Moose Monday - Going on a Moose Chase in Red Lodge, Montana

This post continues where my previous Moose post (Moose Monday - Big Bull Moose in Big Sky Country!) left off.

By the time I got in the car, a couple of minutes had already gone since my bull moose sighting.  Will I get the chance to find him to take some more photos?  I am thinking to myself, he should not be difficult to spot with his impressive size and Mother Nature's recent painting of the ground in a bright white.  Wait!  I can see some moose tracks on the snow!   It looks like he was headed South towards Ski Run Road.   I am hoping he did not go too far and out of sight from the road as I had no intention to get out of the car to chase him on foot (moose are beautiful to watch but keep in mind they are wild animals and they will attack if they feel threatened).  

So I drive down to Palisades Campground Road and just before I  get to Ski Run Road, what do I see cross the road in front of me?   The Bull Moose!   Time to reach for the camera but no luck!  The bull moose is on the move and picks up speed after noticing my car.   He dashes through the open field and is headed towards the Red Lodge Mountain.   I could not believe how fast he was running especially for his size.   By the time I get the camera, he had managed to get behind some trees and I could not get a good photo of him from Palisades Campground Road.  So I decided to turn right on Ski Run Road and follow him and hope he gets away from the trees.  

Sure enough he predicted my move and decided to go back on his steps, across Palisades Campground road, over a fence and across someone's private property.  The snow on the ground was deeper and he somehow slowed down.  I did manage to turn around, come back on Palisades Campground Road and stopped the car on the side of the road.  I finally caught my lucky break!   He decided to stop for a few seconds as he turned his head to see who is this crazy guy chasing him in a car for the past few minutes.   Once he realized I was not carrying a gun and all I was really interested in was a few good photos of him, he quickly glanced at my camera.  I missed the photo when he was looking my way for a second but here is the precious moment that I was able to capture. 

Here is a close-up of his face and his big antlers!

I got a few more photos of this big bull moose.  There was a little bit more moose chasing!   See the continuation at: Moose Monday - My Moose-ly Positive Experience in Red Lodge, Montana

Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)
Realtor Associate

All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Gerry Khatchikian, Realtor Associate.