Showing posts with label U.P. moose photos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.P. moose photos. Show all posts

Thursday, February 24, 2011

A trip in the BOONIES....in the middle of winter...in the middle of NOWHERE!

The last week of January, I was missing going out into the woods.
Bad.

We had gotten a LOT of snow, so most of the wood roads we drive to find photos
or find wildlife
were snowed over and not plowed.

But, last year, I remembered one road where they plowed year-round
and where we have spotted moose before.

I begged asked
my husband if he would take me there to look for moose.

He laughed.

LAUGHED at me, people!

He said..(and I quote): "Honey, we aren't going to see any moose now....they are bedded down somewhere
deep in the woods. Besides, I don't think they even plowed the road clear this year".

But I continued to whine politely ask until I wore him down.

So we bundled up and hit the road.

We drove about a mile or two down the usual 6 mile road and came to a dead end, huge snowbank ahead.

He said: "See? I told you they didn't plow the whole thing this winter".

But I looked way to the left and saw that they had indeed continued the plowing.

It appeared that logging was going on and someone plowed it enough for our trusty four-wheel drive to get through.

It was Sunday, and the road was VERY narrow....but I cheerfully said:
"But they won't be doing any logging today...we won't meet any trucks!"

My husband, (being a very wise and patient man):
sighed.

Then said: "Ok...but we'll just drive a little ways until we see where they are logging and where we can turn around!".

That was good enough for me.

So,
off we went.

We drove and saw NOTHING for a few miles.

I mean NOTHING.

No critter with a pulse.

Not even a bird.

We came to the first turnaround spot.

He looked over at me.

And I smiled.

And he smiled.

And he said: "You don't want me to turn around yet do you?"

I said no.

He (being the loving husband he is) obliged me. (We haven't been married for almost 39 years for nothing, folks!)

I told him: "I just feel like we are going to see a Moose today. I just can't explain it".

He said nothing.
(Did I not tell you he is a wise, wise, man?).

So we kept driving.

We got about 6 miles in the deep woods. It was getting late.
He found the largest logging spot and said: "Honey, we really have to head back..I don't want to be out here in the dark". 

I agreed.
(Hey, I'm spoiled, but not dumb. I didn't want to be way out in the boonies on a cold, cold night either in the dark).

So, we turned us around....and had gone just about a half mile
and
out of the corner of my eye....

I saw movement in the woods!

STOP! I yelled.

He stopped the truck dead in its spot.

And
THIS is what I saw:

DO YOU SEE
what I saw????




The LARGEST MOOSE
I have seen to date
in the woods!!!:






I had a hard time focusing my zoom on him
due to the many many branches in front of him.

He was WAY back in the woods!
But he was HUGE.

Then....
he saw ME!:









Oh. No.
He was leaving!

Here, Bullwinkle...here Bullwinkle!:









Then he stopped again.

We got out of our truck
so I could try and get a picture through the woods from a different angle.

He was playing with me. 
But, at least he stopped again so I could take more photos:






He was sooooo gorgeous:






You can't tell it from this view, but he had buckets for antlers...
just huge "bowls" on each side!:







He was tired of us.....he wanted to leave again--







He didn't seem to like that I made him bump into a branch and
get snow on his head.
Gheesh! He is a Moose after all! What is the big deal?:

He slowly sauntered off into the deeper woods.

And me?

I teased my husband all the way home....

Guess what we are going to do again soon on a Sunday?

Oh yeah.....
we will be driving in that same spot again.
Only that big boy probably lost his antlers by now...

I will forgive him as long as he shows up
and has forgiven me for making him get snow on his head.

Friday, November 5, 2010

YES!..another Bullwinkle!!

About a month ago,
we headed out for our usual: "what-can-we-find-in-the-woods-that-is-interesting-to-photograph?" trip.

After an uneventful first few hours,
we turned onto a road, went about 1/2 mile and
THIS
stepped out in front of us!:
(The lighting was the absolute worst for shooting him with my camera, but I wasn't ABOUT to take the time to try and adjust my camera settings when we saw him!)









Although I wasn't thrilled about the lighting conditions to get these shots, we were thrilled to see
that he was a BULL:










He seemed unconcerned that we were there. He just sauntered into the woods
and began eating some branch buds:









I was cursing my "auto" setting on my camera because it wanted to focus
on all the branches in front of him (between me and him)
but I finally got the shot!:










Look at that HUMP! I bet his mother told him to sit up straight a million times when he was a mere baby moose. Obviously, he didn't listen!:











He came back out on the road and then went back in the woods....
I wasn't this close to take the shot, it is the wonder of the zoom lens.
Of course, it is a bit blurry because of that:






Ummmm....he saw ME....(gulp!):
But when our eyes met, it was INSTANT love.








And then turned to go back in the woods again (whew!):
(Do you see the hair under his chinee, chin-chin? I think it is TOTALLY HOT!)  










To ME?  They are gorgeous creatures!!:

Bullwinkle and I have a date to meet again. I saw when our eyes met.

He's supposed to call me.

But you know how male bulls are.

I may never hear from him again.

(Sigh)


But I will think of him.

Often.

With longing.

My husband even knows.

And?

 
He encourages this type of thing.

 
He says if Bullwinkle and I get together again,
he will offer to escort me
to our date.

And maybe even watch.

 
What a guy!
No wonder I love him!!