For once I have some spare time and will continue to post some of my trips from this summer/fall. This past October I had a few free weekends so I decided to visit Denali NPP. I haven't been down here in the fall for years. I had missed the bulk of the moose rut but knew I might catch the actual breeding season, and could hope to catch some bull moose interactions, if I was lucky. Earlier in the rut (early September) a lot of the rutting activity takes place adjacent to the road but I wasn't sure where the moose headed for this part of the rut. I figured that with enough patience, luck, and driving, I might find some moose. On my way into the park, I did see a pretty huge bull but he was about a half mile from the road, and in the closed area, marked by this.
![1606714706261.png 1606714706261.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94239-53190c08a8c9322ba6d0cb4a47221216.jpg)
I was happy to see a prime bull within a few miles and guessed that was a good sign so I continued driving in until I hit the road closure at mile 30. I turned back and headed to the rutting area a bit, stopping to take some pictures of Denali.
![1606714937351.png 1606714937351.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94240-47bc78f063167905c58f591041914f76.jpg)
![1606714951704.png 1606714951704.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94241-a04b365af202890ad45e4b7b3df24acc.jpg)
Seeing no moose, I turned back into the park and pulled off the road just west of the closed area. I loaded my pack and took off to the north.
![1606714997731.png 1606714997731.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94242-774b45e9ecf3ee5613685488060db737.jpg)
Within a couple minutes, I was looking down at this wolf track.
![1606715048781.png 1606715048781.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94243-507af05d9ac1bc88cf6c549164848a07.jpg)
Then I bumped into these grizzly tracks.
![1606715093758.png 1606715093758.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94244-c8183428baeac8167d6349a7578bc998.jpg)
And then this grizzly digging of the plant Hedysarum alpinum.
![1606715147899.png 1606715147899.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94245-2185e6694f96931bb05e513f3602de18.jpg)
This is the plant that has a fleshy tuber at the base that grizzlies feed on extensively in the spring and fall.
![1606715206126.png 1606715206126.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94246-8cfc5fdeab9e8c53e351164d3ed398e6.jpg)
I continued up the creek until I saw a developed trail to the left of the creek, I walked over and found this.
![1606715255809.png 1606715255809.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94247-e93d1863252da1d8cc0b481009800d06.jpg)
I wasn't here to hike a nice park trail so I hiked back across the creek and headed up slope from there. Much better.
![1606715301753.png 1606715301753.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94248-066aeb0cdf785ee1b15b90219b9dca34.jpg)
A few bog cranberries.
![1606715373492.png 1606715373492.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94249-42195811da53959a3761a9a2953979bf.jpg)
An old coyote scat.
![1606715406548.png 1606715406548.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94250-9f692a76d709bcd0e5dff0f7a13fe4ba.jpg)
Looking back to the southwest, another view of Denali.
![1606715425681.png 1606715425681.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94251-1f9e6f5ebb0fc9d0feedb408f6d98f85.jpg)
Some moose scat on the tundra.
![1606715484381.png 1606715484381.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94252-474d923741a403a092a06bd23914232e.jpg)
Highbush cranberry shrub providing some fall color.
![1606715517344.png 1606715517344.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94253-342bc3a18ad81682aa7cbb742c4a02fc.jpg)
I had no real plan when I left the vehicle so I decided to hike to the high point at the left of the picture and just go from there.
![1606715612198.png 1606715612198.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94254-faa322d5661764956856899d23f69616.jpg)
Several minutes later I looked up slope and saw this.
![1606715703036.png 1606715703036.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94255-584c5e6e5fadcd19c2b2b48d42e02dfc.jpg)
I put my binoculars up and saw that it was a little bull. Awesome. I ducked out of sight and waited. Within a few minutes he was headed down my way. I started emitting some light bull grunts to try and pique his interest. I lost him in the brush and terrain a few times.
![Moose&brush_close-2.jpg Moose&brush_close-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94279-f1a7fe94f77f2f7efdcbf3afca4eaf28.jpg)
![Moose&brush_close_good-2.jpg Moose&brush_close_good-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94278-9d7478acd4ec81fb8491738b3233b4d3.jpg)
![1606715879725.png 1606715879725.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94256-ef90b4ad72e2e40e4a415caa7e09f32b.jpg)
He slowly continued my way.
![Moose&brush_close_Best-5.jpg Moose&brush_close_Best-5.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94280-054dccb0f28f1c5462ac3775c2b19725.jpg)
I continued to grunt sporadically, which kept him approaching cautiously. He worked his way around a large clump of brush and then appeared along the lower edge of the brush.
![1606716065804.png 1606716065804.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94258-df785bf4d7fa897987db0d4ce3c41b50.jpg)
At this point I quit calling, figuring that if he came closer and figured me out, he would spook, which I did not want. He showed off his antlers to me, then moseyed further down slope.
![1606716162712.png 1606716162712.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94259-154c25f0faf9755f135e9bf00471b024.jpg)
![1606716182900.png 1606716182900.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94260-612a7e8650db07e8ef3497f122f90de4.jpg)
He bedded down 40-50 yards away. I figured I would sneak away from him and continue up slope. As I opened my pack to stash my camera, I thought I heard a moose grunt, then another, and another. What the? I stood up and heard more grunts, but they were up slope and to the west (left). I caught some movement and saw this.
![1606716441060.png 1606716441060.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94261-f29c09b876a0fe04ad299d9ecfc086b7.jpg)
He started raking the brush and snapping branches. Since he was at least 60 yards away, I figured I'd call once again and see how he reacted.
He stopped raking the brush and looked my way.
![1606716572460.png 1606716572460.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94262-0c152def9a3fef638bfe09e7f2aeb072.jpg)
At this point he sort of followed the path of the smaller bull, circling around the large clump of brush. He stopped every few seconds and raked the brush some more, grunting along the way. I figured this was a good time for me to shut the heck up and move over toward a small spruce, just in case.
![1606716689997.png 1606716689997.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94263-a232d772567e1fc6f8e26a4811bc13b9.jpg)
He stared my way for several minutes as I tried to use the brush to obscure me enough that he would not spook.
![1606716791476.png 1606716791476.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94264-b9baa4e9580fc0f626dfa606e1461844.jpg)
He moved down slope a bit, keeping an eye on me.
![1606716859139.png 1606716859139.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94265-275f827e87c2cb7dcbcc7ab668d936b1.jpg)
I was expecting the younger bull to jump from his bed but he remained motionless. The big bull moved a bit more down slope and stopped again.
![1606716971173.png 1606716971173.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94266-997b91ba08b6b52c9b8ac03f2f10a1aa.jpg)
At this point, he turned away and walked off toward the drainage to the west. As he left he started grunting again and kept this up until I could not hear him anymore. I looked down toward the smaller bull. He stood up and moved down slope and out-of-view.
![1606717093501.png 1606717093501.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94267-e622e9daf8ba44e90c9fdfe983665f04.jpg)
I stood there for a few minutes not believing my luck. Wow. I started moving upslope and after a short while, the silence was broken by a cacophany of sandhill cranes trumpeting from somewhere to the south. I looked but saw nothing. There were a boatload of them but I saw nothing. Finally they rose above one of the slopes to the south and became quite visible.
![1606717292052.png 1606717292052.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94268-5af589f757ec8959b54dc919e22abb4a.jpg)
After swirling around to gain altitude, they took off to the east and eventually out of view.
![1606717345741.png 1606717345741.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94269-60666259e442e39d36cc5afa6849b152.jpg)
![1606717360733.png 1606717360733.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94270-f77aaa5d246c21998c08ab70f04f7f58.jpg)
I hiked up a bit more, then decided to circle around and head back to the road. I stopped to glass a series of beaver ponds on the other side of the road.
![1606717595846.png 1606717595846.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94272-e085bbce114308e02f98a963dfb516ee.jpg)
After glassing the ponds, I scanned this side of the road for a few seconds and saw a spot of white down in the trees and found a huge bull moose with a cow and a younger bull nearby. The younger bull is to the left of the big guy and the cow is to the right, mostly obscured by a spruce.
![1606717491860.png 1606717491860.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94271-5dbcd0e9a2df05d756e4274362444ff6.jpg)
I took off in that direction as fast as I could. Travel was super slow through the brushy tundra. By the time I was within a half mile of where they had been, I saw the three of them moving along a low ridge into the rutting area. At this point I just hiked toward the road. There was plenty of moose sign as I hiked along. Moose and caribou scat here.
![1606717879099.png 1606717879099.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94273-e560ded9d99fd2c5a212bb3a9b0764e4.jpg)
A moose scrape. The bulls urinate in these and rub the earthy mix into their neck fur which is apparently an attractant for the cows.
![1606717980992.png 1606717980992.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94274-0eb2a8647afba499ade458e98ff5e08c.jpg)
A couple of spruce saplings destroyed by a bull.
![1606718020864.png 1606718020864.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94275-938dc8b96fc89a5560477f3c3c0ea557.jpg)
A well-developed game trail.
![1606718047738.png 1606718047738.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94276-b31843b0831568055f9ca2c3c4203a3d.jpg)
My last view of the day before hopping in the van and heading out.
![1606718088564.png 1606718088564.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94277-81db9ca160a499c384bfa7fc22749c5c.jpg)
![1606714706261.png 1606714706261.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94239-53190c08a8c9322ba6d0cb4a47221216.jpg)
I was happy to see a prime bull within a few miles and guessed that was a good sign so I continued driving in until I hit the road closure at mile 30. I turned back and headed to the rutting area a bit, stopping to take some pictures of Denali.
![1606714937351.png 1606714937351.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94240-47bc78f063167905c58f591041914f76.jpg)
![1606714951704.png 1606714951704.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94241-a04b365af202890ad45e4b7b3df24acc.jpg)
Seeing no moose, I turned back into the park and pulled off the road just west of the closed area. I loaded my pack and took off to the north.
![1606714997731.png 1606714997731.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94242-774b45e9ecf3ee5613685488060db737.jpg)
Within a couple minutes, I was looking down at this wolf track.
![1606715048781.png 1606715048781.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94243-507af05d9ac1bc88cf6c549164848a07.jpg)
Then I bumped into these grizzly tracks.
![1606715093758.png 1606715093758.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94244-c8183428baeac8167d6349a7578bc998.jpg)
And then this grizzly digging of the plant Hedysarum alpinum.
![1606715147899.png 1606715147899.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94245-2185e6694f96931bb05e513f3602de18.jpg)
This is the plant that has a fleshy tuber at the base that grizzlies feed on extensively in the spring and fall.
![1606715206126.png 1606715206126.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94246-8cfc5fdeab9e8c53e351164d3ed398e6.jpg)
I continued up the creek until I saw a developed trail to the left of the creek, I walked over and found this.
![1606715255809.png 1606715255809.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94247-e93d1863252da1d8cc0b481009800d06.jpg)
I wasn't here to hike a nice park trail so I hiked back across the creek and headed up slope from there. Much better.
![1606715301753.png 1606715301753.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94248-066aeb0cdf785ee1b15b90219b9dca34.jpg)
A few bog cranberries.
![1606715373492.png 1606715373492.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94249-42195811da53959a3761a9a2953979bf.jpg)
An old coyote scat.
![1606715406548.png 1606715406548.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94250-9f692a76d709bcd0e5dff0f7a13fe4ba.jpg)
Looking back to the southwest, another view of Denali.
![1606715425681.png 1606715425681.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94251-1f9e6f5ebb0fc9d0feedb408f6d98f85.jpg)
Some moose scat on the tundra.
![1606715484381.png 1606715484381.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94252-474d923741a403a092a06bd23914232e.jpg)
Highbush cranberry shrub providing some fall color.
![1606715517344.png 1606715517344.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94253-342bc3a18ad81682aa7cbb742c4a02fc.jpg)
I had no real plan when I left the vehicle so I decided to hike to the high point at the left of the picture and just go from there.
![1606715612198.png 1606715612198.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94254-faa322d5661764956856899d23f69616.jpg)
Several minutes later I looked up slope and saw this.
![1606715703036.png 1606715703036.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94255-584c5e6e5fadcd19c2b2b48d42e02dfc.jpg)
I put my binoculars up and saw that it was a little bull. Awesome. I ducked out of sight and waited. Within a few minutes he was headed down my way. I started emitting some light bull grunts to try and pique his interest. I lost him in the brush and terrain a few times.
![Moose&brush_close-2.jpg Moose&brush_close-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94279-f1a7fe94f77f2f7efdcbf3afca4eaf28.jpg)
![Moose&brush_close_good-2.jpg Moose&brush_close_good-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94278-9d7478acd4ec81fb8491738b3233b4d3.jpg)
![1606715879725.png 1606715879725.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94256-ef90b4ad72e2e40e4a415caa7e09f32b.jpg)
He slowly continued my way.
![Moose&brush_close_Best-5.jpg Moose&brush_close_Best-5.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94280-054dccb0f28f1c5462ac3775c2b19725.jpg)
I continued to grunt sporadically, which kept him approaching cautiously. He worked his way around a large clump of brush and then appeared along the lower edge of the brush.
![1606716065804.png 1606716065804.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94258-df785bf4d7fa897987db0d4ce3c41b50.jpg)
At this point I quit calling, figuring that if he came closer and figured me out, he would spook, which I did not want. He showed off his antlers to me, then moseyed further down slope.
![1606716162712.png 1606716162712.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94259-154c25f0faf9755f135e9bf00471b024.jpg)
![1606716182900.png 1606716182900.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94260-612a7e8650db07e8ef3497f122f90de4.jpg)
He bedded down 40-50 yards away. I figured I would sneak away from him and continue up slope. As I opened my pack to stash my camera, I thought I heard a moose grunt, then another, and another. What the? I stood up and heard more grunts, but they were up slope and to the west (left). I caught some movement and saw this.
![1606716441060.png 1606716441060.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94261-f29c09b876a0fe04ad299d9ecfc086b7.jpg)
He started raking the brush and snapping branches. Since he was at least 60 yards away, I figured I'd call once again and see how he reacted.
He stopped raking the brush and looked my way.
![1606716572460.png 1606716572460.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94262-0c152def9a3fef638bfe09e7f2aeb072.jpg)
At this point he sort of followed the path of the smaller bull, circling around the large clump of brush. He stopped every few seconds and raked the brush some more, grunting along the way. I figured this was a good time for me to shut the heck up and move over toward a small spruce, just in case.
![1606716689997.png 1606716689997.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94263-a232d772567e1fc6f8e26a4811bc13b9.jpg)
He stared my way for several minutes as I tried to use the brush to obscure me enough that he would not spook.
![1606716791476.png 1606716791476.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94264-b9baa4e9580fc0f626dfa606e1461844.jpg)
He moved down slope a bit, keeping an eye on me.
![1606716859139.png 1606716859139.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94265-275f827e87c2cb7dcbcc7ab668d936b1.jpg)
I was expecting the younger bull to jump from his bed but he remained motionless. The big bull moved a bit more down slope and stopped again.
![1606716971173.png 1606716971173.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94266-997b91ba08b6b52c9b8ac03f2f10a1aa.jpg)
At this point, he turned away and walked off toward the drainage to the west. As he left he started grunting again and kept this up until I could not hear him anymore. I looked down toward the smaller bull. He stood up and moved down slope and out-of-view.
![1606717093501.png 1606717093501.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94267-e622e9daf8ba44e90c9fdfe983665f04.jpg)
I stood there for a few minutes not believing my luck. Wow. I started moving upslope and after a short while, the silence was broken by a cacophany of sandhill cranes trumpeting from somewhere to the south. I looked but saw nothing. There were a boatload of them but I saw nothing. Finally they rose above one of the slopes to the south and became quite visible.
![1606717292052.png 1606717292052.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94268-5af589f757ec8959b54dc919e22abb4a.jpg)
After swirling around to gain altitude, they took off to the east and eventually out of view.
![1606717345741.png 1606717345741.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94269-60666259e442e39d36cc5afa6849b152.jpg)
![1606717360733.png 1606717360733.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94270-f77aaa5d246c21998c08ab70f04f7f58.jpg)
I hiked up a bit more, then decided to circle around and head back to the road. I stopped to glass a series of beaver ponds on the other side of the road.
![1606717595846.png 1606717595846.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94272-e085bbce114308e02f98a963dfb516ee.jpg)
After glassing the ponds, I scanned this side of the road for a few seconds and saw a spot of white down in the trees and found a huge bull moose with a cow and a younger bull nearby. The younger bull is to the left of the big guy and the cow is to the right, mostly obscured by a spruce.
![1606717491860.png 1606717491860.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94271-5dbcd0e9a2df05d756e4274362444ff6.jpg)
I took off in that direction as fast as I could. Travel was super slow through the brushy tundra. By the time I was within a half mile of where they had been, I saw the three of them moving along a low ridge into the rutting area. At this point I just hiked toward the road. There was plenty of moose sign as I hiked along. Moose and caribou scat here.
![1606717879099.png 1606717879099.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94273-e560ded9d99fd2c5a212bb3a9b0764e4.jpg)
A moose scrape. The bulls urinate in these and rub the earthy mix into their neck fur which is apparently an attractant for the cows.
![1606717980992.png 1606717980992.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94274-0eb2a8647afba499ade458e98ff5e08c.jpg)
A couple of spruce saplings destroyed by a bull.
![1606718020864.png 1606718020864.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94275-938dc8b96fc89a5560477f3c3c0ea557.jpg)
A well-developed game trail.
![1606718047738.png 1606718047738.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94276-b31843b0831568055f9ca2c3c4203a3d.jpg)
My last view of the day before hopping in the van and heading out.
![1606718088564.png 1606718088564.png](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/94/94277-81db9ca160a499c384bfa7fc22749c5c.jpg)
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