral Rd has a dead deer on thats pretty picked over by now, but the chickadees were still feeding on it. There are also coyote, fox, and fisher tracks all around it. I saw a fisher on the road, but it was way ahead of my car. Also they are doing some logging at the start of the road and the deer trails are pretty thick and the ruffed grouse are in there eating the buds. I saw lots of grouse tracks and one was up in a poplar along side the road picking at the buds. From there I headed down to Stickney Road and took it down to Arkola. Must be another deer or something dead on Stickney too, since there was a pair of eagles and crows perched in the trees. Once I got down to Arkola I headed west to the intersection of Arkola and Overtron because those houses on the corner feed the deer heavily. The house on the south east corner always has deer in the back behind all his junk. They are too far away for my 300mm but sometimes I catch them closer to the road. I usually go up Overton on the northside of Arkola too because it has been logged and thick with deer for a mile or two up. Only saw one doe today on the other side of a 40. She was limping on three legs through the field, wasn't using a front leg at all. From there are I back tracked down Arkola back to Owl Avenue, saw a few more deer on the way. On Owl Avenue you could see where an owl had been hunting for mice by the marks in the snow where it was dicing on them along the sides to road. Didn't see any though. Towards the end of Owl Ave where it turns into Correction Line, there is another dead deer. This one had the most birds, a huge flock of ravens, a few crows and a pair of eagles, when I got down to the corner I saw a magpie flying by. I searched for some Sharptails on Dart, Racek, and Watsula roads. If you take Watsula road to Country Rd 200, guess what, another dead deer, this one had three eagles and the ever present black birds too. I kept looping around these roads between deer to try to get some shots of the eagles, not much luck though. After that I headed into meadowlands got a soda and took 5 back up to Hibbing. Dead deer and eagles on parts of Hwy 5 between 133 and 37. I pull into the driveway and I have a small deer herd in the yard and a pileated woodpecker on the tree in front of my house, go figure. I guess thats your weekly bog update

[MN Shutterbug]

After seeing your photos Jonny, and reading your update Jay, I'm chomping at the bit. I'd be thrilled with a good shot of a pileated or even a magpie. They're something different than what we see around here, much different.

[mmeyer]

Come on Guys,

I think you're posting just so you can get more replies than our Eagle Adventure post.

Nice photos Jonny. I hope you guys have good weather for your trip.

Mike

[MN Shutterbug]

We're almost caught up. I hope your weather is just as cold as our weather. Just kidding, I wish for an above normal temperate day for the whole state of MN, for that weekend, and no wind, and partly cloudy and ...

[buzzsaw]

Look at Jonny going to the well and pulling out an eagle shot! You da man!

[finnbay]

Great shots, jonny. Lickin' my chops for the adventure!

[jonny_redhorse]

Great "Bog" report Jay!...I know "exactly" where each spot is ...been at those particular spots many times!...I follow that one particular flock of sharptail in the spring on "wasela road"....just kinda wondering how and why there's so many deer carcasses on the roads...many left over woundeds from the deer season... I came across a few in that same general area also...bones along the south admiral...bones along the stickney....wolf tracks were by the ones on "cranberry" road which connects to the south admiral and "Kolu" road.....I was thinking of heading down that way this weekend either tomorrow or sunday to check out the area once again...29th isn't far away

[JayinMN]

Now that the boards up and running again. I can post a few pics from today. We need to keep this post going so those eagle adverturists can see where the real birding is......

[Paul]

Is it just me or does that deer in the 3rd shot down look like it was shot in the back leg? Looks a little blood covered.

[jonny_redhorse]

great images Jay!....I don'thave your e-mail addy or your full name or I could contact you as I'm heading out this morning down to te "bog" ...gray day here so any images will be "so-so".....been almost 2 weeks since I've been down that way...hopefully see some critters near the deer kills... takes about 30 minutes to get into the "heart" of the bog..which really is probably arkola road... but can travel a different route each time one goes down there...lavell road(#83)....zim road to forbes....branch off south of that...my favorites are the overton and mcdavitt and owl avenue of course...correctionline and south the landscape changes to more open fields where the sharpies are..all great areas for wildlife ....If you'd like to get together for a quick run through the bog,Jay...I'm in the phone book...

[jonny_redhorse]

just got back from the Sax-Zim bog... I saw 2 eagles(on Owl Avenue) and when I rounded a corner ,one flew off near an old deer carcass..no pics ....saw a deer walking down the road also on Overton Road...he jumped the snow bank and if I would have been ready(which I wasn't ) I'd have a nice shot of a decent buck .. various gray jays but flew off a ways away...also saw a pilated woodpecker but the thing was to fast (again)....of course quite a few chickadees on the deer kills....wolf tracks ,coyote tracks...but did manage a few images of another (what I think) is a hairy woodpecker chewin on a deer leg...got to get out anyhow...I saw "birds and critters" but I just wasn't prepared... ...

[MN Shutterbug]

Hey Jonny, at least you got something. I'm thinking they are downy woodpeckers, though. But then, without knowing the size, I can't say for sure. Hopefully, by the time we get there, you'll have all the critters used to humans and will just sit there and pose. On an earlier post, you mentioned that the 29th isn't far away. I believe you meant the 30th?

Hey, I went to Sioux Falls today and picked up some full size handwarmers and a couple pair of merino/silk liner socks. I'm ready, as long as I get my mitts and heavy wools socks for Christmas.

[jonny_redhorse]

Lol!...I think it could very well be a downy!..kinda looks like a hairy but the downy is smaller...this guy was about 6" so more then likely a downy.I'm no woodpecker expert .. ...thanks for bringing it to light XT....looking back, I see it was the 30th ...I stand corrected.....

[finnbay]

jonny,

Steve and I took a ride down that way today, too. Hoping we might bump into you but no luck. Did seem slow, not much to shoot. Finally ran into some eagles and we chased them around for awhile. Not very cooperative. We'd get close and they'd take off before we could really get into good position. Closest we could get was when this guy let us get within about 50 yards on my side of the car. I was driving and kept the throttle going while Steve steered and I shot. A real team effort. I had my 40D with a 300 2.8 and a 1.4 TC. Shot at ISO 400 and Av at 5.6, one stop over.

Had a good day even without a lot of action.

[jonny_redhorse]

XT... I don't plan on being very far from the heater in my vehicle .....find the birdies up ahead....see the eagles sittin in a tree....get out of the truck for a few minutes....snap a few pics...eagles will fly off....wait for a while,they probably will return....if they're hungry, they'll be back ....guy can "make the rounds" once the birds get scared off by us....just return alittle later...I've done that a few times in the past...

[Steve Foss]

Hey Ken, they turned out nice!

[finnbay]

Thanks, Steve. For hand holding a 300 2.8 and a TC from a moving car, they're okay. Had one with the tree tops framing part of it, but the head on the eagle was too soft. Good day, buddy!

[Steve Foss]

Yeah, we should write that one up in the tips section. How two people can complete a drive-by shooting on an eagle.

P.S. -- Youre images are really wide, making me scroll back and forth across the screen.

[finnbay]

okay, will cut the next ones down a bit.

[yakfisher]

That is exactly how we were shooting pheasants yesterday except that we were just passing my camera back and forth, gotta love the VR.

[MN Shutterbug]

C'mon guys. Don't wear the bog out before I get there.

[Dbl]

Nice photos guys, should be fun up there!

[Steve Foss]

Jonny, it is a downy. Aside from the size difference, the bill of the downy is much finer and shorter compared to its head than the bill of the hairy.

XT, no way to wear out the bog. Lots of action in there all the time. Only thing is being in the right place at the right time, and a LOT of that is just luck. Ken and I found the eagles in an area totally full of fresh deer and wolf tracks, so it's likely the eagles were scoping out what was left of a fresh kill. Doesn't take a few wolves more than a day or two to clean up a deer carcass.

We'll have fun on the 30th.