A Young MooseA young moose explores the edge of a pond. (Photo David A. Murray)

Her head breaks the surface of the water with a mouth full of grass from the bottom of the pond. The water cascades down over her ears and long comical face, as her jaw saws back and forth grinding up the tender succulent grass. As mother moose eats, she swings her head from side to side to view the edge of the pond. Her fiercely protective instincts become aroused as she lets out a quick grunt, then another grunt, her eyes continuously scanning the pond. Up pops junior from a short nap in the alder bushes that line the pond's parameter. The call is quickly returned, and the mother satisfied that all is well goes back to eating her breakfast.

The young moose calf, unlike its cousin the White-tailed deer fawn, does not have any spots or other protective camouflage, nor does it need any. Mother moose are so attentive, aggressive, and large that most predators think twice before messing with a young moose calf.

The whole cycle begins at mating season, which is during September and October. The gestation period lasts eight months, and in late May to mid-June one or two moose calves are born. The newborn weighs between 25 and 35 pounds, and can generally stand on wobbly legs in a matter of minutes. Their hair is long and brown, and is considerably lighter and fluffier than that of the adults. After a few weeks junior has no trouble keeping up with mother moose and will follow by her side wherever she goes. Mother's primary interest at this time of year is eating. After surviving a long winter and the rigors of birth, she now needs to replenish her body fat and build reserves for next winter, while the summer food supply is plentiful.

Moose are abundant throughout their range and finding them is not that difficult a task. However, find-ing them and being in a position to get a good photograph is a different story. This is especially true of cows (mother moose) with calves (baby/young moose).

Many parts of moose territory, throughout North America and Canada, have moose hunting seasons. These areas can be difficult for anything but a fleeting glimpse of a moose with her calf. Therefore, moose watching or photography in these areas is hit or miss, and a lot of time can be logged for very few opportunities. The most productive places to go are protected areas where there is no hunting, such as a State or National Park, or a Wildlife Refuge. In most of these locations, all the critters are used to seeing people and don't consider us as one of their predators. This, however, does not change the fact that a cow moose will aggressively protect her calf, and a large degree of caution is necessary.

Look for marshy areas or ponds that have good moose sign. What kind of moose sign? Moose sign will be in the form of small piles of pellets, you know, moose droppings! Also, any marshy or pond areas frequented by moose will be peppered with tracks. Look for both large and small tracks if a cow and calf is your target.

When mother moose goes into the pond to feed, junior will follow but will very quickly end up swimming as she wades into deeper water. Once she has found a favorable eating spot in the pond, the calf will whine and swim around her until it tires and then head for shore. Sometimes the youngster will stand at the edge of the pond and whine for a while, but mother will ignore this and continue eating. Eventually, the calf will begin to explore the area close by or lay down for a nap. This is the time to photograph moose calves! As long as there is no threat of danger, mother is content to eat and junior is content to wait for her on land. This gives you the advantage of keeping an eye on mother moose from a safe distance and working with the calf. As with all critters a slow and careful approach is the way to go. If pushed, the calf will swim back out to mother, or worse, mother will come to let you know what she considers too close to be, and you don't want this to happen!

This is not a "point and shoot" camera situation, where in order to fill the frame you need to be within a few feet of your subject. Use a telephoto lens and respect the calf's comfort zone. For this image, I used a 400mm telephoto lens, which made for a stress-free shoot for mother moose, the calf, and me.

Good shooting!

For questions or comments, P.O. Box 59, Southport, ME 04576 or e-mail: mail@davidamurray.com.

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