the December 2010 russellgraves.com Newsletter

RUSSELLGRAVES.COM UPDATES2010

December Made with 100% Texas grit. So you know it’s good!

IN THIS ISSUE LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK

FEATURED COLUMN

FERAL PIGS

SYNDICATION INFO

PHOTO ESSAY

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Page 3

Page 4

PHOTO TIP

NEED TO KNOW NEWS

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Looking Forward, Looking Back

PHOTO TIP

In the last month of each year, I always take time to reflect on my year and look forward to the future.

The year that just past was a good one with plenty of blessings. First and foremost, my kids continue to grow and thrive and make the transition from babies to little people while my wife and I celebrated our twentieth year as a couple this past August.

Professionally, things continue to go good as well. This past year I got a chance to photograph Nascar royalty, a world champion calf roper, released my first documentary film, and continued to work on other projects for which I am proud.

Another thing I am proud of is that I recently became a pro staff member for a great outdoor product called the Ghost Blind.

The Ghost Blind is an ingenious product that is a series of folding, mirrored panels that blends in to any surroundings while you hide behind it invisible to wildlife. The technology sort of reminds me of the alien on the movie Predator. In all the blind is THAT effective and I can’t wait to get it into the field more.

As good as 2010 was, I know that 2011 has so much more to offer. I am blessed to have as many friends, supporters, and business associates that I have and for each of you, I am thankful. Your support of what I do allows me to raise my kids in a great little Texas town and it allows us all to see some incredible sights and meet some incredible people. For that, I am so very thankful.

Have a Merry Christmas,

-Russell Graves

Drive backroads and hit state and local parks for good photo opportunities.

Road Trip Wildlife Every now and then, I get the urge to just drive and try to find wildlife. Cruising dirt roads and hitting state and local parks is a good way to photograph wildlife.

The trick?

Keep your eyes open, have a plan, and stay mobile.

If things aren’t working on in one spot, move on.

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FEATURED COLUMN Texas Forts From my vantage point, it’s easy to see why this place was chosen as a suitable location for a frontier fort.

High upon a hill in western Menard County, I can see for miles across the Edwards Plateau brush country as I stride with my boy across the parade grounds while a vintage U.S. Flag, adorned with only 31 stars, rhythmically whips back and forth in the Texas Hill Country breeze.

Built in 1852, Fort Mckavett was one of several constructed across Texas’ western flank to protect settlers from Indian depredation. Today, I am here learning about history by walking where soldiers and settlers once trod.

Truthfully, it is an amazing feeling.

While my son checks out a canon setting in front of an old building, I peer inside of another rock structure whose covered porch circumnavigates the structure and weathered wooden planks echoes a hollow, “clop, clop, clop” sound as my boots strafe the decking. The sound is no-doubt reminiscent of the same noise soldiers and sutlers heard as the completed their day’s comings and goings.

Inside the building, the design is expectedly stark save for a single bison head hanging on a wall.

Although on the southern end of the bison’s range, there’s no doubting that the big mammals provided meat and materials for Comanches, settlers, and the military.

About Russell Graves Outdoors Russell Graves Outdoors is a syndicated newspaper column that appears weekly in newspapers in

“... For that, that shall not be forgotten.”

All across the fort stands intact buildings and ruins that gives a good sense of how this frontier military base operated.

There’s a hospital, school, barracks, supply houses, and officer homes in varying amounts of restoration - and that’s the charm of the fort.

It’s remote location and lessthan-perfect stature permeates authenticity and by the end of the morning, all my six year old son can talk about is firing the canon and how the soldiers used to ride around the encampment on horseback.

He doesn’t have to stretch his imagination far, however. The day before found us 80 miles northwest of Fort McKavett at Fort Concho. Lying on the banks of the Concho River just across the stream from downtown San Angelo, Fort Concho is another superb example of a Texas frontier fort that’s been preserved for nearly 150 years.

For twenty-two years, Fort Concho protected the frontier trade routes and suppressed illegal profiteering by Comancheros. Made up of 23 structures mostly made from locally quarried sandstone, the fort sits on 40 acres and is home to three museums dealing with militaria.

On the day my family was at Fort Concho, the United States Cavalry Association was having a competition which tests horsemanship skills as

Texas and Oklahoma. If you’d like more information about how to get the column in your newspaper, feel free to contact me.

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well as a re-enactment of military life on the frontier. At first light, mounted cavalry soldiers sidled past in review for the spectators who came to watch.

As the regiments filed out to the parade ground in preparation for the national anthem and the flag raising, I spoke to a re-enactor who, in his woolen uniform comprised of light blue pants with gold piping and a dark blue jacket lined with brass, embossed buttons. He was one of a half dozen men portraying the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry and he was in charge of raising the flag up the vintage flagpole.

As he held the flag, he spoke of his role as a re-enactor and what it means to people like him. “I am honored to portray these men,” he says with a strong sense of dignity.

“These men were brothers and sons and fathers whose bravery helped pave the way for all of us. For that, that shall not be forgotten.”

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FERAL PIGS

Pigs v. People People often say that there are two types of landowners: those with wild pigs and those who don’t have wild pigs - yet.

Depending on with whom you speak, wild hogs are either a formidable prey species or a scourge on the landscape. I say they are both.

Capable of rooting up huge swaths of earth in a relatively short amount of time, wild hogs create an ecological tsunami wherever they roam.

Hunters love them and landowners hate them.

Whatever your stance the consensus is in - pigs are here to stay.

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The Skinny Date: Various Temperature: Various Location:

Western Texas

Camera Gear: Canon 1d Mark III, 16-35mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8, 85mm f1.2 lens, and 500mm f4 lens.

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NEED TO KNOW NEWS PRO STAFFER

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

As I mentioned in the opening, I am a

I’ll be speaking at the Dallas Chapter of the Coastal

new pro staff member for Ghost Blinds. Made for hunting, the makers of the blind realize the crossover potential of the product and asked me to come aboard and provide

Conservation Alliance on January 26th. Contact John Hansen for more information.

testimonials as a photographer.

New Articles and New Photos

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to the website every month in the New Images section of the gallery.

check often as new content is continually going onto the site.

On many months, I also add new articles to the gallery as well. So

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