I was truely fortunate to have worked in the Grand Teton National Park last summer. Along with it's neighbor to the north, Yellowstone, the area is renowned for thermal features, mountains, canyons, lakes, and of course, wildlife. Although Yellowstone is a premier park for viewing wildlife, one animal has uniquely identified itself with Grand Teton...the moose. Perhaps no other animal has captured my affection, imagination and photographic pursuits than the moose.

Moose are the largest members of the deer family, standing 6-7 feet at the shoulders and weighing up to 1,600 pounds. Their large size attracts our attention and easily fills the frame of the camera. They are creatures of the northern woods and lakes...cold and snow. They are found in Alaska, Canada, New England, the northern Midwest and the Rocky Mountains. Since they are solitary and do not form herds, moose are not readily seen. For many people, seeing a moose in the wild is a rare treat.

Moose photography can be challenging: they tend to be most active when the light is at its worse. They alternate between periods of feeding or mating with periods of rest or sleep. Their habitat is varied: dense woods, thick brush, open meadows, rivers and lakes. Often there are tree branches, shrubs or rocks obstructing your field of view. Although moose have poor eyesight, they possess excellent hearing and sense of smell. These seemingly gentle giants command the greatest respect; cows with young and bulls during the rutting season can be protective and aggressive. But with some knowledge of moose behavior, willingness to endure cold and wet weather, lots of patience, and a little bit of luck, you will be rewarded with wonderful opportunities at photographing this magnificent mammal.

During my four months in Grand Tetons, I have spent many hours watching and photographing moose. Since their range is small, they can generally be found in the same location. To distinguish the bulls apart, I decided to name them...each easily identifiable by the unique shape of their antlers. Gus was the largest of the bulls who had a habit of dangling out his tongue. Willy was the young inexperienced bull who tried in vain to romance a cow. Then there's Bubba, an old bull in decline with stunted antlers. Sitka was the athletic jumping moose with asymmetric antlers. Monte was a mature bull with an injured right eye. Finally there's Buddy, who was the friendly and photogenic moose. It was a rare chance to watch these beautiful animals from the summer to the fall, when they shed the velvet from their antlers and begin to mate.

When the bulls drop their antlers in the winter, they will be unrecognizable. I can only hope most of them survive the long winter and perhaps see them again in a future visit. I will continue to add more images from my files. I hope you enjoy this gallery and meeting some of my moose friends.