The camera I use is an
OLYMPUS Stylus 720 SW, 7.1 Megapixel.
I've had it for about 3 years now and the features that sold me on it were the Shockproof (5ft drop) and Waterproof (10ft Depth).
I tested both, (dropped 4 feet onto concrete by accident) and used the underwater feature.
Some trout in the Old Man River in SW Alberta.
There are some tiny watermarks inside the lens from an underwater excursion but it doesn't seem to effect the photos so i have stopped worrying about it.
Do you ever try your hand at calling predators?
When back visiting the farm two years ago I called in my first coyote, there were a lot around as my mother was raising Boer Goats at the time and while the dogs prevented any losses the coyotes were constantly around the yard, testing the defences.
I walked about a 1/2 - 3/4 miles from the barnyard all camoed up and began calling at the base of a small tree. I set up my 204 on a bipod facing the bushline that i had seen a coyote run into but after less than 15 minutes of calling 2 came from behind me. They were scared away by my actions of moving the gun 180 degrees but i just went back to calling and in less than 5 minutes a lone yote came trotting straight in to me without even a pause to check for scent. He dropped behind a slight rise and i guessed where he would show and took the time he was hidden from view to move the gun to where he would come. Even with the scope down to 6X all i could see was fur when he crested the slight rise about 12-15 yards away, so shot placement was poor and i knew the pelt was ruined when there was still hair floating in the air after i got to him. The bullet struck the spine behind the shoulder area and left a grapefruit sized hole in the pelt.
The yotes back home near my folks place in SE Saskatchewan have never really been hunted because their numbers have been kept small by mange for many years, now they have over come that cycle and are increasing in population but not being hunted don't flee at first sight. Also they have never been called so even a rank amateur like myself was able to fool them. (I bought the rabbit in distress call and a cassette tape on a friday, practiced in the truck while listening to the tape for part of the 10 hr drive and called in my first coyote the next monday) Very lucky but the coyotes were easy to fool in that area.
I will keep putting up some pictures of past outings to prevent to much winter depression
BTW sorry about the election, Democrats in all 3 houses is bad. Luckily there are a suprising number of pro-gun democrats from rural areas that will prevent any real attacks on the 2nd amendment like the hard core liberal wing of the Democatic party would like to do.
Sometimes you need a Jimmy Carter to show people the country needs a Ronald Reagan, or so we can hope.