August 2024 - 44
Moose may be described as gangly, but those long, powerful legs allow them to move through a wide range of terrain. (Photo by Tim Christie)
" Imagine a 500-600-pound animal smashing into
the truck, " my friend added. " Even at that relatively
slow speed, we are lucky we weren't killed. "
Moose are relatively tolerant of humans, except
when they aren't. Rutting bulls aren't social, especially
when one senses something is interfering
with his biological destiny of breeding a cow. Cows,
especially with calves, are notoriously protective.
Having any moose decide you're a threat means
thundering hooves barreling down on you. It's as
terrifying as any malcontent grizzly bear. No, you
won't get mauled - rather pummeled to death
with those long legs and pie plate-sized hooves.
One of my fondest Wyoming memories occurred
some 20 years ago. I traveled to the Jackson area in
late September, intent on photographing moose.
Aspens painted landscapes with brilliant hues of
yellow, orange and red. Days were cool, and it
should have been perfect for finding bulls impressing
cows. It wasn't. Three long days proved fruitless.
Deciding I'd been beaten, I crawled into my tent,
planning to leave the next day.
44 | August 2024
Somewhere in the night, I dreamed about a big
bull making sweet overtures to two cows, complete
with sound effects. He was intent on showing all his
assets. As morning light began filtering through the
campground, I started to awake to the sounds of
my dream. Unzipping the tent door, bedded mere
feet from the tent was a cow. Behind her stood a
big bull. Understanding the potential danger of the
situation, I dressed and slipped out of the tent and
retreated to my truck. As the day dawned, I was the
single witness to the magic of a Shiras moose love
fest. Finally, there was enough light to photograph,
and I filled too many rolls of film. None, however,
equaled the notion of a dream materializing among
golden aspen and cottonwood trees.
Big, absolutely. Gangly, sure. Ugly, well, in a
beautiful way.
- Tim Christie is an award-winning photographer and
writer who has regularly contributed to Wyoming Wildlife since
the 1980s, You can view his images on his website, timchristiephoto.com.
There you can find out how to order his recently
published book, " Stories Painted with Light, " a collection of
his favorite images with backstories.
http://www.timchristiephoto.com
August 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2024
August 2024 - 1
August 2024 - 2
August 2024 - 3
August 2024 - 4
August 2024 - 5
August 2024 - 6
August 2024 - 7
August 2024 - 8
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August 2024 - 42
August 2024 - 43
August 2024 - 44
August 2024 - 45
August 2024 - 46
August 2024 - 47
August 2024 - 48
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