“Moose in the Mountains”
D. Robert & Lorri Franz
Even in July the air temperature can be cool at dawn in the high mountains of Wyoming . We are standing, huddled to stay warm, at the edge of a lush mountain meadow. We anxiously watch as forms slowly begin to emerge out of the darkness. Soon these shapes can be made out to be that of moose, our primary goal for this trip. Straining to see into the dim light of early morning with our binoculars we start counting and when finished are amazed to have found 14 Shira's moose (Alces alces shirasi), eleven bulls (males) whose growing antlers are covered in velvet and three cows (females) feeding peacefully.
The moose is the largest member of the deer family (Cervidae) and ranges over the northern forests and high mountains of North America and Canada . They are also found in the northern forests of Europe , Russia , and Asia , there they are called elk. A large bull can weigh well over one thousand pounds. Its huge flattened antlers can spread five feet or more. A cow moose is about 2/3 rd the size of a bull. Moose prefer spruce or coniferous forests with wet meadows, ponds, and riparian areas. Willows are an important food source during the winter. The word "moose" comes from the Algonquin Indians, native people who lived throughout the northern regions of Canada . The Algonquin's called this strange looking creature mooswa which means "twig-eater" or "the animal that strips bark off of trees." Early explorers heard this word spoken and through the years, it eventually evolved into "moose."
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Many businesses use “Moose” in their name, numerous websites devoted to moose exist, and even merchandise catalogs with nothing but moose related products are available. People seem to have a unique fascination with moose. Perhaps it's their ungainly and some even say ugly looks. Moose have long legs, a hump on their back, a dewlap or hanging flap of skin protruding from their chest, and a big head with an overhanging nose similar to that of a horse. Whatever the reason moose seem to be high on everyone's “want to see list” and we are frequently asked by people when we are in the field where they can go to catch a glimpse of a moose. They are also high on our list to photograph because they are so unique and popular.
Finding moose to photograph is not always an easy task. Population densities of moose are lower than other members of the deer family and they are more closely tied to specific habitats. The areas they inhabit can be thick with brush and willows making it difficult to spot them. For their size, moose can hide remarkably well. In order to find moose you must carefully search in the right habitat and spend a good amount of time glassing. Moose hidden by brush one minute may move into an opening and be visible the next. Early morning and late evening is the best time for viewing moose because they are far more active at those times. During our recent trip to the Bighorn Mountains we searched prime riparian habitats, along the streams and rivers and in the lush mountain meadows bordered by thick coniferous forests to find them. On the best day of that trip we sighted a total of 24 different moose which we consider outstanding.
Once you have located a moose the next challenge will be in photographing them. Usually, moose are not wary particularly in our national parks. A careful approach should allow you to get within forty or fifty yards which is a good range to photograph. To safely photograph moose we recommend a telephoto lens of at least 300mm. A word of warning to photographers, moose like all wildlife can be dangerous and have killed people who have approached to closely. A cow moose with a young calf is extremely dangerous and unpredictable as is a bull moose during the height of the mating season. Do not approach them! Keep your distance and use your long lenses.
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Moose are dark animals which require you to compensate from your cameras suggested exposure. Metering off the side of the moose will result in an overexposed photograph. The camera will try to lighten the dark moose to achieve an 18% reflectance. A tried and true method is to spot meter the moose and set your camera to underexpose by ½ to 1 full stop. Some level of negativeexposure compensation is usually required when using matrix or evaluative metering as well. Moose are most often active when the light level is low which means you will need a fast lens and/or high ISO films or a digital camera in order to set the ISO higher such as ISO 800. We have found that the excellent digital cameras of today like our Canon Eos 1D mkII's and 20D's give outstanding results at ISO up to 1600. This is a huge advantage over the days of film when a 400 speed ISO film only gave you marginal results. We figure when photographing with our digital cameras we gain a ½ hour in the morning and a ½ hour in the evening, this enables us to effectively photograph when the moose are most active.
As the light levels increased enough for photography Lorri and I cautiously eased our way out into the meadow amongst the fourteen moose. We were treated to an outstanding morning of wildlife photography. The bulls were in a playful mood, running about, chasing each other, kicking up their heels, and play fighting ever careful not to damage their velvet covered antlers. We were able to take home many great images from dramatic fights and close-up portraits to interesting group compositions and animate landscapes. When venturing into moose country you will travel into some of the most beautiful wilderness areas in North America , it will refresh and invigorate you. We enjoy moose photography and are sure you will too.
