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 > ------ > Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at: > http://www3.telus.net/~telyt/lrflex.htm > Archives are at: > //www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/ > ------ Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt/lrflex.htm Archives are at: //www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/