Since I live in the foothills of the Smoky Mtns., I'm able to go there frequently and made the trip to Cades Cove the past three weekends. The weather and lighting conditions were different each time.

It was nice and warm two weeks ago when I photographed this young buck, one of only three I saw that day that still had antlers. I saw him again yesterday but of over a hundred deer sighted, he's the only one still sportin' "horns"!!



I've always said that when you walk the streams of the Smokies, there's a picture every step of the way! This spot was no exception. It was only about 30 degrees with an occasional snowflake as a cold front had put a temporary end to the warm Spring weather. D70/18-70DX, 1/2 sec., f18.



This secluded pond is one of my favorite places to sit a spell and enjoy the peace and occasional wildlife. The moss is blooming and all chlorophylled up!!



Three Wood Ducks are making the pond their Summer Home! They don't let me get too close and this was taken from about 50', hiding behind a tree. They are obviously nesting there and I suspect an illicit love triangle! This was shot at ISO 800 to get 1/320th at f4.8 (widest aperture with the 1.7x 17E TC on my D70/70-200VR) in the subdued morning light.



Love is in the air and the human 'wildlife' are not immune, as these two bikers illustrate.



Sure do love my weekly jaunts to the Smokies!

Regards,

Dick:)

Very cool stuff. I'm glad to see those great shots of the eastern hills. I think we all get caught thinking the west has it all, so it's good to see nice landscapes from out east! Thanks for sharring and keep up the great work.

How's the whitetail photography durring the rut? I have heard that there are some great places in the smokies to photography whitetail durring the rut, is this so?

Hey Dick,

Thanks for these. I really like the duck shot and the couple sitting and watching. I am not normally a big lover of humans in my photographs, but this one is quite nice...particularly with the bike and all their gear.

James

Thanks, David and James!

David, the rutting season is pretty long in the Smokies, beginning in October and running through January with some activity even into February. Cades Cove is an excellent place to watch the show as there are many open meadows.

Here's a pair of bucks fighting it out that I watched in February, when most of the bucks had already lost their antlers. This fight went on for almost 30 minutes!



James, I also generally prefer the 4-legged critters too but just couldn't pass those bikers up! )

Best regards,

Dick:)