[LRflex] Re: moose story
- From: <chfalke@xxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 16:11:44 -0400
Doug,
A great photo and a great story.
P.S. don't try that escape approach with a bear.
It makes them think you're prey, and the'll come right
after you. Back away nice and easy and don't
look at them. :-)
Charlie
---- Douglas Herr <telyt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> David Young <telyt@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >>
> >>http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/artiodactyls/moose.html
> >>
> >>my departure from this location is one of my better stories ;-)
> >
> >
> >So... are you going to tell it? :-)
> >
>
> From the draft of my book:
>
> The Alaskan moose, Alces alces gigas, is the largest of the moose subspecies,
> reaching 6' at the withers; a cow moose defending her calf can kill a grizzly
> bear with her front hooves. I hadn't intended to photograph moose on this
> particular day, in fact I had been looking for the Three-toed Woodpecker when
> I sat on a log by the lake to wait, watch and listen. Before long, four
> moose emerged from the forest to graze in the lake: two yearlings to the far
> left, and a cow moose with her calf to my right. The yearlings kept their
> distance, but the cow and calf meandered closer as they grazed.
>
> I made a few photos, then, realizing how close the huge animals had come, I
> quietly packed my camera and mulled over the possibilities:
>
> 1) perhaps the moose didn't know I was there, and if I stand to walk away I
> might startle her, causing her to charge. If I sit quietly she might reverse
> course and wander away.
>
> 2) the moose knows I was there and doesn't mind. In this case I should be
> able to stand and walk away without causing a commotion.
>
> While pondering these exit strategies the moose presented me with a third
> scenario: she looked at me, lowered her head, and stamped her feet. Little
> balls of fire, impending thermonuclear explosions, were barely contained
> within her eyes. The message was clear: "You're too close".
>
> Tecnically it was the moose that was too close because it was she who moved
> toward me, but I wasn't in a position to argue the point. It's surprising
> how quickly one can run through a spruce forest with waterlogged hiking
> boots, 20 pounds of camera gear and a quart of bug repellant, particularly
> considering that an hour earlier the forest was nearly impassible. All it
> takes is the proper motivation.
>
> During my flight through the forest there was considerable splashing and
> thrashing from behind but I never turned to see if it was the yearlings or
> the cow moose making that racket, nor whether the animal in question was
> running toward me or away.
>
>
> Doug Herr
> Birdman of Sacramento
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com
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