| Bill
Silliker, Jr.
The Camera Hunter
Going After
Moose
 Moose have been one of the easiest of Maine’s wildlife
species to photograph. That's partly because they're
very large targets, real frame fillers. Moose are
Maine's largest land mammals, North America's largest game and
the world's largest deer. They're also mostly a
"laid-back" breed despite all of their size and
bulk, not to mention their ability to do damage.
Maine's population of some 25,000 moose improves the odds of
finding one to photograph most times of the year. All
but our southernmost and coastal counties have high-density
moose population areas. My soon to be published Moose
Watcher's Handbook lists some moose hangouts in Maine
that would make good places to start looking for a moose to
photograph.
Or just drive in Maine moose country this spring. Folks
in the Moosehead Lake region have been seeing so many moose at
this time of year that they run a MOOSEMAINEA festival from
mid-May to late June.
Spring is the season you're going to see the most moose,
anywhere in Maine moose country. But watch out.
They're apt to be standing in the middle of the road.  Folks in many northern parts of Maine know all too well about
the road hazard they can present. It pays to go slow in
moose country, especially during the coming spring season.
While anyone with a point and shoot camera should be able to
get a decent picture of some of these wonderful creatures, for
the serious wildlife photographer, finding a moose to
photograph is just the beginning. Finding the photogenic
ones - and getting close enough to them for the images that
count - can be more difficult than you might think. You
see, in wildlife photography there are pictures that represent
a species, and then there is art. I strive for art.
Which moose are the most photogenic? That depends on the
season. In spring all adult moose are anything but
photogenic. That's because they're shedding their winter
coats. The trick is to find either a moose in the right
setting or a recently born calf. The young moose calf,
however, comes complete with perhaps nature's best guardian:
the mother moose. Beware the mad mother moose!
More on that in a moment. Let's look at the other most
photogenic of moose: bulls during the rut. By mid-
September, the bulls have shed the velvet from their antlers
and polished their hardened racks, and they look good!
 But two problems present themselves for the camera
hunter. The first is that during the rut bull moose
abandon normal feeding routines and can be more difficult to
find. You just have to work at it more. Get out
and hike the trails around bogs and ponds. I also
recommend that camera hunters avoid the open hunting season on
moose so as not to conflict with other sportsmen.
The second problem is that a rutting bull moose is
unpredictable and almost as dangerous as a mad mother
moose.
A few excerpts from my Maine Moose Watcher's Guide,
published in 1993, should inform camera hunters:
"There
are three basic rules to avoid moose trouble:
1.
Hell hath no fury like a mad mother moose.
Always
remember that.
2.
Bull moose in the rut have the right of way.
Always
remember that too.
3.
You cannot outrun an angry moose.
It
pays to remember that.
Some
mother moose are much more tolerant than others. I have been
allowed to stay within 300 feet of many moose calves of all
ages. I have also been in big trouble when I got within 300
feet of a month old calf I never even saw! It was stashed in
the woods while its Mom fed in a pond. Mom spotted me and
flared her mane and dropped her ears in warning. Then she
came at me with a "look" in her eye. I gave up
ground as calmly as that "look" allowed.
After
I was 300 feet from where I realized the calf must be
hidden, Mom calmly resumed feeding. That 300 feet was her
"fight or flight" distance.
If
the calf was hidden, how did I know where it was? Because
Mom kept shooting a glance in that direction...
Remember
that mother moose have a difficult job to do in an uncertain
and at times unkind world. Don't add to their problems. The
safety of a moose calf could also be at risk if its Mom gets
in a panic.
Now
let's consider bull moose during the rut... Never approach
too close to a rutting bull moose. What's too close? As with
mother moose, that depends upon the circumstances - and the
moose. If the bull has a cow friend nearby he will probably
regard you as a nuisance. He might even consider you to be a
rival! Don't be surprised if you get threatening looks. And
don't ignore those looks.
The
response of a rutting bull may well be to "drive away
or fight" if you do get too close. Watch the bull's
body language. If he drops his ears or bristles his mane,
you're in big trouble! Heed his warnings!
Moose
have been clocked at 35 miles per hour... You cannot outrun
one. So if you ever meet one on the trail, don't run the
other way! Get off the trail into the woods and slip behind
some trees. In the very unlikely event that the critter
follows you, find a tree to climb. Fast.
The best way
to avoid trouble with moose is to use good common sense.
Treat all moose with respect. And remember why God made
telephoto lenses."
Catch yours in
the good light.
Bill
Silliker, Jr. teaches wildlife & nature photography for L.L. Bean's Outdoor Discovery
Schools and has done the photography for 5 books, several of which he also wrote. He is
editor of the website www.wildlifewatcher.com
as well as for his own website at www.camerahunter.com
©
Copyright 2000 Bill Silliker, Jr. all rights reserved.
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