Retro Trip Report: Moose Encounter 2019

Since I've been shooting for a few years, it might be fun to go back and pull some of my older work out and share some of the stories behind them.

In 2019 I had the great opportunity to visit the northwestern part of Wyoming, that is, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

One of the more memorable moments on this trip was along the Jenny Lake trail in Grand Teton, a popular trail surrounding a beautiful lake that sits under Cascade Canyon. Towards the end of the hike I was walking along and heard a slight rustle sound in the woods to my right. I figured it was a squirrel or chipmunk, nothing major. As I rounded the corner past a tree I was surprised to find: this wasn't a squirrel.

I knew immediately it was a moose, and knowing they're quite dangerous, I backed up quite quickly to a safer distance, and watched as this juvenile slowly meandered onto the trail.

To my relief, he really couldn't seem to be bothered, being more concerned with an itch on his back. Thankfully he was so itchy, that it gave me plenty of time to get my Tamron 150-600mm lens on and shoot away. The whole time he pretty much just looked at me, which is great. Eye contact is a definite bonus in photography! It helps to draw the viewer in and make a connection with the animal (or people if it's portraiture).

An even better bonus is the highlights in his eyes, which helps to give 'life' to the eyes, helping to make the image pop even more.

But eventually his mother moved him along.

In Grand Teton there are a lot of dangerous animals. Most people think of grizzly, but the truth is moose are more dangerous and cause more injuries to humans than bear in North America.

Typically this would be males in the moose rut. But a protective moose mom is not going to put up with anything.

She walked onto the trail, and you could easily tell her irritation. Thankfully everyone on the trail were pretty well enough away that she just continued on down the hill.

And that was it: an impromptu but enjoyed moment that I am thankful to have experienced. And one of the most memorable experiences I've had in photography.