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IMG 5282 5D MKII
Scenery on the way to see the elk. This is a county dirt road that is 32 miles long but it is a short cut and a really good dirt road to boot. This photo was taken off the side of that road. The road is called Grand County Rd 1 or Trough Rd.
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IMG 5283 5D MKII
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IMG 5284 5D MKII
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IMG 5285 5D MKII
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IMG 5286 5D MKII
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IMG 3492 7D
These few elk were just hanging around off the road when we saw them.
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IMG 3494 7D
Good side profile
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IMG 3495 7D
Youngster
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IMG 3501 7D
The young bull had the velvet hanging of the bottom of his spikes
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IMG 5297 5D MKII
Another group of cows just grazing a long by the road
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IMG 5299 5D MKII
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IMG 5300 5D MKII
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IMG 5302 5D MKII
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IMG 3516 7D
Another bunch of cows hanging out.
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IMG 3504 57
These are the mountains along the drive in the Kawuneeche Valley where the elk are
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IMG 3505 7D
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IMG 3506 7D
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IMG 3507 7D
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IMG 3508 7D
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IMG 3509 7D
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IMG 5288 5D MKII
The valley where the elk are.
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IMG 5289 5D MKII
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IMG 5290 5D MKII
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IMG 5303 5D MKII
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IMG 5319 5D MKII
More valley scenics
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IMG 5327 5D MKII
Another small group of cows - view 1
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IMG 5328 5D MKII
#2 of same bunch
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IMG 5329 5D MKII
#3 of that bunch
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IMG 5330 5D MKII
#4 of the bunch
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IMG 5324 5D MKII
Looking north west out of the valley at the mountains
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IMG 5326 5D MKII
Same view farther away
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IMG 3532 7D
The ladies come out of the woods first.
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IMG 3534 7D
They listen to the bulls bugle
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IMG 3535 7D
more listening
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IMG 3536 7D
A lull in the bugling
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IMG 3539 7D
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IMG 3540 7D
This is the first big boy who came out but he never got close to the road.
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IMG 3542 7D
More cows coming out of the woods
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IMG 3543 7D
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IMG 3544 7D
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IMG 3546 7D
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IMG 3548 7D
This guy got close to the road and stayed around. Several other Bulls came close but that was after it was to dark to get their photo's. Camera shy I guess?
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IMG 3549 7D
He had been in muddy water and it left it's mark on him.
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IMG 3550 7D
It looks like he got mud on just one side because this is that same bull
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IMG 3552 7D
Same Bull
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IMG 3555 7D
Same Bull
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IMG 5339 5D MKII
This is the bull that is in the area where the cows are
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IMG 5341 5D MKII
A bunch of animals showed up at that part of the area in a short time.
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IMG 5345 5D MKII
More cows started coming out of the woods into the meadows
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IMG 5346 5D MKII
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IMG 5360 5D MKII
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IMG 5366 5D MKII
The darker it became the more cows and eventually bulls came out of the woods.
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IMG 5367 5D MKII
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IMG 5368 5D MKII
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IMG 3557 7D
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IMG 3559 7D
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IMG 3561 7D
This is the original bull still
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IMG 3562 7D
You can tell by the mud on him
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IMG 3565 7D
Other bulls
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IMG 3573 7D
Same one
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IMG 3593 7D
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IMG 3596 7D
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IMG 3604 7D
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IMG 3606 7D
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IMG 3612 7D
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IMG 3616 7D
These were small bulls and they were playing at butting heads and never came closer than this. It looked like they were having fun. I am guessing this would be called warming up.
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IMG 3648 7D
This is the first of 110 photo's taken October 21, 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in the Kawuneeche Valley. Oh, the Osprey is eating a fish.... he wasn't sharing with anyone either.
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IMG 3653 7D
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IMG 3655 7D
There were 110 photo's in this upload. A good day was had by all humans.
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IMG 3656 7D
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IMG 3660 7D
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IMG 3664 7D
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IMG 3666 7D
Some of the elk had crossed the road to the west and were filling the valley by now. There were elk on both sides of the north and south running road.
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IMG 3667 7D
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IMG 3669 7D
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IMG 3673 7D
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IMG 3680 7D
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IMG 3684 7D
These guys were right across the road from us on the east side of the road.
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IMG 3685 7D
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IMG 3687 7D
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IMG 3692 7D
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IMG 3696 7D
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IMG 5390 5D-MKII
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IMG 5391 5D-MKII
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IMG 5392 5D-MKII
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IMG 5393 5D-MKII
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IMG 5394 5D-MKII
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IMG 5396 5D-MKII
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IMG 5402 5D-MKII
This was the bunch on the west wide of the road across from those closer ones on the east.
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IMG 5406 5D-MKII
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IMG 5407 5D-MKII
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IMG 5410 5D-MKII
We turn back to watching those on the east side of the road.
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IMG 5411 5D-MKII
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IMG 5412 5D-MKII
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IMG 5415 5D-MKII
The challenge!
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IMG 5416 5D-MKII
They both had 5 points per side.
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IMG 5417 5D-MKII
Let the battle begin!
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IMG 5418 5D-MKII
It was intense for a while.
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IMG 5419 5D-MKII
Being this close with a camera is rare.
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IMG 5420 5D-MKII
The bull on the right was bigger and had a larger rack too.
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IMG 5421 5D-MKII
It would have been better had they not been in the woods.
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IMG 5422 5D-MKII
Where they were it was the only option they had.
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IMG 5423 5D-MKII
They kept pushing back and forth a few feet at a time either way.
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IMG 5424 5D-MKII
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IMG 5425 5D-MKII
They weren't making much head way. Not making any head way you can say. There wasn't a winner or a loser here.
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IMG 5426 5D-MKII
They finally backed off and went their separate ways so to speak.
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IMG 5427 5D-MKII
The one on the left made more noise but he wasn't any tougher.
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IMG 5428 5D-MKII
This is one of the one's in the fight.
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IMG 5433 5D-MKII
He was just making noise at this point. Not sure if he thought he won or not but it seemed they came to a draw. This guy was on the right.
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IMG 5434 5D-MKII
This is the bull on the right again.
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IMG 5435 5D-MKII
His rack was heavier too.
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IMG 5436 5D-MKII
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IMG 5437 5D-MKII
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IMG 5438 5D-MKII
This was a younger bull and he was not in the fight just an observer.
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IMG 5439 5D-MKII
The observer again.
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IMG 5440 5D-MKII
This is the other bull. He was still excited from their fight.
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IMG 5444 5D-MKII
This is him again. Their antlers look pretty much the same size but this guy's were a bit smaller in size but still 5 points per side.
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IMG 5445 5D-MKII
This was the bull on the left.
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IMG 5447 5D-MKII
There he is looking to see where the other bull went.
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IMG 5448 5D-MKII
Time to bugle I guess.
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IMG 5458 5D-MKII
The heaver antlered bull having his say.
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IMG 5460 5D-MKII
Him again.....
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IMG 5461 5D-MKII
This guy had a better disposition than the other. Seemed not to be as pushy.
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IMG 5462 5D-MKII
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IMG 5464 5D-MKII
They were starting to go to the left and leave this area of the woods.
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IMG 5466 5D-MKII
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IMG 5469 5D-MKII
Nice looking snow caps near.
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IMG 5467 5D-MKII
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IMG 5470 5D-MKII
Snow caps from a distance
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IMG 5473 5D-MKII
Some elk to the west of the road.
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IMG 5474 5D-MKII
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IMG 5475 5D-MKII
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IMG 5476 5D-MKII
I do not believe we saw a bull with more than 5 points per side that day.
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IMG 5477 5D-MKII
There is getting to be a pretty big bunch of elk there as the sun starts to set in the west. I panned the heard from left to right.
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IMG 5478 5D-MKII
Some from the area of the earlier fight were going north behind us and crossing over the road and headed where this bunch was on the west side of the road.
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IMG 5479 5D-MKII
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IMG 5480 5D-MKII
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IMG 5481 5D-MKII
This is whole heard on the west side of the road. I believe most came from the east side to join them before we left because of darkness.
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IMG 5482 5D-MKII
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IMG 5483 5D-MKII
These were all on the west, I just zoomed them with my telephoto lens.
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IMG 5484 5D-MKII
Looks like we have a game starting with two bulls.
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IMG 5485 5D-MKII
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IMG 5486 5D-MKII
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IMG 5487 5D-MKII
Seems they are starting to practice up for next year.
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IMG 5488 5D-MKII
Not to serious just having fun.
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IMG 5489 5D-MKII
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IMG 5490 5D-MKII
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IMG 5492 5D-MKII
Still practicing.
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IMG 5493 5D-MKII
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IMG 5494 5D-MKII
This is two 3-4 point bulls practicing.
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IMG 5495 5D-MKII
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IMG 5496 5D-MKII
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IMG 5497 5D-MKII
They got a lot of practice. Oh to be so young and full of energy I guess...
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IMG 5498 5D-MKII
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IMG 5499 5D-MKII
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IMG 5500 5D-MKII
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IMG 5501 5D-MKII
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IMG 5502 5D-MKII
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IMG 5503 5D-MKII
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IMG 5504 5D-MKII
Their practice lasted longer than the real thing. It wasn't nearly as rough either.
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IMG 5505 5D-MKII
There were a lot of bull that were about the same size.
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IMG 5507 5D-MKII
This young calf (probably born in the spring of 2013) must have lost mom. It was squeaking a lot trying to get her to here it calling.
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IMG 5508 5D-MKII
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IMG 5509 5D-MKII
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IMG 5510 5D-MKII
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IMG 5511 5D-MKII
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IMG 5512 5D-MKII
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IMG 5513 5D-MKII
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IMG 5515 5D-MKII
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IMG 5517 5D-MKII
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IMG 5518 5D-MKII
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IMG 5520 5D-MKII
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IMG 5521 5D-MKII
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IMG 5522 5D-MKII
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IMG 5523 5D-MKII
It was still looking for mom here too.
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IMG 5525 5D-MKII
It is the one in the middle. It wasn't going to give up either.
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