Staying Flexible: On the hunt for Moose
Walking on the Wild Side
This year has been a tough one in terms of forest fire smoke. Not only does fire smoke create a haze that is less than ideal for capturing high quality images, but it also aggravates Scot’s asthma, making it near impossible for him to be out in the field. This meant that coming out of summer, we had spent much less time in the field than we had hoped, and correspondingly, I was able to do far less photography. As fire season usually winds down in September, we were looking forward to one last major push to get out in October. Unfortunately, this year the smoke persisted, and became especially thick in the Helena Valley.
Faced with yet another period of not being able to go outside, Scot noticed that while the smoke forecast was not good for Helena and some areas to the south where we had been hoping to look for moose, there was an area along the very northern part of the state that seemed to not be in the smoke plume anymore. I think if we go to Glacier we might find some clear air he declared. What do you say we head up there tomorrow?
A spur of the moment trip to East Glacier leads to some unexpected encounters.
Pictured: Beaver pond near Two Medicine Lake.
A silhouette of the peaks in the distance as seen at the parking area at Two Medicine Lake.
Although most lodging and campgrounds along the eastern part of the park were already closed for the season, Scot managed to find the lone motel still open in East Glacier, and by the following afternoon we were on our way. Arriving late in the day, we decided to scout an area we had not explored before, to see if it had any wildlife potential. A set of beaver ponds with fresh moose tracks and signs of browsing provided encouraging signs. While we were scouting the ponds, Scot calmly said “we have a bear”. Sure enough, on the slopes above us, a black bear was busy grazing in a grassy meadow. Not far from the bear, a herd of bighorn sheep was also grazing. The distance was to far and the light too low for great pictures, but we left in good spirits, planning to return at first light the next day
Daybreak found us back in the same location. Interestingly, the bighorn sheep and the black bear had moved a little down the ridge, but were still busy grazing on the slopes above the beaver ponds. After hanging out as long as we could, we decided that the moose was not going to make an appearance, and that some hiking would both help us to warm up, and to see more of the habitat in the surrounding area. Being we were in Glacier, we knew the scenery would be fantastic no matter what animals we came across. After a morning of stunning scenery, great looking habitat, and lots of tracks with no actual animals, Scot suggested we hike a bit further up the trail and that a waterfall listed on the map might make a good lunch spot.
Scot knew that I love waterfalls, and this set while small, didn’t disappoint. While Scot went straight for the food bag, I just had to pull out my wide angle lens and start taking pictures. Just as I started taking pictures of the cascade, Scot started making soft but urgent sounding noises, and when I finally turned to see why, he was frantically pointing for me to look behind me. There, standing right along the stream, and no more than thirty feet away, was a young moose. I had the wrong lens! Worse yet, the moose was actually closer to my camera bag than I was! I took pics anyway, and after a short drink the moose decided it wasn’t thrilled with our company, and turned and walked down the trail we had just hiked up.
Newly energized from our close encounter, we decided to keep hiking further in, to a high lake that according to the map, wasn’t really all that far away. More great scenery and habitat greeted us as we made our way to the lake, but no more wildlife. As we worked our way back down, it occurred to us that we had not been hiking as much as we normally do, and our bodies were beginning to remind us that getting in shape is a thing that we had not done this year. By hiking all the way to the lake we had increased the total miles for the day more than we had intended. The return trip was turning into a painful slog. It was after having hiked more than ten miles, and still several miles from the truck, that we saw the first bull moose.
A large mature bull was walking parallel to the trail working past us. Full of adrenaline and no longer feeling the pain in my feet, I scrambled to get my big lens out while Scot opened up the tripod. The moose was moving through thick timber, and slowly working away from us. Then I saw the second bull. Every bit as big, but even further back through the trees. The two were grunting at each other, in a not so friendly way, as they started moving out of sight. Scot indicated that if we hiked back the trail some that there was an area where the trees were less dense that might give us a chance at pictures. We quickly moved back along the trail, but then had to cover some less than easy terrain off trail as we tried to get up the hill and to a point where we would see the moose if they continued in the direction they had been moving.
The break in the trees was narrow, but extended far enough so that we would be able to see the moose as they crossed, get some good shots, yet not be so close as to be at risk. All we had to do now was wait, and hope that they continued in the same direction as when we last saw them. Catching my breath while we waited, a movement in the trees caught my attention. Was that an ear that just twitched? I pointed it out to Scot, and with his binoculars he confirmed that it was an ear, and the ear was attached to a large bull moose, much closer that we wanted. I turned the camera towards it, and focusing through dense branches, I could make out the face and head and took a few quick shots. The bull was staring at us, rocking his head, and taking some steps in our direction. We weren’t sure if it was one of the two we had just seen, or a new one, but we did know that we were too close and it was time to leave.
The next day found us tired and sore, so we decided to drive some of the area roads, and maybe take a short hike into an area we knew well from previous trips up to Many Glacier. The early morning drive was incredibly rewarding. Seven different moose, some hanging close enough to the road to get some fun pics right from the truck. As we approached Many Glacier we saw a gorgeous female grizzly with its cub of the year. Grazing way up the hillside, it was too far to get great images, but it was fun to sit and watch her without any traffic stopping to join us. Her silver highlights, and chubby cub that was also silver were quite unique. Less than a half mile down the road was a black bear with her two cubs, also out foraging to put on those few last pounds before it was time to hibernate. A few deer along a lake rounded out the day, and the trip. And the best part was that we had clean air for the entire time!
"Swim Lesson" (Moose)
Currently Available for Purchase. This 11" x 14" Fuji archival matte fine art print is framed with a country style wood. Price: $85 + shipping. Click on the photo for more information and to place your order today or contact me directly if you live in Helena, MT.
"Fall Bull" (Moose)
Currently Available for Purchase. This 11" x 14" Fuji archival matte fine art print is framed with a country style wood. Price: $85 + shipping. Click on the photo for more information and to place your order today or contact me directly if you live in Helena, MT.
As we wrap up the final wildlife blog of the year, we're already looking ahead to more adventures in 2025. Wishing you a season of joy and inspiration—see you in the new year!
Lea Frye - Wildlife photographer
www.leaf-images.com | Lea Frye, Wildlife Photographer | Helena, MT
Wild Animals / Wild Landscapes