Moose Gallery

A large bull moose rests in Willow Flats at Grand Teton National Park

Rack

This bull was resting in the willows near Willow Flats on a cold September morning in Grand Teton National Park. This was my first visit to the Tetons and the first bull moose I saw on the trip. It wouldn’t be the last as I’d encounter a handful more over the next few days, but it was the oldest I saw judging from the size of its rack.

A young moose calf beds down in a meadow near Willow Flats at Grand Teton National Park

Munching

A calf snacks on the grasses in front of where it had bedded down. Because of the way its eyes are positioned, it can leave its eyes centered and look out to the side, or move them as here where you can see the whites of its eyes as it glances over at its mother. With ears that can also independently pivot (one here is pointed straight ahead and one at mom), the moose can contendly graze, keep an eye on its mom, and the crowd of onlookers off in the distance, all without turning its head.

A moose calf stands among willows at Grand Teton National Park

Good Morning Sunshine

It was my last morning at the Tetons before heading up to Yellowstone later in the day, so after watching the sunrise from the Taggart Lake trailhead, I went down to Wilson Road where the day before a mother black bear that brought her two cubs to feed on hawthorne berries. The bears were well known by the park staff who watched over the small group of photographers that had assembled.

As we watched the bears, this morning offered up a surprise. A young bull moose was chasing a cow around the area, making such a ruckus they could be heard from afar. Earlier in the morning, I had seen the male and female on a short trail, with brief glimpses of a baby moose. I didn't want to risk being around the moose mayhem so I turned back and went to where I had seen the bears the morning before. When I first found the bears, they were pretty hard to see so I settled in to wait when suddenly the young moose popped through the willows beside the road. It seemed as surprised as we were, after eyeing us for a moment it sauntered down the road and then up the hill.

The male and female crossed the road a while later but were still making such a racket that there was chance they were sneaking up on anyone.

A young bull moose calls out as it walks at Grand Teton National Park

Barking

I was about a mile and a half into the Willow Flats Trail on my first full day in the Tetons and had stopped to examine my map, trying to decide if I should turn around. I heard this strange noise from behind me, coming from the forest to the right side of the trail. I spun around, afraid it might be a bear, but it was a bull moose that stepped out of the forest. He was walking at a diagonal to me and barely even glanced in my direction, but kept making noises the entire time as it walked into the forest on the other side of the path. It was my first exposure to the sounds of bull moose during the fall rut, but definitely not my last. I spent the next several days hiking to the soundtrack of bull moose and bugling elk, bass and soprano.

A moose cow and her calf stand in Willow Flats at Grand Teton National Park

Posing

On my first visit to Grand Teton National Park, I arrived there in the middle of the afternoon in late September. I was driving from south to north and stopped off at Willow Flats, having read that it was a good place to watch for moose. There weren't any about at first, but late in the evening this mother and calf came into view. They were often obscured by the willows, but for a short moment stood and posed. I had seen moose on a few occasions before, but the Tetons were my first chance to really observe them for longer periods of time.

White Socks

Closer views of the cow and calf shown above, nicely showing off the white socks on their long legs.

A moose calf stands in Willow Flats at Grand Teton National Park

A moose cow walks in Willow Flats at Grand Teton National Park

A moose cow and her calf walk together in Yellowstone National Park

Early Reward

A cow walks with her calf (almost completely obscured by the tall grass in front of her) near the road from Mammoth to Tower at Yellowstone National Park. It was my last day in the park for this visit and I had left early to beat the crowds. It turned into a very rewarding morning as I saw many animals with their young.