Sometimes up here I feel like we could get close encounters of the third kind too.

But these particular encounters where just as thrilling for us. Tuesday night we were just about to sit down at the table to eat dinner when Rick looked out the window that overlooks our newly formed open area (we had our beetle-killed pine trees cleared out) and shouted out DEER! Sure enough, there was a little buck deer just standing there munching away.




Look at those huge ears and those cute furry nubs of antlers coming!

Then yesterday we were about to sit down by the window to eat again, this time for lunch, and Rick looked out and shouted MOOSE! We ran for our cameras but by the time we got back to the window the moose had moved in to the trees, happily munching on our baby aspens. Here is what we saw:




The back end of a moose! In the next photo is you look closely you can see the moose’s head looking in our direction. Both photos taken from inside the cabin with a 300mm zoom lens. Pretty hard to get anything with all the trees in the way.



We watched it slowly wandering around eating, hoping that it would come out in to the open again but it didn’t. We debated on whether or not to go outside and see it we could get a clear shot of it or wait and see if it decided to come our direction again.

We looked at each other and knew we were going moose stalking. So, with a margarita under our belts that we had with our lunch and still in our house slippers, we set off, cameras in hand.

We could not see it anywhere, so we both walked “indian style” through the woods in the direction we had last seen it headed. It worked pretty well and soon I spotted him on the road. Again, all the trees made focusing a challenge.

Here he is with his head turned around looking straight at the camera. You can see one eye and one antler.








See him peeping at me? It only took him a few seconds to decide he didn’t like us or those things that were pointing at him, and he took off at a gallop. Sorry these aren’t in focus but I was doing the best I could to track him.






Big moose but probably a young one. We were thrilled with our lunch guest!

Then last night Rick decided to go fishing again. It was a lovely still night and no wind (unlike the daytime weather!) so it was perfect. He was thrilled to catch five fish in total, all baby brook trout. (Rick fly fishes and it’s all catch and release unless he hooks one big enough to feed us both.) I’m including a pic just for fun.


Just because we were out and about anyway we decided to drive down to Bennet’s Pond which is a spot where we have seen moose before.

I was looking in the other direction when we rounded the corner by the pond and Rick shouted at me excitedly to “quick get your camera ready, there’s a moose!” And here he is:





A different moose than the one we saw earlier in the day. This one had an injured leg and was moving with a pretty good limp. Plus, if you look at the photos above of the other moose his face was a much lighter brown. We watched him for a while but didn’t want to stress him to feel like he had to run, then we left him alone to graze.

Very exciting!!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad at the cabin 8,650 feet above sea level

I love the moose (both of them—mooses,meece? haha). It looks like they have little beards hanging down. The little rainbow trout is beautiful and I’m glad he was too small to be supper. Thanks for sharing these awesome pics of your ‘wild life!’

wow…lots of animals on your side of the mountain.  How cool is that.  I haven’t seen one for awhile…bummer.

You better be careful - those animals are wild you know1 You could have been attacked by the moose! 

Nice pics though!

Bigsis, yes in my mind the plural of moose is meece. That is the wattle hanging down; kind of like a male turkey. Not sure what purpose it serves! We were thrilled to have them visit.

Debra, we’ve seen more this year than the past few years in total. I think as ugly as it is, not having the trees there allows us a better view of animals we may not have know where there.

C, Touché

Wow am I jealous, I could ride for days out there on my horses.. Great pics guys