I went hunting for elk and deer over the week of Labor Day, but I kept running into moose instead. There were cow moose, cows with calves, little bulls, big bulls, and everything in between. There were moose tracks and moose scat everywhere I looked, and quite often, a moose would pop up out of the trees or the willows when I least expected it.
I think I was close to some elk a few times, and some deer at least once. But all those times, as I was trying to sneak closer, I bumped a moose out of the brush. When those moose took off through the forest, they made enough noise that I’m sure every other animal within a half a mile took off along with them.
I’m not complaining. Well, I won’t complain too much. It would have been nice to come home with an elk or a deer, or even both, but it was also very cool to see those moose. A few of them stood still long enough for me to get some photos, so I didn’t come home completely empty-handed. And I do enjoy seeing moose.
Granted, I generally like to see moose at a distance. A few of those moose were a little closer than I was comfortable with. I was moving up to take some pictures of a big bull at one point, and another bull jumped out of the brush between me and the one I had known was there. That original bull was just about at the minimum distance I was good with, but the surprise visitor popped up halfway between us. That was quite a bit closer than I’d have liked. Luckily, the second moose turned and went away from us.
Keep your eyes open out there in the Snowies, or just about any forest in Wyoming. Moose are cool to see, but they can be dangerous. Give them plenty of space.
