Taken back in August of 2021, I shared a similar pic back then that was very popular and one of my favorite moose pics of all time. This was taken the day after that one in the same area.

In the wake of the devastating East Troublesome Fire the October before, the trees in the forest were bare and it was a bleak scene in many ways. However, with fresh nutrients and tons of sun, the forest floor had come alive with wildflowers like I had rarely seen in my life.

It also had the side benefit of making the moose much easier to find and, indeed, during our five day camping trip, many bulls routinely hung out within 100 yards of our campsite. This, of course, provided for tons of photo ops. Here, one of the big bulls relaxes on a bed of fireweed, probably my favorite flower.

Willows are the preferred meal for moose but they don’t mind diversifying every now and then and any deciduous plant will do. This handsome fellow decided to try some aspen trees to vary his dietary intake, stretching his neck to reach the good stuff.

Taken on a chilly August morning last year, I was enjoying the solitude and quiet of the forest with a few of these handsome creatures. I sat on a rock (at a respectable distance) and spent some much-needed downtime with them, watching them as they lazily grazed in the pre-dawn light. I anxiously await the snow melting and the grasses turning green when I can have another morning like this.

Have a fantastic Moose Monday!

While moose can sometimes be pretty nonchalant around people, make no mistake, they know you are there. Harkening back to August in Gilpin County, Colorado for this image.

As usual, the rest of my camping crew was sleeping in and I was out looking for critters. I happened across this handsome fellow and a young bull as they enjoyed a breakfast of aspen tree leaves in a little valley not far from camp. They were well-concealed and a good distance away so my photo chances were few.

At one point, as the big boy walked along, he came to a small opening and cast me a glance letting him know I was there.

Sometimes those kids just don’t get the message that it is time to move out on their own. That almost seemed to be the case on this chilly September morning.

It started with the big bull, a cow and her calf, grazing lazily in the pre-dawn light. With the rut gearing up, no doubt the big boy had his eyes on the pretty lady. From across the meadow, a yearling bull merged and came toward the trio. The cow was none too happy to see him and made it clear, images of which I shared at the time.

The young one was, however, persistent and multiple times the big bull confronted him, sometimes giving him a good jab with his antlers, something junior had no hope to match. Here, the older bull gives the young one a bit of side-eye, trying once again to ward him off and let him know he was not welcome.

The big bulls and the little calves usually garner all the attention for Moose Monday so here is one of a beautiful cow just for something different. She and her calf had made their way to the Sheep Lakes area of Rocky Mountain National Park this past September. While her offspring grazed in the grasses nearby, the cow waded into the waters. There, she gorged herself on the various water plants, a favorite of moose.

Well, okay, that is probably better said about me than this big guy but it makes for a good caption for Moose Monday. 😉

Going back to early August in Rocky Mountain National Park. This handsome fellow had made his way inside one of the enclosures put around foliage to protect it from overgrazing by elk. That worked out well for this moose bull as he had a veritable smorgasbord of willows to dine on without any competitors to worry about.

As he alternated between grazing on willows and grass, I captured this cool, head on pose. It definitely looks more dramatic than what it was thanks to the use of a big zoom lens and a healthy distance between him and I.

It was pretty clear what the big boy had on his mind late last month in Rocky Mountain National Park. While the female’s most recent calf grazed nearby, the bull let the cow know he was ready and willing.

It was interesting to watch the interaction between the two although they never did mate in view. The female will likely concede, if not to him, another bull. Then, next spring, she will chase off the current calf, forcing it out into the world on its own. Another generation will then be born and the cycle begins again.

Have a fantastic #MooseMonday!

Pretty poor light and not a great angle but a cute interaction that I figure is worth sharing. The big bull was courting this calf’s mother, staying close to her should she choose to be receptive to his overtures. The calf, no longer all that small, went to great the big boy and they had this cute moment going nose to nose, giving each other an acknowledging sniff.

Whether the pics are great or not, getting outside and spending time with wild animals and witnessing things like this is an incredible privilege and what drives me to be outside as much as possible.

Well, this was quite a scene two weekends ago in Rocky Mountain National Park. Photographing moose is not usually an action packed kind of thing but this was an exception.

Initially, a bull moose in his prime and a cow and calf were hanging out at this pond. All was quiet and calm but then, from the forest, emerged a yearling bull. As the younger one got closer, it was clear the adults were not happy to see it. The older bull went out to greet it but decided to avoid conflict.

Then the yearling got closer to the mama moose and things changed considerably. Ears went back, heads went down and it was clear mama did not like this young intruder being anywhere near her calf. After a brief greeting, mama decided the young one needed to go and launched at the yearling, trying to stomp it – action captured in this image.

With his potential lover upset, the big bull then intervened, chasing the yearling away, temporarily. The situation remained tense for a while with the yearling pushing his luck and the big bull chasing it off again.

It was very cool to see this interaction and showed how mama moose are quick to defend their young – and how you sure would not want to be on the wrong side of her mood!