October 2024 Overview

Image: An american crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) sits atop a dead tree with splashes of fall color in the background.

What a month October turned out to be!

Autumn is by far my favorite season of the year, and October ordinarily takes the cake for the most expressive fall landscapes here in the Great Smoky Mountains. Many of us were worried that the colors wouldn’t quite have that punch after Hurricane Helene leveled hundreds of acres of forest to the ground, but the Appalachian proved her resilience once again. Truthfully, I think that this was one of the most beautiful and unique falls we’ve had in years.

The wildlife were enjoying the scenery and cooler temperatures too. While my main focus was the elk rut, I encountered many species in my adventures. Let’s get into my favorite images and encounters from this month!

Honorable Mentions:

No. 5 - Young Bull in Fall Colors

This was a morning that didn’t start out great.

The colors were popping in the lower valleys of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and I woke up before dawn in the hopes of finding one of our big bull elk (Cervus canadensis manitobensis) to photograph with the perfect backdrop. However, they were as uncooperative as they come, and I was beginning to think that the shot wouldn’t happen.

As I drove Highway 441 between Smokemont Campground and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, I came across half a dozen cows and their calves grazing along the roadside. Hoping that a bull wouldn’t be too far away, I pulled over and waited. My patience finally paid off when this guy emerged from the forest, pausing just long enough as he made his way to his harem for me to take this photo.

Is he the bull I wanted? No, but he still gave me an opportunity to make a great image!

No. 4 - Blue Heron in an Autumn Tapestry

Birds are one of those groups that I have always struggled to photograph. They don’t tend to stick around for long, and they absolutely refuse to land in a clear spot… at least, that has been my experience.

I traveled to Deep Creek one afternoon to practice landscapes and scenery, and as I pulled into the parking lot I spotted this great blue heron (Ardea herodias) resting by the creek. As I pulled over and began to exit my car, the bird took off and perched themself on the branch of an old oak tree, looking down at me like I was a pest who had disturbed their evening. Thus, this shot was created, and it is by far my favorite image of a bird to date!

If you like this image as much as I do, it is available for purchase on the prints page!

No. 3 - The Old Dynasty of Cades Cove

This was another one of those mornings that started out disappointing.

I had driven all the way to Cades Cove before sunrise, traveling over 441 at an hour during which no creature should ever be awake. My goal was to see black bears during hyperphagia as they eat as much as they can before entering their winter torpor. However, the recent dropping of acorns had drawn the bears deeper into the woods, and I hardly saw a single one.

Feeling a bit defeated, I took a pit stop halfway through the Cades Cove loop road at the visitor center. As I parked, I noticed a growing crowd behind the bathrooms. Curious and a little more hopeful, I walked over only to be greeted by two massive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) making their way to the woodline. While everyone else continued watching from the restrooms, I snuck down closer to the trees in the shade, making sure to give the males a wide berth. They are not as large as elk, but those antlers and pre-rut attitude is just as dangerous.

This was the first buck who approached, an old boy that some locals have nicknamed “Lucky.” He’s lived in the Cove his whole life and has certainly aided in his species’ population there. Despite his age, he moved with ease and stealth towards me, allowing for multiple pictures before he disappeared into the thick brush of his hardwood home. I am hoping to see this old guy again before the deer rut ends by the end of November!

No. 2 - Cooldown

After the rut season in the Oconaluftee area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, bull elk (Cervus canadensis manitobensis) leave the safety of the NPS boundary to their wintering and summering grounds around Bryson City, North Carolina. It can be difficult to find them unless you know where they like to go… and thankfully for me, this knowledge paid off.

I first saw Chippy as I was driving along the road of one of his favorite wintering spots. He was standing knee-deep in the Oconaluftee River. Excited and thrilled to see him after a two week hiatus, I quickly parked and trekked through the thorns and brambles until I was standing along the edge of the opposite shore.

It was a cloudy October day, and the light was fading fast. Chippy wasn’t too keen on moving quickly, and while I was having a great time photographing him along the water’s edge, I was hoping that he would make a move to cross the river soon.

As the sun set and it grew darker and darker, I was pushing my camera to its upper limit while still trying to maintain sharp photographs. Then, just as I was about to leave, Chippy plunged into the deepest channel and swam across the river, a rare sight. I was so ecstatic about witnessing and capturing this behavior that I had to sit in my car for a few minutes afterward to collect myself before driving home.

This is another image that is now available on my prints shop!

No. 1 - A Clash of Seasons

Snow is not necessarily a rare thing in the Smokies, but you rarely have the opportunity to safely access the higher peaks in the National Park when it does. Unless, of course, it happens in October.

Many of us locals were shocked to wake up one chilly October morning with snow dusting our yards and blanketing the tops of the mountains. In the wintertime, 441 through Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed due to safety hazards with ice and snow. But, on this day, the Park allowed for visitors to drive all the way up to the tallest peak in the park, Kuwohi.

It was a truly magical experience to see both snow and fall colors in one setting. While I did do some photography near Kuwohi, this image was taken along the road up to the parking lot, and it is probably my favorite of that day and of the entire month of October! It is rare to see two seasons clash like this is our area, and it was incredible (and VERY cold)!

Other Images

Wrap-Up

These past two months have been wild, but I truly appreciate each and every single one of you who have been kind enough to support me. I apologize for the shortness of this blog, but just know that there are some big plans (and big dreams) that I am working on for 2025. I think that it will be a great year for me, and a chance to really elevate my photography and wildlife education. So, stay tuned!

I will leave you with this video of Chippy rubbing up on some trees earlier in the month… enjoy!