A Merriam’s turkey came searching for grasshoppers on private property adjacent to the Kootenai National Forest—just as photographer Don Jones was poised to click the shutter on the 10-point buck behind the bird. “Turkeys always seem to be getting in my way when I’m photographing whitetails in October,” says Jones. “They’re kind of a pain: fighting, running around, and sometimes startling the deer. But this one just stopped in that position—sometimes a good shot is just serendipity.” The mixed hardwoods in the distance aren’t indigenous to this area, and Jones had a brief window to take advantage of a backdrop filled with turning leaves. “Back east, you get months of gorgeous foliage, but here in Montana, the fall colors are long gone by November,” says Jones. “The grasshoppers stick around though—they come out early and stay late, and turkeys just love them.”
Location: Libby, Mont.
Issue: October, 2012
Photo by Donald M. Jones