What an incredible day! This will go down as one of the most memorable experiences that I've ever had with any wild animal. The encounter began about 2 miles into the hike when I noticed fresh tr...
What an incredible day! This will go down as one of the most memorable experiences that I've ever had with any wild animal. The encounter began about 2 miles into the hike when I noticed fresh tracks in the snow. It's really amazing how moose can blend into the shadows and forest, and in just a few more steps I spotted two young males in the willows. They were very relaxed with me being there, but I didn't spend much time with them in part because the sun hadn't yet risen high enough for them to be in the light. As I snapped a few pics, I heard the unmistakable sound of antlers against other antlers. It was then that I saw Mr. Big, another bull and a young female nearby. Mr. Big was clearly the dominant bull in the area. The bulls were only play fighting – almost as if I was trying to arm wrestle Shaqueal O'Neal and he was amusing me. They'd push against each other for a bit, and then go back to grazing. I hiked a bit closer and found a good spot to watch from a distance. From this vantage point, I was 80-100 feet away. They had noticed me across the lake, and were fully aware of my presence. Slowly but surely, they started to work their way my direction. Eventually, Mr. Big decided to walk right up to me, sit down and take a nap. His buddy did the same, only slightly further away. At no point did they behave in an aggressive or agitated manner. I couldn't believe the comfort level and curiosity that he seemed to have. At the closest, he was about 10 feet away, and when he came to rest, he was only about 15 feet away. In total, I spent about 90 minutes with this group and it's always a pleasure when these magnificent animals show such incredible comfort with me. After they took a nap, I stuck around for ~30 minutes but I felt like it was time to head back home and leave them to peacefully rest. The largest bull had 21 points – 22 if you count one that had broken off earlier in the year. At this size, he is in a protected class by Colorado's "Samson's Law". Truly an impressive animal and an amazing experience.
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