More Photos from the Rockies

Last week, you saw several landscape shots in this newsletter from my recent trip through the Rocky Mountains.  This week’s edition is dedicated to wildlife, specifically big game.  You may not believe this, but I went almost three weeks without making a bird photo.

In the Tetons of Wyoming, we  saw and photographed several bison and moose  (you just can’t believe how big a moose is until you get within 30 feet of one like I did).  From Wyoming, we drove south to Rocky Mountain National Park where we encountered lots of tourists and elk.  All of it was great fun, magnified by our finding the animals in habitat  rich with fall colors.  Our timing was as good as it gets because the big game animals were in full rut and the colors were peaking with the mating season, September 20 and October 1.

I photographed the moose with a 100-400 mm Canon lens that decided to break just about the time we headed south to work on the elk.  Because of it’s Image Stabalization and zoom capabilities, it is a perfect lens for working large animals at fairly close range.  Nevertheless, I was pretty successful with the 300 mm and 500 mm lenses.

Remember, you can click on a photo to make it larger and sharper for viewing.  Then advance to the next shot by clicking in the upper, right portion of the photo.

Shiras moose bull pausing in the shadows of a big willow tree at the edge of a river bottom.

 

Cow moose browsing near a rail fence in a forest of cottonwoods, Wyoming.

 

Large bull moose on the trail of a cow in estrus.

 

The end of the scent trail for a breeding bull moose.

 

Even during their mid-day siesta, bull moose never stop checking the air currents for scent of a breedable cow.

 

Cow moose and fall colors reflected in a river oxbow, Teton National Park.

 

This bull American Bison was part of a herd which stopped traffic to graze the roadside in Teton National Park.

 

Bison cow and calf grazing in a smoky haze during September's wildfire outbreak around the Tetons.
Large bull elk bugling.

 

Dominant bull warning other bulls to stay clear of his harem.

 

During the breeding season, bulls spend much of their time keeping the herd gathered and chasing other bulls.

 

One of my dream shots...a large bull elk coming right at the camera while bugling. His eyes say it all, "don't come any closer to my cows."

 

During the rut, big bull elk are always "pushing", even when they pause for a mouthfull of grass.

 

A family gathered to watch mule deer browsing near their camp in Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

Next week, I will have more western landscapes for you as this trip to the Rockies winds down.  It will make you want to head west for the autumn.

Larry

3 thoughts on “More Photos from the Rockies”

  1. Love the moose photos. I had a similar encounter with a male moose at Oxbow Bend in 2005. They are large and cover a lot of ground when they walk toward you. I decided it was better for me to move than to try and photograph. 5 min. later the other bull came out of the woods onto the same trail and I did get some photos. I like the elk coming toward the camera. A different view of wildlife.

  2. Great shots. My favorite is the buffalo bull. But I also like the reflection of the moose cow. You know more people are killed by buffalo than grizzlies in Yellowstone Park. How close did you get to the buffalo? Of course those moose can be dangerous too. I photographed a moose cow and calf right in town in Homer, AK.

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