Waiting for the 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, there is a kind of patience that pays off -- sometimes. I was on the westside of  Rocky Mountain National Park along the North Fork of the Colorado River.  Off in the distance I saw a Bull Moose, along with a Cow and a Yearling. They were lying down in a meadow about 300 yards away. It was "marshy" and so I wasn't going to be able to move closer. 

It was about 6:15 am when I arrived. I thought, why leave to look for a Moose that might be only 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. 

Again the question was should I wait in hopes that the Moose will come still closer. My answer was again "yes." 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!

Bull Moose