April 21, 2002

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY:
Moose make compelling models, but be very wary: Some tips

Tips on photographing the great outdoors

By BILL SILLIKER JR.

 

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As frost laden logging roads soften into treacherous mud traps, this camera hunter's thoughts turn to upcoming quests for his favorite species — the Maine moose.

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Find out more about moose watching in Maine.
Spring moose photography is tougher than folks might think. Adult moose look as ragged as they ever get due to shedding their winter coats. Mother moose become as dangerous as they ever will because they have newborn calves to protect beginning in mid May. While a moose calf offers the most photogenic of targets for the camera during the spring moose season, it comes with one of the fiercest defenders of offspring in the animal world.

And so to prepare for the spring moose season, it seems appropriate to review some of the basics, including selections from my several books on moose.

Moose manners

To get the most enjoyment out of photographing any wildlife species it helps to know something about them. When it comes to an animal as large and powerful as a moose, it is also a very good idea. While most moose normally are quite gentle, some can get pretty darned mean. Informed moose photographers enjoy not only better experiences, but also safer ones for both themselves and the moose. Any animal that weighs half a ton or more, stands seven feet at the shoulder and has its own "bad hair days" at certain times of year certainly can be dangerous.

When I wrote the Maine Moose Watcher's Guide in 1993, research of all available information showed no documentation of humans ever being killed by moose except in motor vehicle accidents. That has since changed. Moose stomped two people to death in separate incidents in Alaska in the mid-1990s.

Surprisingly, both human fatalities occurred in suburban areas, not out in the big woods as one might imagine.

That's not to say that you should fear moose. But you should have a healthy respect for these large and typically quite timid creatures because of their size alone. And you should know that certain moose at certain times of the year require even more respect. Those moose — mothers with calves and aggressive bulls during the fall moose mating season - deserve a lot of space and a wary eye.

Mother moose may be the most dangerous land mammal in North America shy of the grizzly bear. They certainly will defend their young from all comers. Should you ever get in a situation where a mother moose perceives you to be a threat: WATCH OUT!

The younger the calf, the more likely you are to encounter aggressive behavior from a mother moose. You don't have to be all that close to a calf to get into trouble. It all depends upon the mother moose and her experience with raising other calves, with people, and perhaps with other animals.

Moose photography

Moose can provide great targets for the camera. Because of their size, they often will "fill the frame," even for those with moderate telephoto lenses. To get the best results, keep in mind the following when attempting to photograph a moose:

  • Point your camera at something that reflects an average amount of light to set the exposure. Green grass, gray rocks or the blue sky opposite the sun all work well. Adult moose are very dark animals, and if you meter off one the camera may call for too much exposure. Conversely, if you meter a moose that's in a brightly reflective pond, you run the risk of getting too little exposure of the film if the camera meter picks up much of the pond.

  • Use a sturdy tripod to minimize camera shake with a long telephoto lens unless you're using one of the new stabilizing lenses designed for handholding at slow shutter speeds or unless you're shooting at a shutter speed as fast as the fraction made by the number 1 over the length of the lens. (Example: 1/500 for a 500mm lens).

  • Those who hike to a backwoods pond and stay quiet while working with a moose generally enjoy better photography opportunities.

  • You can sometimes use a vehicle as a blind to get closer to moose encountered near the road. But as more moose have experienced increased hunting pressures, they have become much more wary than in recent years, and will run from a slowing vehicle.

    Moose hold a special place in the hearts of many people. It may be that the moose represents wilderness. Perhaps moose are a symbol of simpler times and less hectic places. Maybe it's also because that, even while such large and strange looking beasts, moose have a mostly gentle demeanor.

    To borrow a concept from Will Rogers, I never met a moose I didn't like. I've met a few that have scared me. But I never met one I didn't like.

    Catch yours in the good light.

    Bill Silliker Jr. is a freelance photographer and writer based in Ocean Park, ME. For more information go to: www.camerahunter.com.


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