Mr. Ed Where Have You Been

I took this moose photograph in July 2005 near the fishing bridge in Yellowstone. I think this moose was laughing at me for all my hard work while she just hung around waiting on me to show up.

Being a wildlife nut and going to Yellowstone for the first time is like a child in a candy store, I just could not control myself. But I had never seen a moose in the wild before and I just had to see one and I would have killed for it to be a bull.

As we left Yellowstone and started down through the Tetons the chances got better. Upon reaching Ox Bow Bend they got even better yet, but it still had not happened. Now we are heading towards Moose (not the animal but a location) and I have become possessed, Linda and Shane know it also. All I want to do is find moose and we finally found a cow in the water feeding. It was a great first experience as Shane and I snuck up through the mud every time she would put her head under water. Some locals working in the are sent me in another direction to the Gros Verde Road (I think I spelled it correctly) it sounded like a good place to find some bulls. So off we go Linda and Shane in tow wondering when will this idiot stop hunting for moose and let the vacation continue. We get to the location we were sent seeing nothing so I decide it is time for a walk. Twenty minutes into the walk and I spot a moose, and it is a bull at that. A very young bull, small body with antlers just bigger than my hands. Later in the week we spot a few around Ox Bow Bend but still nothing up close and no large males.

With our southern part of the trip finished we head back to Yellowstone, disappointed that we had only seen about four or five moose and none up close. Our first destination in Yellowstone that day was to be the fishing bridge. On our way their we spot a traffic jam meaning wildlife in the area. As we approach we cannot help but to break out in a big smile. Here is this large cow moose feeding in the grass close enough to kick our butts. All that work and she was just hanging around waiting for us.

The hunt for moose that vacation was still allot of fun and something I am glad we did. To this day it still gives up plenty of laughs. Since that time I have been back to Yellowstone and the Tetons to see more moose and Alaska where we watched moose. All have been wonderful experiences but I am still waiting for a good photo of a bull moose. I will get it one of these days.