forestgnome
New member
What a wonderful experience in the mountains! I climbed Mt. Chocorua, but I won't mention the trail. The weather was sunny and mild.
I left the trail about two miles in and bushwacked to an area where I'd seen lots of moose sign a few years ago. I was hoping, as always, to see moose and maybe get some nice photographs with some nice snow-dusted trees in the background. As I approached the area I heard a lots and noise. At least a couple moose were running around in circles, about a hundred feet ahead. This area is thick with striped maple and hobblebush, which is moose food.
As I slowly advanced as quietly as possible I started seeing moose. I saw a bull and a cow, all running around in circles. They were in a birch glade with chest-high hobble bush. Suddenly, I heard the clanking of antlers as two other bulls went at it, but I didn't even know they were there until I heard them. I could just see a few body parts of each bull through the trees. That makes three bulls and a cow!
Then the cow started baying as the bulls were clanking horns. I've heard cow make mating calls before, but they were always short bursts..."urt, urt, urt". The call of this cow moose went on for 10 seconds at a time, one after another. It was so wonderful to hear this and the clanking antlers at the same time.
I tried to get to the edge of the thick stuff I was in so I could get a clear view of them, but when I was about ten feet from the edge and I decided that I'd rather just experience this as long as it would last. If I could have been just 10' closer I could have gotten spectacular shots, because all this happened 60' to 80' away. I took a few shots through the trees, but they do this experience no justice.
Then one of the rutting bulls disengaged the other and started walking straight toward my position. He was browsing and came right to the edge, right where I was hoping to be. I think he caught a whiff of me because he just stared right at me. Great
Now I was definitely going nowhere, in fact, I decided to not even fire a shot for fear of the sound of the shutter.
While that was happening a heard another moose approach from the west, making it's way toward the action. Meanwhile, the other moose started running around wildly in circles again. Now I noticed that there was another cow and another bull, which was probably a two year, judging by the size of his body and antlers. He and the two cows stayed together the whole time. I also noticed that the other rutting bull did not run around. He stood his ground. I decided he was the champion.
Then I noticed that the newcomer was a bull, and he went to the champion and they started rutting. Again, one of the cows was baying long and loud calls while the bulls clanked antlers. This time it went on for at least five minutes, until one bull retreated.
As that was happening, the bull who had me pinned down had turned back toward the rutting bulls. He then engaged the champion, but it only lasted about a minute. It was now clear to me that the champion was just that. He never left a ten foot radius, while for a third time all the others started running around in circles. This time, when they stopped running around the two cows and young bull, who were still together, stopped in about the same spot as the other bull who had me pinned down. Soon, one cow was staring right at me, and she knew there was someone present.
Again, one of the challengers engaged the champion for more rutting that lasted a few minutes until the challenger back off.
Here's the cow who finally busted me...
She wouldn't stop looking at me. I think she alerted the whole troupe to me presence because they all stopped at stood silent for a long time. There we all were, still and silent for at least 15 minutes. It was sunny and calm in that birch/hobblebush glade. Then the cow, with ears pinned, turned and trotted directly away from me and the whole troupe followed her, leaving only the champ, who eventually followed. That was special.
the champ...he looks old, and his right antler looks a bit tattered...
one of the challengers...
the young bull...
After they left, I went to check out the scene. Here's a nice look at a rutting field (or whatever it's called) It's a bout 20' across. The bull never left this pit as the challengers came and went, and the cows and young bull watched.
This event was very similar to the mock medieval joust I attended at King Richard's Faire just a few weeks ago, jousting knights, a champion, ladies looking on...very cool
continiued...
I left the trail about two miles in and bushwacked to an area where I'd seen lots of moose sign a few years ago. I was hoping, as always, to see moose and maybe get some nice photographs with some nice snow-dusted trees in the background. As I approached the area I heard a lots and noise. At least a couple moose were running around in circles, about a hundred feet ahead. This area is thick with striped maple and hobblebush, which is moose food.
As I slowly advanced as quietly as possible I started seeing moose. I saw a bull and a cow, all running around in circles. They were in a birch glade with chest-high hobble bush. Suddenly, I heard the clanking of antlers as two other bulls went at it, but I didn't even know they were there until I heard them. I could just see a few body parts of each bull through the trees. That makes three bulls and a cow!
Then the cow started baying as the bulls were clanking horns. I've heard cow make mating calls before, but they were always short bursts..."urt, urt, urt". The call of this cow moose went on for 10 seconds at a time, one after another. It was so wonderful to hear this and the clanking antlers at the same time.
I tried to get to the edge of the thick stuff I was in so I could get a clear view of them, but when I was about ten feet from the edge and I decided that I'd rather just experience this as long as it would last. If I could have been just 10' closer I could have gotten spectacular shots, because all this happened 60' to 80' away. I took a few shots through the trees, but they do this experience no justice.
Then one of the rutting bulls disengaged the other and started walking straight toward my position. He was browsing and came right to the edge, right where I was hoping to be. I think he caught a whiff of me because he just stared right at me. Great
Now I was definitely going nowhere, in fact, I decided to not even fire a shot for fear of the sound of the shutter.While that was happening a heard another moose approach from the west, making it's way toward the action. Meanwhile, the other moose started running around wildly in circles again. Now I noticed that there was another cow and another bull, which was probably a two year, judging by the size of his body and antlers. He and the two cows stayed together the whole time. I also noticed that the other rutting bull did not run around. He stood his ground. I decided he was the champion.
Then I noticed that the newcomer was a bull, and he went to the champion and they started rutting. Again, one of the cows was baying long and loud calls while the bulls clanked antlers. This time it went on for at least five minutes, until one bull retreated.
As that was happening, the bull who had me pinned down had turned back toward the rutting bulls. He then engaged the champion, but it only lasted about a minute. It was now clear to me that the champion was just that. He never left a ten foot radius, while for a third time all the others started running around in circles. This time, when they stopped running around the two cows and young bull, who were still together, stopped in about the same spot as the other bull who had me pinned down. Soon, one cow was staring right at me, and she knew there was someone present.
Again, one of the challengers engaged the champion for more rutting that lasted a few minutes until the challenger back off.
Here's the cow who finally busted me...
She wouldn't stop looking at me. I think she alerted the whole troupe to me presence because they all stopped at stood silent for a long time. There we all were, still and silent for at least 15 minutes. It was sunny and calm in that birch/hobblebush glade. Then the cow, with ears pinned, turned and trotted directly away from me and the whole troupe followed her, leaving only the champ, who eventually followed. That was special.
the champ...he looks old, and his right antler looks a bit tattered...
one of the challengers...
the young bull...
After they left, I went to check out the scene. Here's a nice look at a rutting field (or whatever it's called) It's a bout 20' across. The bull never left this pit as the challengers came and went, and the cows and young bull watched.
This event was very similar to the mock medieval joust I attended at King Richard's Faire just a few weeks ago, jousting knights, a champion, ladies looking on...very cool
continiued...
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