A Summer Itch

This young bull moose must have been bothered by mosquitoes like the rest of us along the moose pond trail in Grand Teton National Park. His mother would have nothing to do with him as if to say, "Grow up".  It was tempting to go BBC and add the sound of scratching.  Enjoy.

 

Winter Rest

I just returned from Yellowstone and am adjusting to a brown landscape again. Winter was in full swing last week with white out conditions most days. The wildlife, other than the always present bison, were also laying low. I found this teenage bull moose early one morning before it moved into the forest. The other bulls have already lost their horns.

Technical: ISO 6400, 600 mm and 1.4 tele-converter, cropped

Moose Portrait

I'm in Yellowstone for the next two weeks working on filming bear jams, animal/human conflict, and grizzlies for the Park Service. I'll keep you posted with some still shots from time to time.

Moose ears

I usually concentrate on eyes when photographing but when watching and waiting the ears are my markers for impending action or movement. Clearly alert ears pointing toward you means you have been "busted" and the animal is about to leave. In this case it is totally focussed on someone else, probably a door slamming. When away from the road this moose responded to car doors and people talking a quarter mile away. Can you imagine what the sound of a sneeze feels like?

Warming up

I've spent the last several days in Yellowstone and took a break this afternoon to catch up on downloading files and relax. It may be hard to believe but filming wildlife can be exhausting! Frustrating toowhen your perfect capture  becomes a reject when seen on the screen.  Lots more to come, Yellowstone is living up to its reputation as the Serengeti of North America.

Mother Moose and Calf

On one of the last mornings in Yellowstone we were able to watch this moose pair for a few minutes. Our attention was called to them by another visitor who had spotted them on the way into the Park. We quickly parked, got our gear, and watched from a distance. The quiet of the morning was unbroken and our whole world was in this little corner of the meadow.

Snowy Moose

by Angela Bohlke

For a two hour period we had nonstop photo opportunities. More unique shots were taken between 6 and 8 am than the previous 10 days. I looked great as a tour guide and had a blast watching the images being captured. It was a time to sit back and enjoy the moment. 

A Morning with Moose

I spent a beautiful morning with four moose in Yellowstone a couple weeks ago. The temperature was  a little chilly (about zero F) and the shutter button froze, something that has never happened before. A backup remote shutter release saved the day. Later I used  a blow dryer for a few minutes over the grip and there have been no problems since.  

Big Ears

We were busted! My wife and I were watching moose for about 2 hours when this guy became curious about an hour after sunset. We each had made escape plans but when talking it over discovered we had completely opposite escape routes. After working it out, hers was a better plan, we left when this bull became too curious. Shot taken from Canon C100 at ISO 5000, focal length 260.

Moose in the Dark

Getting dueling moose bulls in Yellowstone was on my shot list last week. When I talked to the ranger I was told there were very few moose in the Park and my best chance was in the Tetons. I had seen moose several times but never during the late fall and made the assumption I would see them in the same locations. Lesson learned: Do your homework.   On the last evening this cow, with her calf, was eating along the road.

Technical: 500 mm lens, uncropped. ISO 2500, 1/60 sec @f 7.1. Several "rules" were broken getting this image with a very high ISO and high aperture. It is sharp because of the rock solid 12 pound tripod I lug around for video work.

Yellowstone Moose

Daily life in Yellowstone and for wildlife in general is far different than what TV, even the venerable PBS Nature, shows. Most of the time the struggle for survival is based on energy acquisition and conservation, eating and resting to put it simply. I find complete joy watching for subtle nuances of behavior as animals go about their mundane tasks.

Moose in the snow

A couple moose were watched intently by visitors as they were eating and resting. Occasionally  a noise from the road would get one's attention. The falling snow added some atmosphere to an otherwise unremarkable two days of intermittently watching them eat and rest.