Last night I reviewed my photo library to see the last time I had good luck finding Bitterroots in bloom: it was June 4, 2011. So, today I set out to get a few photos of them again, and I did. This is not one of them.
June 4, 2013
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Montana Outdoors 
Congratulations on getting to see him at all. The moose population here in Minnesota is extremely low … they are dying (disease, climate, I am not sure the experts even know why .. hunting is not permitted any more the population is so low). What was once a fairly common site (if you were in moose territory – northeast and border country) is now a very rare site.
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Comment by bearyweather — June 4, 2013 @ 7:17 pm
I’m always thrilled to encounter a moose. There are still quite a few of them here, but their numbers are diminishing. I think they have been severely over-hunted and a lot of their habitat has been and is being destroyed by logging. This one is on the Flathead Indian Reservation in an area that should give him a good chance for a long life. He’s a prime animal, too!
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 7:42 pm
Oh, wow. What a gift from the world for someone who knows to keep his eyes open. I love thinking about looking for bitter root and finding a moose…
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Comment by Teresa Evangeline — June 4, 2013 @ 7:17 pm
Teresa, I feel blessed to live in a place where that can still happen! It’s the greatest thing in the world for me, to go into the back country just to be there, and end up finding wonderful things.
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 7:46 pm
Really, I think the photo’s perfect. It’s just slightly ethereal, a little confusing, and it takes a second to focus on the center of attention. In a way, it’s not unlike being surprised by such a creature out in the wild. What a wonderful encounter for you – magic!
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Comment by shoreacres — June 4, 2013 @ 8:00 pm
I rather like the photo because it is typical of a wildlife encounter in an area like that one. I was glad I attempted the shot! I encounter several moose every summer and they are usually very brief encounters.
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:21 pm
Yeah, I don’t think you want to get any closer to him. They can be dangerous to human health. But what an adrenaline rush to see them up close.
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Comment by Sue — June 4, 2013 @ 8:05 pm
The bulls are pretty easy going this time of year. A cow with a new calf can be another matter though, and a bull in the time of the rut can sometimes be a tough customer. This guy was very nervous, much more so than normal.
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:25 pm
The shadow is priceless.
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Comment by C.C. — June 4, 2013 @ 8:05 pm
Yes, I like the shadow too!
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:25 pm
What a lucky shot (despite the foliage in the way). You’re so lucky to live in an area where you can see these animals in the wild. I envy you.
And getting so close is a rare privilege.
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Comment by victoriaaphotographyictoria — June 4, 2013 @ 8:09 pm
I am indeed lucky to live where I do. It is a constant privilege to be this close to some of the natural world that is still relatively untouched by “civilization”.
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:28 pm
The moose in our area never stand still long enough for me to take a picture as nice as yours! Of course, the fact that moose sometimes stroll right behind my house, and I live within a mile of a city, makes seeing moose at all a pretty wonderful sight.
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Comment by Margie — June 4, 2013 @ 8:25 pm
There are quite a few moose here locally, but they stay pretty much in the more dense timber but I see some every year, usually when I’m not prepared to photograph them.
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:31 pm
I thought the bits of fuzziness show exactly how elusive these creatures are. What a treat to get a picture of him at all.
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — June 4, 2013 @ 8:45 pm
This was a little strange in that he was quite in the open and I was the one in dense brush. Still he made sure there was something in between us and I was lucky to find just a small opening.
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:32 pm
I see moose pretty much every time I am in the area. Most of the time I see them on the way to Fishtrap lake. I have some nice pictures of them but I don’t get to see the bulls too often. I’ll be there on Friday for 3 weeks. Nice shot.
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Comment by David — June 4, 2013 @ 8:49 pm
I haven’t seen a moose yet this year on Thompson River and haven’t been up Fishtrap way yet.
I hope you have a great vacation! We will be having some nice weather now and that will be good for you. If there’s anything I can do for you while you’re here, please let me know.
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:35 pm
Love it! Do you see many moose?
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Comment by kcjewel — June 4, 2013 @ 9:05 pm
Usually only several each summer. When I was a kid they were plentiful in one of our favorite fishing areas about a hundred miles from here. I got to know them very well.
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:38 pm
What a wonderful surprise!
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Comment by twoscamps — June 4, 2013 @ 9:19 pm
It was! I wish I could have gotten an open shot of him because he was just a beautiful specimen!
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Comment by montucky — June 4, 2013 @ 9:39 pm
Even though it wasn’t an open shot I still get the sense of his magnificent presence!
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Comment by twoscamps — June 4, 2013 @ 10:26 pm
I like this photo of the Moose … He´s known as the king of the forest, here in Sweden 🙂 . I hope to get some photos myself of this magnificent animal, in the meantime i take the oppurtunity to enjoy yours . // Maria
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Comment by mariayarri — June 5, 2013 @ 12:55 am
I see several each year, but seldom have a good chance for a photo. Many years ago they were more plentiful and it was much easier to get a good look at them.
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:42 pm
Wow, very cool indeed
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Comment by Mike Howe — June 5, 2013 @ 2:25 am
I think it’s a privilege to encounter most of the wildlife here in the wild country, moose especially because their numbers are decreasing.
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:44 pm
He knew you were there. I would have stayed in the brush too!
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Comment by New Hampshire Gardener — June 5, 2013 @ 4:33 am
Oh yes, he watched me very carefully and departed much too soon to my liking.
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:45 pm
What a wonderful treasure 🙂
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Comment by Homestead Ramblings — June 5, 2013 @ 8:26 am
The last time I went into that area to see bitterroots I got some photos of a very large mule deer. I need to go there more often!
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:46 pm
How cool is that?! Doesn’t matter that the shot isn’t ideal, you captured him for all of us to see that surprise too!
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — June 5, 2013 @ 8:26 am
Yes, that’s actually a fairly typical look at a moose, brush and all!
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:47 pm
Neat photo Montucky…especially since they can be quite elusive. Indeed a nice surprise!
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Comment by dhphotosite — June 5, 2013 @ 9:01 am
I was pleased. I haven’t been seeing as much wildlife as I would like, mostly because I have not been on the trails at daylight and dusk. I’m trying to change that.
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:51 pm
Well framed!
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Comment by knightofswords — June 5, 2013 @ 1:16 pm
Thanks Malcolm. I was surprised that it turned out as well as it did. It brought out the meaning of “snap shot”.
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:52 pm
great picture
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Comment by Mary — June 5, 2013 @ 5:33 pm
Thanks Mary. A beautiful giant, isn’t he!
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:53 pm
Hi Montucky, I have seen a Moose twice – once when I was a child visiting Yellowstone National Park, and once a few years ago, fleetingly, in Alaska near the Chilkat River out of Haines. You have had a neat sighting. Good picture. Have a wonderful Thursday tomorrow!
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Comment by wildlifewatcher — June 5, 2013 @ 6:09 pm
Moose sighting are getting less frequent. When I was a kid when Dad and I went fishing on our favorite stream, we would see a couple dozen of them in a weekend.
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:54 pm
How cool to happen upon a moose!!!! i think it’s a great shot. I hope he lives a long, happy life, too.I can’t imagine shooting a moose, they’re such fun critters.
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Comment by Candace — June 5, 2013 @ 8:10 pm
That’s a rather typical look at a moose. They like the brush and are usually pretty shy. I always wonder at why they are so shy when the are at least five times my size. With the moose population as it is today I would not think of shooting one. This one might have a better chance at growing old being on the reservation. He is a little more protected there I think.
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 8:58 pm
whoa, fabulous!! I will be back for the bitter roots, i still have not seen them.
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Comment by Tammie — June 5, 2013 @ 10:23 pm
They are blooming right now in Camas Prairie, not widespread and hard to see but plentiful in small areas. If you do get down to hwy 382, you will see them on the west side of the road just across the fence, at about 60 yards south of mile marker 12. Remember, their blossoms are only open on sunny days!
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Comment by montucky — June 5, 2013 @ 10:33 pm
What a beauty…. I’ll never forget seeing my first moose (in the PNW), and being stunned at how *enormous* they truly are. Such a sweetheart. I had no idea their populations were suffering so, but it’s not surprising (sniff).
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Comment by FeyGirl — June 6, 2013 @ 7:04 am
Yes, they are huge; amazingly so up close. There is an effort under way here now to limit hunting and let their population grow again. Thank goodness!
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Comment by montucky — June 6, 2013 @ 7:18 pm
I’d say it turned-out just fine, Terry…and yes, what a nice surprise. 🙂
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Comment by seekraz — June 6, 2013 @ 8:10 am
I wish though I could have gotten a clear one to go along with it. Oh, well…
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Comment by montucky — June 6, 2013 @ 7:16 pm
What a surprise. Great photo indeed.
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Comment by Sartenada — June 6, 2013 @ 11:26 pm
At least it caught enough to let everyone see him.
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Comment by montucky — June 7, 2013 @ 8:27 pm
I think it’s a great photo because it demonstrates the difficulty of photographing wild animals and at the same time is a perfect example of a ‘real’ wild creature photograph – 99 times out of a 100 that’s how you see them in the wild and it’s exciting, tantalisingly close but partially obscured. And your picture is showing it like it actually is rather than how we would like it to be. He’s a majestic creature too!
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Comment by Finn Holding — June 28, 2013 @ 1:29 am
I like the photo for the same reasons. It shows exactly the kind of sighting the one often sees in the wild. I’m very glad that they are still around!
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2013 @ 7:36 pm