2016 Wildlife Photo Contest

Species: Eastern Moose | Location: Baxter State Park, United States

I drove six hours from my home in Central New Hampshire to Baxter State Park in North-Central Maine for an opportunity to photograph the Eastern Moose. I had camped out for a little less than week, and had encountered a wide range of wildlife, including several female Eastern Moose from afar. By my last day there, I was thrilled with my trip, I had checked off every shot I wanted to get, except for one. I wanted to capture an image of a bull Eastern Moose, the symbol of Northern New England. I spent the sunset at a small pond, hoping to have an encounter with a bull moose. All I encountered was a pummeling thunder storm. I packed up and headed back towards my campsite. As I drove the rain began to lighten and light fog rolled in. It was about 20 minutes after sunset as I neared my campsite, it was on the other side of a clearing in the otherwise dense forest. Slowly trudging through the clearing was the bull moose I had been searching for. He was young with velvet still on his antlers, he formed a formidable silhouette in the fog. I quickly pulled out my camera and tripod to capture the scene with the little light I had left. It was an awesome experience and a perfect way to end a trip!