Colorado Moose

Photo by Stan Tekiela

by Stan Tekiela
© NatureSmart

July 11, 2014

The sky is extra deep blue at 8,500 foot elevation in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Or at least that is what I was thinking as I was stood there, knee deep in a cold rushing stream. I have come to one of my favorite places in Colorado to photograph baby moose and their mothers for a new book I am writing and was crossing a stream to set up and wait for a mom moose and calf.

I have been to this area a number of times in the past. I knew I had to concentrate my search efforts in the valleys that have clear running streams and thickets of willows. Doing this, I knew that eventually I would find what I am looking for. But first I had to look and find a cooperative mother and calf.

Sure enough the first morning, well before the sun rise, I found a few moose, all of them females, but none had babies. Over the decades I photographed plenty of female moose, so there was no need to stop. I needed to keep moving and looking. Over the next couple of days I searched out and located at least 4 females with calves. Now all I need to do is get into the right place, at the right time, with the right light, and then have the mom moose and her calf cooperate at the same time to capture some images.

It often takes a couple days just to get one chance at getting the shot that I have imagined in my head. This trip was no exception. On day four of my searching, I had located a female with a calf that didn't seem too skittish. Each time I saw her she wasn't too concerned with me. She would just continue grazing. Perfect chance to capture some images of the life of a mother moose and her child.

So I decided this was the evening I was going to try and capture some images. Putting on my tall boots and lifting my tripod and long lens and camera up to my shoulder, I headed down the trail. I first needed to cross a shallow stream only ankle deep. Then walk along a narrow mud trail that the moose had made along the rushing stream. Only about a quarter mile down, the river made a series of bends and switchbacks and this is where I found my mother moose and her calf.

When I approached she noticed me and stepped into a thick stand of trees. Her calf stood at her side and immediately stated nursing. The calf is only about a month old and is only a fraction of the mother's size. In fact the baby can fit underneath the standing mother with no troubles. I find it amazing that such a small baby will someday grow up to be such a huge animal. Adult females stand almost seven feet at the shoulder, which is nearly a foot taller than the largest elk. Female moose weigh between 600-800 pounds. Males are noticeably taller and heavier.

The baby nursed for only a few moments and then laid down. The female also laid down which left me standing there in the water waiting and looking at the deep blue sky in the mountains. For the next two hours I stood there waiting and hoping she would get up and start to feed again before the sunset. I love the times like this. Spending so many hours just watching through my binoculars and listening to the rushing stream and the birds singing.

Immediately the female started to chew her cud. This is a process of regurgitating up small mouthfuls of the leaves she had just ate and chewing it over and over. After chewing her cud for a while she would fall asleep. Slowly her massive head would lower down to the ground and her eyes would shut and she would sleep. Then her head would pop up, and start chewing her cud again. This went on for several hours.

The sun had slipped behind the mountains and I started to think that she many not get up with time enough for me to photograph her. The light was fading fast. Without warning she suddenly stood up. The baby join her and together they moved to the water's edge where I was standing and start to graze on the willow leaves.

At one point the mother and baby stood side by side next to the rushing mountain stream and turned and looked at me. This is when I captured the image that I was dreaming about. My time photographing her was less than 20 minutes and I had waited for many many hours. But as you can see, I think it was worth the wait especially under the deep blue Colorado sky. Until next time

Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels the US to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on www.facebook.com and www.twitter.com. He can also be contacted via his web page at www.naturesmart.com