flying bear and swamp trompin' for moose

[forestgnome]

This 3 or 4 year old sow was on our second-floor deck before dawn, snooping for a meal. There are no stairs to this deck, but she didn't need them. She was hufing exessively at my dog and me...

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/bear1-1.jpg




http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/bear2.jpg




Dawn from the Sugar Hill Overlook, on the Kancamagus...

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/livpass183.jpg




I found this old beaver bog off trail in a mountain pass in the Sandwich Range


http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/livpass193.jpg




This dragonfly has a bum wing.


http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/livpass015.jpg





While watching to see if a fish or a cedar waxwing would grab it for a meal, I heard the thrashing of a bull moose off to the west. (Thrashing is when they vigorously drag their antlers through branches to remove the velvet and then to polish the antlers). The sound led me to another old bog...

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/livpass208.jpg







I was hiking through this bog toward the sound of the thrashing when the bull emerged into the bog. He saw me right away.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/livpass011.jpg



He soon turned and headed back into the trees, giving another look at me over his shoulder...

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/livpass021.jpg




I wish I could have gotten closer but it was still very nice. There's something very special about the prescence of a big bull moose in autumn in a bog, far from the trail in a mountain pass.

I tracked him but I could not catch up to him, but he led me through some nice moose habitat with loads of hobblebush...

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/livpass211.jpg




gigantic hobblebush leave...

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l190/forestgnome/livpass212.jpg




happy trails :)

[CHRIS]

Awesome pictures thank you for sharing.

[TrishandAlex]

Your pictures are always jaw-droppingly (new word I just made up) beautiful.

Really, they're fantastic. Please don't ever stop posting.

That picture of the dragonfly is incredible.

[Bretton Woods Brat]

Beautiful sunrise.... I'm glad you didn't get closer! :eek: He looks big!

[mtruman]

Wow, bears that can fly :eek::eek::eek:

I'm glad to see that the picture you got of her was as she was leaving the deck and not as she was preparing to head into the house...

The other pictures are beautiful (as always). I particularly like the image of the dragonfly although it is very sad that he had the bad wing...

[Gorque]

That's a novel way to wake up. Did the bear use that to climb up to your deck as well?

[Rich]

Thank God that bear didn't miss the tree! She would've been on YOU!!

[faegilr]

Love the dragonfly picture, I adore macros :)

I so want to see a bear or moose in the wild...maybe next year :)

[Charlie]

as always very very nice pictures ;)

[JimS]

That sunrise shot is one of your best landscapes in a while. Wish I were there...congrats on a great series!