Wierd Morning (2nd Updated pictures)
Printed From: Tippmann Paintball
Category: News And Views
Forum Name: Thoughts and Opinions
Forum Description: Got something you need to say?
URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=164102
Printed Date: 03 March 2026 at 5:52am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Wierd Morning (2nd Updated pictures)
Posted By: *Stealth*
Subject: Wierd Morning (2nd Updated pictures)
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 11:16am
|
So today, at 6:30am (January 31st) I get up in high hopes of
photographing a River Otter. At 6:45 I'm out in the frigid air of the
northern forest, trudging through two feet of snow for 40 acres to get
to a pond, where I can sit down... and freeze some more. *Flash back to yesterday - January 30th* Yesterday, when I found the tracks, I roped down the exact point of where the otter was currently inhabiting, but that wasn't enough for me... I wanted to know where it came from as well. So I followed its old trail through the forest and across a property line. I figured that if I upset the owner of the property with my presence I'd just explain to him what I was doing, and promise not to do it again... I didn't see much, if any, harm in what I was doing. But the thought of what could go wrong stuck in the back of my head. *7:12AM January 31st* I've found myself a nice log to freeze on near where I suspect the otter may come out of the watter. My butt is numb, and I am hungry. Not much is happening, with the exception of something that is just crashing through the woods about 500 feet across a field andto the right of where I sit. I believe it to be a bear, it's coming closer to wood line I'm near, and I hope to snap a shot of it. Much to my dismay, instead of a bear, it was man. He was wearing a blue windbreaker and jeans, he had on no gloves, and he came from the property I trespassed on. I thought to myself "That is some true dedication to the pursuit of trespassers". He was around 300 feet across the pond from me, he came out of the wood line... looked around this two track he had come onto, and went back into the forest, heading away from me. I was puzzled at this, but didn't think much of it. So I went back to the business of freezing. 15 or so minuets elapse. A squad car rolls up the two track across the pond, I get nervous. I am currently on a property that is not ours, but I do have permission to be on, or at least I thought, but with all this activity so early in the morning, I was uncertain to say the least. The officer gets out of his car, he is a state official. He looks around, and spots me. He yells across the pond "I want you to come here". It's 20 or so degrees out, not factoring the wind chill, and I am sweating. I think to myself "I'll just explain what I was doing, and it shouldn't be that big a deal". I wave to officer and yell out "howdy" as I walk across the ice. Upon getting near him he begins his questioning. "What are you doing here?" he asks. "I'm attempting to photograph river otters sir, I was under the impression I had permission to be on this property" "What's your name?" "Keith Saylor Sir" "Do you have identification?" "No sir, I was not expecting this nature of business in the morning" "Are all these tracks yours sir?" "Yes, Officer... They are all from yesterday, tracking the Otter. Today I have been sitting just where you found me" "Did you walk through the woods sir?" "*I explain to him that I came through our 40 acres of woods, tell him that I live on the next property and how I got here*" "So all these tracks are yours?" "Yes Sir" "Did you see any persons out here today" "Yes sir" *I explain the man, where he came from, where he was heading, and his description* "He was making a hell of alot of racket too" I say. The cop says "He should be, He is running from us" At this point, another State official, on foot comes running out of the property I had trespassed on, following my trail. I tell the officer I am with "That cop is following my trail". The officer I am with and I, yell over to the officer on foot, and explain the situation. I point him in the direction he needs to be heading, and tell him he's about 15-20 minuets behind the guy. The squad car officer thanks me... I ask him "Should there be cause for alarm? would it be wise if I got out of here? he explains "Your fine" as he walks towards his car. So I walk back to my spot across the pond, to get back to "operation buttsickle". 7 or so minuets pass, when another state official also comes out of the woods, again following another sett of my tracks. I explain to him the situation, and point him in the correct direction too. He thanks me, and looks at my shoes to see what prints they leave. I decide, it would be best to just get out of there. If any more officers get misplaced by my tracks, they will end up at my door, for now I have two officers directly on his trails. It was exciting.  |
Replies:
Posted By: High Voltage
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 11:22am
|
Nice..
------------- 
|
Posted By: Reb Cpl
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 11:22am
|
heh. nice. Let us know if they catch the guy....you should get some kind of citation.. nice pic too by the way.
|
Posted By: pntbl freak
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 11:23am
|
Nice picture. How long were you actually out there to get that picture? All the power went out on my campus for a little bit. Got me out of my lecture. |
Posted By: Clark Kent
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 11:24am
| very nice picture. |
Posted By: reifidom
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 11:25am
|
Get big wooden monster feet and go walking around in the snow in the general area. ------------- 
|
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 11:25am
Three hours in the morning for that one image, I'm heading out again shortly, I'm hoping it will be more active in the afternoon. |
pntbl freak wrote:Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 11:29am
|
Nice picture!
Have you ever thought about going into nature photography as a career? With that kind of dedication, I'm sure you could get the guys at Natl Geo to take a look at the very least. ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: Justice
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 12:00pm
|
Awsome. That's a story to tell the Grandkids someday. ------------- 
-JUSTICE http://www.myspace.com/outkastpaintball - Outkast Myspace |
Posted By: ShortyBP
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 12:12pm
+1 And you have place(s) to stay here in the DC area should you ever come out for an interview. Good work helping with catching the "bad guy" too. 
|
Posted By: Benjichang
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 12:17pm
|
Awww. Good story too. -------------  irc.esper.net #paintball |
Posted By: Da Hui
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 12:17pm
|
"Operation buttsickle" Anyway thats a awesome photo. ------------- 
|
Posted By: € Råp¡Ð F¡rè €
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 1:51pm
|
Awesome story and photo. Did the cops ever say what they were after the guy for?
------------- 
|
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 2:05pm
| Keep an eye on your local news, I wanna know what the dude was running for. Should have photographed the other dude. |
Posted By: Dye Playa
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 2:35pm
|
yea, imagine it was like a million dollar reward for the capture/info leading to the capture of the guy LOL. and you had your camera and everything, that would suckz0r. but nice picture. ------------- 
|
Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 2:53pm
Shorty's got it, he lives in fall's church (just inside the beltway) and I've got a place right in the middle of town just up from the geographic offices ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: SandMan
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 3:08pm
|
:)
Nice "day in the life of"... ------------- Real Men Love Cheeses |
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 6:47pm
|
According to a lead in to 7&4 news (A regional news report) there was a man evading police in the woods of Northern Michigan today, running from state officials after a case of home invasion. Of course, there could have been incidents of this nature today in other counties. *Edit* As suggested, the TV news report was of a different individual that the law was after, this one in Antrim County near Mancelona, for armed home invasion. More news at 11pm. |
Posted By: Pariel
Date Posted: 31 January 2007 at 8:21pm
|
Wow, good story, and a picture of a beautiful otter.
Nice shot. |
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 1:21pm
|
Today was a very productive day with the otter. I've learned that it is afraid of my fill flash... but if I don't use the flash it couldn't care less about my presence. I'm not done photographing it yet, but I'd call this one a keeper... (No word yet on the guy in the woods) As the Otter broke open the ice with it's head, I believe I heard it say: "I shall eat this fish on my tummy".  |
Posted By: pntbl freak
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 2:26pm
| Wow, really nice picture! |
Posted By: Dye Playa
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 3:08pm
|
it so dumb looking. -------------
|
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 3:13pm
Ironically they are one of the smartest, and most playful animals in the woods. They are fairly common, but rarely seen in the wilds. |
Posted By: chronic future
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 7:25pm
| i still want an otter wicked bad. you've captured it with your camera, now use your hands. |
Posted By: Pariel
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 7:34pm
...and send it to you in a box? |
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 7:35pm
Make me an offer, and it will be considered. |
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 8:27pm
Another shot I got from that appearance today... |
Posted By: Kayback
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 8:41pm
|
Nicely done.
I'v been "hunting" the Cape Clawless otter for a couple of weekends now and seen lots of evidence, but few otters. Definately none I can take a pic of. KBK |
Posted By: kickinwing2010
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 8:44pm
|
I want an otter as well, because I think it would be wicked awesome to have an animal that uses his tummy as a plate.
------------- 
|
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 8:52pm
I've had years of experience with River Otters... Just none in the winter, or with this photographic equipment. They are a tricky critter to get more than a glance of. |
Posted By: raflexjrsr
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 9:48pm
LOL, the guy would have to kill you if you take a picture of him. Not a good idea. ------------- Mods, please give me a title Sig's too large and no. <mod> excuse my spellyng, I am not a natibe speeker |
Posted By: Dye Playa
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 9:51pm
|
how do these things have a fish in their mouth like every single time? -------------
|
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 9:57pm
It's the same sequence of shots, hence... The same fish. It's an otter, it's fairly proficient at fish capturing. |
Posted By: BARREL BREAK
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 10:02pm
| I really like the second shot, looking at us with the fish. |
Posted By: Hysteria
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 11:12pm
|
*Stealth*, you rock. |
Posted By: chronic future
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 11:32pm
$700 |
Posted By: *Stealth*
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 11:53pm
NO BUYING OR SELLING ZOMG ZOMG ! |
Posted By: mbro
Date Posted: 01 February 2007 at 11:53pm
|
No buying or selling. ------------- 
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos. |
Posted By: Tae Kwon Do
Date Posted: 02 February 2007 at 1:25am
------------- 
|
Posted By: Brian Fellows
Date Posted: 02 February 2007 at 1:26am
| B&. |
Posted By: BARREL BREAK
Date Posted: 02 February 2007 at 1:27am
|
Posted By: nathanours
Date Posted: 02 February 2007 at 1:33am
|
interesting story and u got what u came for, nice pic ------------- 
sorry if this offends any one but it is funny Tippman 98c w/ J&J ceramic barrel polished internals expansion chamber |
Posted By: phil_stl
Date Posted: 02 February 2007 at 3:46pm
I have to say this cause I know it means a lot to you coming from me. I like the pics, good work Stealth. No but really good shots. |
Posted By: Squishey
Date Posted: 02 February 2007 at 3:53pm
hansom critter ------------- Canadians do it on top. 
|