Our family and some friends went backpacking in Idaho's wilderness last summer. At this one mountain lake, the fishing was good, the scenery was superb and we saw quite a bit of wildlife, including several moose. The first time you see a moose up really close, you can hardly stand the mixture of conflicting feelings. There is no other animal in the lower 48 states that is so stately, wild and goofy looking at the same time, as a moose. They are beautiful in the most grotesque way. However, when you look in their eyes, you can not see any sign or reasonablness. They are completely confident that they are the biggest, baddest thing on any side of the mountain. As she walked along the edge of the lake, this cow with no calf, was aware I was paralleling her path but she gave me little notice. I continued photographing her for 50 yards or so. She was so close that I did not need a telephoto lens.
I continued snapping pictures, matching my progress through the thick woods with her pace along the lake. Suddenly she turned and seemed to take notice of me for the first time. My first thought was, "Wow! What a great photo opportunity!"
She seemed to be thinking, too. In fact, she found an opening between the thick trees and then, for the first time, I saw clearly her thought processes. She was thinking,
"I'M GONNA STOMP YOU, SUCKER!!"
and it was written all over her face.
I got one last, quick shot, just before she charged. I then jumped into an especially dense thicket, banged sticks together and called the dogs from camp. Their barking and the other comotion helped her decide to move off but I swear she was muttering under her breath as she went.
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