I still recall the sight, sound and feeling as the beautiful white birds soared past and landed on the water before me. It’s difficult to describe the spectacle with words. Blue was barely visible as the sky filled with honking, fluttering geese, all looking for a place to land. I was awestruck.

Patchy snow dusted fifteen inches of solid, clear ice. By 1:00 p.m., the arm was dotted with ice fishing shelters, snow machines and both vacant and active fishing camps. Our friends new to ice fishing tentatively stood at ice edge and watched as some of us strode confidently onto the lake.

Just the other day I drove through an agricultural area near St. George and saw something I’d never expect in Utah: a white-tailed kite, sitting in a tree and begging to be photographed.

Fall is a transitional time for a biologist. It’s also one of my favorite times of year. The season begins amid a frenzy of fieldwork and ends with days behind the desk. The transition between these two modes of work is anything but gradual and naturally anything but boring.

It’s been a long time since I made requests to Santa, but just in case he happens across this blog post, I’m going on the record. Here are some of my on-the-water wishes for 2012.

To most biologists, summer means fieldwork, and lots of it. It also means plans that can change rapidly from one week to the next based on weather patterns and the movement of fish.

My son, Josh, has accompanied me and our two yellow labs on several chukar partridge hunts over the past few years. I’m glad he came along on those trips as a spectator because chukar hunting is one of the most difficult hunts for youth. Now, he knows what to expect from his first chukar hunt this Saturday.

A few weeks ago, I convinced a coworker (who has a reputation as a top-notch tiger muskie fisherman) to show me and my friend, Melissa, how to catch Utah’s most coveted sportfish. We headed out super-early to Newton Reservoir in Cache Valley (north and east of Logan) and fished all day.

When I’m not at work, I really enjoy getting away to fish at some of my favorite spots. There are a few places I have to visit every year, and now, they’re pretty much a tradition

My first introduction to drift fishing actually happened by accident. I laid down on the bottom of the canoe, secured my fishing pole in the rod holder and enjoyed the gentle rocking of the waves. The clouds floated overhead, my eyelids began to close, and then…WHAM!

As a wildlife photographer, I am always looking for an opportunity to get close to wild animals. Several years ago, when rumors started to fly about California Condors frequenting the Kolob area near Zion National park, I decided to investigate and see for myself.

The Sunnyside bighorn herd consists almost entirely of rams, which number around 25, depending on the day and year. This particular group of bighorns is accustomed to both vehicle traffic and humans, and can often be observed and photographed at close range.