Gunshots in the Basin
I set out that day hoping to find a big bull moose during the fall rut. One had been spotted recently in the area, and I started up the trail hoping for a chance to photograph him. Along the way, a few hikers told me they’d seen him at a lake farther up, but that a hunter was about 15 minutes ahead of me.
I picked up my pace, hoping to reach the moose before the hunter did. I continued up the trail, but suddenly I heard gunshots echo through the basin.
I knew it was hunting season, but hearing those shots brought it into much sharper focus. Instantly, the hike had an ominous feeling to it. I couldn’t help wondering whether the moose I was searching for was still alive. I pushed on however, almost certain he was a goner.
The uncertainty of the search
Wildlife photography already comes with plenty of uncertainty. You can find the right habitat, follow a recent sighting, and spend hours looking without ever seeing the animal you came for.
That uncertainty is part of what makes finding wildlife so rewarding. You can prepare for an encounter, but you can’t arrange one.
On this hike, though, I was thinking about more than whether I would get a photograph. After hearing the shots, I didn’t know what I was going to find up ahead.
Finding the King of Autumn
Rounding a corner higher up the trail, I looked toward the water and there he was. The king of the mountains, relaxing by the lake with three cows nearby. A total stud, seemingly unfazed by the gunshots.
I was ecstatic. With adrenaline still running high, I tried to steady my camera on the tripod and start filming and photographing him. Thankfully, I got to spend plenty of time watching him do his thing and taking in the encounter.
On the hike down, I spotted a black bear across the basin and came across a playful little pine marten. Unfortunately, my autofocus had been switched off, so some of the marten photos I captured were blurry. It happens to the best of us!
Then I met the hunter. He was packing out part of a moose he had legally harvested. We hiked together for a bit and talked about our very different hunts that day. He told me he’d waited more than 15 years for this moose tag and it was his dream come true. For many families, hunting is a way of life and a tradition passed down through generations. That was part of the story unfolding in the basin that day, too.
Between the moose, the bear, the marten, and that conversation on the trail, this was an incredible and interesting day in the mountains. One I won’t soon forget.
The short film below shows my reaction just after hearing the gunshots, the uncertainty, and some of my favorite videos with these beautiful moose that day.
My favorite photo from the day
One of the photographs from that afternoon that I like the most also became one of the 20 images in my Beyond the Trail limited edition gallery titled King of Autumn.
