Chasing Moose and Elk: Our Upcoming Colorado Adventure
Bull elk very close that bugles right in front of camera before sunrise
In just a few weeks, we’ll be loading up the truck camper and heading west for one of my favorite times of year — fall in Colorado. It’s a trip I look forward to all year, but it always comes with a mix of excitement and nerves. Being freelance, I never know exactly what my income will look like from month to month, and taking time off means stepping away from work that pays the bills. Still, the call of the mountains — and the chance to capture incredible wildlife — makes it worth the sacrifice.
This year, we’ll be splitting our time between two very different locations: one known for its moose, the other for the elk rut. Both require a lot of driving and scouting to find the right spots, but that’s part of the adventure. Some mornings we’ll roll out before sunrise, coffee in hand, hoping to set up in the perfect spot before the first bugle echoes through the valley. Other times, it’s a waiting game — finding a trail or meadow and sitting still, ready with the camera for those fleeting moments of wild behavior that make all the effort worthwhile.
Our old truck camper and truck at Pawnee Buttes Colorado - normally our last stop before we set up for camp for elk and moose.
Our camp set-up is simple but comfortable. The truck camper gives us a warm bed, a small bathroom, propane cooking, and enough storage to carry the gear we need. We’ve added a camp shower with instant hot water this year, which will make the chilly mornings a little easier. If we’re lucky, we’ll land the “prime” camping spots — close enough to the action to cut down on driving, but still quiet enough to feel tucked away in nature.
And of course, Molly and Mishka will be joining us. They’re part of everything we do. They’ll love stretching their legs in the crisp mountain air and splashing in creeks — something they can’t do back home in Florida. Just like us, they’ll soak up the cooler weather and the change of pace from our usual routine.
Bull elk during the rut near sunset
Trips like this aren’t just vacations — they’re an investment in creating the kind of work I want to share: wall art that tells a story, wildlife behavior captured in a way that feels alive, and memories that last long after we pack up camp. It’s not always easy to balance the financial side of things with the creative drive, but standing in front of a bull moose at sunrise or hearing an elk bugle across a frosty meadow makes every bit of worry fade away.
This is the kind of adventure that keeps me picking up my camera day after day. And with a little luck, we’ll come home with not just new stories, but new prints and films that let others experience the beauty and power of Colorado’s wild places too.
If you’d like to follow along with the sights and sounds from this trip, subscribe to my YouTube channel, Drones Dogs and Cameras, where I’ll be sharing clips from the mountains, the wildlife, and even some behind-the-scenes from camp.