August 9, 2022 Photos
Bull Moose in Rocky Mountain National Park
Moose are possibly my favorite large mammal subjects. I spent years photographing them in Grand Teton National Park, where they were typically found stripping willows leaves along the river bottoms. Finding moose in ponds or in lakes was not a comon occurance. It was particularly rewarding to see them in Sheep Lakes and Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park in early August.
Over the past few months, my wife and I have been in the process of moving from Jackson Hole, WY to Loveland, CO. The “process” involved a lot of time and energy, and that definitely crippled the amount of time I could dedicate to taking photos.
On this morning, I got up early and headed out. Clouds were dominating the east, but were absent in the west. I caught this sunrise from the west side of Devil’s Backbone as I headed up the canyon towards Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
The east side of the Devil’s Backbone has been protected by the Larimer County and Loveland Park department. Hiking and biking trails provide great access. The west side, however, now have large, expensive homes at the base of the rock formations. I shot this photo over the roofs of the mansions. The opening in the rocks is identified as the “keyhole”.
I don’t know if these bulls have names or numbers, but they were both quite impressive, especially for early August.
The cow had a tracking collar, which was not too noticable at some angles. Neither of the bulls had a collar.
Apparently, the moose had been seen the day before and were out again when I was there. I went back a few days later and waited an hour and a half but none appeared.
In most areas of Grand Teton National Park, visitors and photographers can roam off the roadways. In this particular are of Rocky Mountain National Park, all visitors are restricted to areas along the parking areas and roadway. Shots here will always be in less desireable, high angles.
Visitors and photographers around Sprague Lake are allowed to hike around more freely and can take photos from water level. I took these photos on June 30th. By mid August as I make this post, this youngster’s antlers would be quite a bit larger.
Sprague Lake Bull Moose: If you enter the Bear Lake area before 5:00 am, the timed entry pass is not needed, but at 5:01 am and later require a $2 that must be purchased earlier.
In Grand Teton National Park, bull moose begin stripping their velvet around the last few days of August and the first few days of September. I don’t know much about the time frame in RMNP yet, nor if any of the large bulls will be visible when they begin the process. Rocky Mountain National Park has long been famous for its elk population and the fall rut, but from what I have heard, is now getting a good population of moose. Some speculate that has something to do with their loss of habitat due to recent fires in the region.