I woke before the sun thinking of the newborn moose calf I’d seen a couple of days before. Today, she turned four days old. Peeking through the curtains, a fresh six inch blanket of spring snow had fallen. It was a perfect May morning in Rocky Mountain National Park.

I reached the meadow at the same time the morning sun did. Boots snug, I headed around the treeline hoping to get on the backside of the meadow. There, I could look across and maybe photograph the mother moose hidden on the opposite side at the edge of the willows. 

Traversing the meadow, the stream was small, but my legs are older. Still, I jumped. Then, of course, I fell, held my camera high to save it, plopping into a fresh bed of snow. Recovering, I brushed the soft, white flakes from my pants, and continued on.

Excited, I saw her. On the backside of the meadow in the willows, the cow moose laid in the snow. Extending my 600 mm lens to its full length, I brought her into view. She was beautiful with a hint of red in her gray coat, a contrast to the snow. For ten minutes, I was able to capture images of this beautiful, awkward looking creature.

Then it happened. From the willows, her four day old calf emerged. Still a bit wobbly legged, she walked directly to her mother laying her nose on the cow’s. It was a loving greeting, mother and baby nuzzling together. My camera went into action, and I watched through the viewfinder. It was a precious moment on a blue sky mountain morning.

As if curious, mother and cafe turned to look at the person across the meadow. Knowing I was at a distance not to be of concern, they went on about their morning. The baby continued to nuzzle her mother until finally her mother stood. 

The four day old calf began to nurse getting her morning feeding before her mother moved to nibble on the willows herself. Surrounding them was white as if a frame of purity, and I continued to capture images that I knew were special.

The Baby Nursed Between Playful Bouts in the Snow

For so long, I watched mother moose and her baby as they fed. The mother pulling fresh leaves from the willows, the baby nursing between playful bouts in the snow. She would run, dancing a little on young legs, her nose covered with bits of snow. Then she would return to mother, standing close, nursing as needed. All the while, my camera was active.

After forty-five minutes, my heart full and adrenaline settling, I backed into the trees away from the mother and her baby. I trudged through the snow, and around the meadow toward the road. Jumping the stream once more, I was invigorated, feeling strong, and I did not fall. On the road, I walked back down past the willows toward my SUV in the pullout. 

Then, I heard a sound from the willows. Stopping, I looked down to see the calf poking her head out in curiosity. My camera up again, she walked from the willows, and I captured more images. My breath held as I could see the remains of her umbilical cord still attached. For a moment, she stopped and watched me as I watched her. Then she turned, moving back into the willows and the safety of her mother.

Standing, my camera hung at my side. So many moose I’d photographed, but never a young life in fresh snow at the moment of a new day. My morning had been special beyond expectation. 

Fulfilled, I whispered a thank you to the mother moose for sharing her calf and this experience with me. It had been a morning a photographer dreams of.