Moose encounters aren’t everyday occurrences for me so three weeks ago I was delighted to come across this very dark cow moose and her calf as I explored the back roads on the border of southwest Montana and Idaho.
This past Sunday morning as I crested a very large hill (Monida Hill) at the west end of the Centennial Valley I noticed an elk calf below me and behind a fence. As soon as I stopped my pickup and the road noise quit I could tell it was in distress from the almost constant noise it was making. I don’t know what to call that sound so I’ll simply refer to it as a “call”. The sound was pitiful and almost heartbreaking to hear.
Last week we drove up to the top of Bountiful Peak in the Wasatch Mountains via Skyline Drive. The 25 mile (not including the side roads we took) loop road between Bountiful and Farmington is gravel, winding and narrow but the views of the valley below from elevations up to 9200 feet are spectacular and the wildlife and bird possibilities beckoned us. We mostly struck out with birds but had a great time with a momma moose and her calf at the edge of some ponds.
Last fall I drove up just as this scenario was playing out. This guy was a biker (bicycle) who had laid his bike down on the road and approached this bison much too closely on foot to get a few photos with his point and shoot. I just knew bad stuff was going to happen so I quickly aimed my camera just as the bison charged this bozo.
