Neighborhood Security with a Moose on the Loose

[NorthernFocus]

It's just not safe to walk the dog....

NIKON D800E, 70-200mm VRII
f/5.6 @ 200 mm, 1/250, ISO 400

[tbob]

It's just a friendly little herbivore. Maybe if you went up, gave it a pat and made friends.

[Steve S]

Excellent image, dan.

[kaneohebud]

Nice, Dan. I'm hoping that by the time I get there, the moose will have all their velvet off.

[NorthernFocus]

Nice, Dan. I'm hoping that by the time I get there, the moose will have all their velvet off.

They may just be starting to rub it off then. It's off by mid-September and they are sparring in preparation for the rut end of September/first of October.

[jamn4ex]

Ilove it . Do these guys kinda roam into neighborhoods now and then?

[kdoc856]

That is a magnificent beast. And he apparently thought you were as well. Well captured.

[Brownbear]

Beautiful photo Dan... I think I am going to have to come up North one day... The wildlife looks extra special, and the moose sure look friendly.

[Donald]

Wonderful picture, Dan. You've got it perfectly. Exposure, composition (how did you get him to pose for you like that?!). You can probably count every hair on the coat. Excellent.

Are they dangerous? Would they go at a human? Our largest land animal is the red deer. They would take flight and not challenge a human (unless you got in the way during the rutting season).

[NorthernFocus]

Thanks for the comments, folks. This guy has been hanging around our neighborhood for several days. They tend to do that. They will pass through feeding for several days then move on, usually to return weeks later for another feeding circuit.

You can see from the position of his ears that he was not very happy. If you notice he wasn't looking at me. I was keeping a respectful distance. But he was close to the road and a passing car stopped as close as they could to him to take a photo with their cell phone. He only stood still for another minute after this shot then ran (unfortunately) straight at me and went in the woods.

Moose can be very dangerous. These that hang around the suburbs are used to people but they each have a different level of tolerance/private space. It's about an even bet whether they run or charge if you enter their danger zone. Cows are actually worse than bulls for charging you. I think because the bull are a bit more self assured what with the horns and all. The cows will knock you down and then stomp you. That is their defense against wolves and black bears. Cows with calves of course are extremely dangerous. Accidentally walking between the two is a recipe for a bad day. Easier to do than you'd think because when they cross roads the calf usually hangs back so often they are on opposite sides.

[terrib]

Beautiful picture!! You've got it all right once again. I love that he has the leaves in his mouth.

This is another species on my list. We went in search last year but were there at the wrong time. I'd read how dangerous they can be. They are rare in our area but just a month ago neighbors two houses down saw a cow come up the hill between the houses. No one has spotted her since. I was so jealous. I would have been happy just to have seen her.

[NorthernFocus]

Thanks, Terri. They seem to be increasing in numbers in many states down there. For sure you could take a road trip up to Tetons/Yellowstone and find them. That is where I saw my first one years before moving to AK.

[Mike Buckley]

Perhaps the best photo I've ever seen of a moose.

Terri: Go to Grand Teton National Forest early in the morning and at dusk. There wasn't a day that we didn't see at least one moose each morning and evening and sometimes four or five together.

[rpcrowe]

Additionally, we did some nice elk watching in the small town of Estes Park, Colorado; just outside the Rocky Mountain National Park. the elk were all over the town, on the roads, in the streets and eating in people's gardens. Not great for wildlife shooting but great human interest shots...

[NorthernFocus]

Perhaps the best photo I've ever seen of a moose....

I assume you mean from a technical standpoint, Mike. Unfortunately I just missed getting the camera in time to catch him standing in mixed fireweed and daisies all around. By the time I was ready to shoot he had walked across the road into this position. From a technical standpoint I had great light, top notch equipment, and a willing subject until the car stopped as previously mentioned. There is an odd catch light in the eye that when reduced to web resolution looks much like reflected flash. At higher rez you can see the semicircular reflected sky.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Typical Nat Geo quality from you, Dan. I love it. May I please have the technical specs on this? Gear / lens / f-stop etc?

[NorthernFocus]

...May I please have the technical specs on this? Gear / lens / f-stop etc?

Sorry about that. Edited the OP and added EXIF.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Sorry about that. Edited the OP and added EXIF.

Thanks. I would have thought the lens would be something like 500mm. I guess that magnificent beast is so large that such a lens would not be required. Not to mention also the insane MP of your camera. Again, just a stunning photo, and well processed also.