An absolutely amazing morning yesterday in Rocky Mountain National Park with four moose and tons of drama. Before the action though, was this crazy beautiful scene.

While most folks had their focus on the other three moose, I spotted this yearling bull as he emerged from the forest and began approaching. I had already noted the amazing reflection on the pond from the lit up pine trees on the opposite side of the valley and hoped he would put himself in the right spot. Indeed, he did!

I grabbed a whole series of images of the moose, his reflection and the amazing colors on the pond but think this one I like best.

Have a fantastic, Moose Monday!

A fun encounter with this big boy from this past weekend. This bull has been hanging out within one of the enclosures in Rocky Mountain National Park that have been built to keep the elk out due to their propensity to overgraze. The big guy found his way in and has been enjoying a virtually untouched smorgasbord of foliage all to himself.

He could certainly get out by either jumping the six-foot fence or working his way up the river but for the time being, has opted to stay put. Saturday I really thought he was going to “take the leap” over the fence. His hormones are raging as the rut begins and he was quite agitated, pacing back and forth along the fence line, seeming to contemplate jumping.

He never did, eventually just lying down for a morning nap but before doing so, gave me some pretty good pics to share on this Moose Monday.

Check out this little one! Of course, given that it is now close to six months old it isn’t all that little anymore. As an added bonus though, it was one of a pair of twins I found two weeks ago.

I was initially focused on two bulls that were lounging nearby when I heard a sound from the hill behind me. Cautiously I began climbing and sure enough, mama was bringing her two young ones by.

Wisely, she never let them get entirely out in the open but I did manage a few shots and sometimes having them a bit concealed makes for a cool capture.

A fresh one for Moose Monday taken this past Saturday.

I headed out from camp early in the hopes of finding some of these monstrous creatures of the forest and was not disappointed. This handsome fellow and a smaller bull were lounging in a meadow. They were initially not too inclined to do anything, choosing to just lie around.

After a while I gave up and moved on, hoping to find some action. I did not but when I returned to check on them, the bulls were up and eating with aspen tree leaves being on the menu. The big guy took a break from eating and gave me this cool look through the trees.

My moose season thus far has been a bit of a disappointment so at this point I will happily take what I can get. Such is the case with this handsome fellow, photographed a couple of weeks ago.

I initially spotted him and a potential mate grazing in a field in Rocky Mountain National Park’s Kawuneeche Valley. Sunrise was still a half hour away at it would be even longer before the sun got high enough to light up the valley floor. Both of them soon crossed the road in front of me and began to head off into the forest.

I managed just a few shots, including this one. Light was at a premium so the quality isn’t really there but so be it. This guy is probably the biggest one in the area and is looking primed as the rut approaches.

What a cutie! While camping outside the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park last week, my luck with the moose wasn’t going so well. Normally I have no problem finding them and while I did spot some, they were rarely in a good spot or the conditions were poor.

As I was wrapping up for the morning I tried one more spot and it ended up paying off in the form of this little one and its mom. While mom couldn’t have cared less about me, the calf was all eyes and ears paying attention to me.

It never strayed far from its mother ensuring her butt was in all the pictures but I’ll take it. So stinking cute! 

A bit of a powerful, sad image for Moose Monday.

Taken last August in the burn area of the East Troublesome Fire. The late-season blaze started on October 14, 2020 and would go on to burn nearly 194,000 acres in the Colorado high country. To say it was devastating would be an understatement.

We have always spent a lot of time camping in the area and it was truly sad to see so much forest reduced to ash and burned hulks of trees. Much of the wildlife survived but the foliage that the critters rely on for food and cover was virtually entirely gone.

Early one morning I spotted this moose cow as she worked her way across one of the burn areas below our campsite. The forest will recover but it will be many lifetimes before it returns to its former glory.

Harkening back to the end of last August for Moose Monday.

I had headed up to our campsite for the weekend ahead of the rest of the family. While I waited for them to arrive, I went for a walk in the cool, evening air at 10,500 feet. It didn’t take long for that walk to turn into a prime photo opportunity. Three bull moose were grazing happily on the willows, filling up before bedding down for the night.

While the sun had already dropped beneath the towering adjacent peaks, there was still enough light for some nice captures. This one shows a bull lifting his head and seeming to smile for his portrait in between bites.

I don’t normally share “butt” shots but sometimes you take what you can get. The bulls didn’t really want to play on this cold winter morning at high altitude and this was the only one still with antlers that gave me any sort of capture. While his buddies had opted to lie down in the snow and nap, he was still working his way through the willows, grabbing any morsel he could. Certainly moose are well-adapted to handle the harsh winters but it still amazes me that anything can really handle it.

As I have said, despite their size, moose can be quite good at hiding. Oftentimes the only clue they are there is an ill-timed movement for them that catches your eye. Such was the case with this pretty lady and her soon-to-be yearling.

They were pretty well concealed by a thick stand of aspen trees and while she was standing still, her young one was running to catch up to her causing just enough motion to get my attention.

Their position prevented getting any sort of clear shot beyond a small window through the trees where I could catch the pretty lady’s face. She did look gorgeous and the aspen and fresh snow help to really draw her out.