searching for bull moose

I am often asked about having the patience to photograph wildlife. As a general rule I don't wait in a spot in hopes that an animal I want to photograph happens by -- even if it is an ideal spot and there are animal tracks and scat around. You could wait for days.

But, here is the kind of patience that pays off -- sometimes. This bull moose, a cow, and a yearling were lying down in a meadow about 300 yards away, and I wasn't going to be able to move closer. It was about 6:15 am. I thought, why leave and look for a moose that is 20 yards away? I have found three moose right here. So, I decided it was worth the wait. By 7:00 they were up and moving around -- a bit closer. By 8:00 they were lying down again. By 9:00 they were up and still closer, yet still too far for a good photo. It was't until 11:45, 5 1/2 hours after start that I was able to take this photo. I was happy. It was probably the largest bull moose I have seen in the wild. And, I was in awe!