Moose cow in the sage, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, IdahoMoose cow in the sage – Nikon D7100, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

On my recent trip to eastern Idaho’s Targhee National Forest the first mammals I encountered and photographed were a cow and calf Moose. The cow and calf were walking down a sage covered hillside heading towards a creek on the other side of the road. The cow was one of the darkest moose I have seen with a nearly black body. She was bothered by flies and those can be seen in the air near her rump.

Moose calf crossing a dirt road, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, IdahoMoose calf crossing a dirt road – Nikon D7100, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The calf; born earlier this spring, looks like it is all legs at this age and has begun to shed some of the rusty red fur on its back. It was rushing to catch up to the cow who had already crossed the road when I took this image. Such a cute little bugger.

Targhee National Forest – HTC One cell phone image, f2, 1/4348, ISO 125, 4mm, natural light

The Targhee National Forest is beautiful and offers many scenic views of gentle slopes covered by sagebrush, creeks lined with willows, and mountains with pines, spruce and aspens.  The trip was wonderful and relaxing.

Today is an important day for me and many other bird lovers in Utah because there is a hearing at 10 am concerning the proposed Crow Hunt that we want to stop. I hope you will all send your positive thoughts our way, we sure could use them. To show you the kind of mentality we are dealing with I’d like to post what one board member; John Bair,  has as his tag line on Twitter:

Husband, Father, fun lovin, huntin, auctioneering Mormon Redneck. Weapons and mules…Good.  Anti-American liberals….BAD
Springville Utah

Sad, isn’t it?

I hope to personally thank Bill Fenimore and Michael King for voting against the crow hunt at the last hearing. I want to express my appreciation to both of them for being on the right side of this issue. I’d also like to thank everyone else who showed up to support being against the crow hunt.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Moose photos plus facts and information about this species.

Help Stop the Utah Crow Hunt

Help Stop the Utah Crow Hunt – Part II