In this article, I will share my experience of taking pictures of Muscoxen at Davrefjel National Park in Norway in winter’s heart. You can consider my continuity of this essay “Picture of Muscox in a winter Wonderland“Photography life was published by Dr. Michael Rubosan earlier.
What are Muscoxon?
Muscox (Ovibos Moschtus) is a dense mammal native to the Arctic, known for its thick coat that enables it to survive in a cool climate. This animal is a royal remains of the glacial era. After a successful reproduction of about 80 years ago, a small number of them is preserved in the Davrefjel National Park in Norway.
It is actually a small population, which is threatened by many dangers, mostly due to climate change. Hot winter threatens these animals as normal powder of the area melts and freezes instead of ice, preventing them from feeding properly. In addition, they take very little resistance to infectious diseases from livestock and wild reindeer, as they were all born in Greenland.
Therefore, respect is paramount. The photographer should always remember that the safety and goodness of the animal is more value than any photo.
My experience
Taking a picture of these strong animals during winter is a true adventure work that attracts photographers every year. In such an environment, especially in winter, with the peak weather conditions of the region, each trip is different. Well, I can say the same thing about all the places that I never get tired by returning!
I have traveled twice twice in 2016 and 2022 – to experience snowfall and the real essence of deep winter in late January. During the 2022 trip, I went with my friend Marco, a friend of mine with whom I shared countless days in the wild nature of Italian Alps.
On our first day, we faced the first challenge: our guide ran away in a personal emergency and could not join us! Fortunately, I do a lot of mountaineering, and I know how to move forward on the mountains. When I was younger, I also worked as a instructor for the Italian Alpine Club. And I had a GPS track from my previous journey in 2016, which could help us reach the place where we saw animals in the past.
I did not know that they would be in the same area after six years, but we decided to try it. After a lot of walking and careful search through telescope, we found them! It was a challenging day, but we managed to find our subjects in snow.
It was extremely satisfactory to find Muscoxon and take the first photos. But the weather deteriorated rapidly with heavy snowfall and rising winds. We were tired, dehydrated and upset with the challenging task of returning. Therefore, after being photographed for about an hour, we turned back.
We spent the next day in search of a small way to rest and reach the animals. With the help of careful map exam and discussion with a ranger, we were ready to try again on the third day.
At a moment, it was a new dawn, and we were growing as soon as possible. After half an hour, we reached a guide with three Norwegians – two customers. He planned to spend two nights in a tent and pulling them PulkasWhich are local slades used to supply.
We smiled seeing each other, he asked me: “How alive do you feel, huh?”
“Very!” I answered. There is nothing that is better than spending a few days out of what you love.
Later, we faced a fourth person: a Norwegian was descending alone on the ski. He informed us that no musk was visible and warned about an upcoming snow storm, which immediately returned to him. The weather investigated before the journey did not look so bad, and since we were not worried before the Norwegian guide, we decided to continue.
Long before, we adjusted our path to climb a ridge, hoping the animals to look at a high convenience point. This was a good idea. Muscoxon had gone several kilometers away, but we found them again from the bird’s eye view.
Meanwhile, the weather was deteriorating – the alone Norwegian was correct. I suspected that the animals also felt it, as they moved to a more shelter site.
After a few hours, we met with a group of three earlier people, who followed our track to detect us and animals. But soon, the storm increased in strength, everyone worried. Quickly, it was time to head back.
The guide asked me and Marco to confirm two things: that we knew the way to follow, and we could do it in this season. Otherwise, we could all take shelter in their tent.
Our experience in mountain activities – and two GPS between us – assured us in our ability to return home. TAS we landed in the valley to reach the road and our car, a group of three returned to the tent.
The path was back intense. I have never faced a storm in this way, it seems as if we were nowhere and without any available shelter. I have no pictures of the next few hours! The wind blows ice in our face horizontally. It would be impossible to walk without our snow mask.
Eventually, of course, we reached the valley and our car. Unfortunately, the road was closed back to our cabin (State Road E6, a major route connecting Oslo to Tronham). Snoploz will not reopen the route for traffic till the next day, but thankfully the road remained open to a nearby village in the opposite direction. The end of a success, although tiring, day.
Then was Wednesday. Strong winds again – the need for snow mask – but no new snowfall. We climbed back to our place from the previous day, a little worried about the fate of our three new Norwegian friends.
Thankfully, we met him near the same place, where we said goodbye, in front of our beloved musk!
He had made one night sleepless, which was constantly shaking the tent. Even though our days included more hiking, at least we had a hot bath, a large dinner and a warm bed to fix our energy.
The weather was cruelty that day. We spent a few hours to take photos, then the Norwegian left first, finally going back. We chased shortly after.
Photo gear
This journey was a challenge for camera gear packing. As you can see from the above picture, the conditions are cruel, and saving some grams can make a difference on such a long hike.
In general, it is best to choose light lenses and cameras when planning a photography trip, which includes too much hiking – preferably something that can be used without tripi to lose weight. In this specific case, bringing a long lens was also paramount. Muscox is large, but you cannot get close to them.
The kit selected for this trip included a Nikon Z9 with three lenses: 24–120 mm F/4, 100–400 mm F/4.5-5.6, and 500 mm/5.6 pF with a teleconverter. Phase fresnel lenses provide a unique combination of low weight, long focal and high quality. But today, I am very enticing to replace both 100–400 mm and 500 mm F/5.6 with single nicon Z 180-600 mm F/5.6-6.3. It is more important than sharpness when dealing with snow and air. The goal is to lose weight while reaching all important focal lengths.
He said, I did not take all those lenses with me every day. Instead, I alternated between 100–400 mm and 500 mm lens, so my bag was relatively light. Do not forget: The overall weight in the backpack affects someone’s performance. It is important to assess your fitness level honestly, as it avoids converting an adventure into a risky experience.
I like to use a dedicated hiking backpack to carry all the necessary equipment on such trips. It is lighter and more comfortable than most photos backpacks. I use neoprene cover to protect lenses and cameras for additional protection.
How to contact muscoxon
The most important rule is to respect wildlife and never endanger the welfare of animals for their photos. In addition, there are some specific guidelines for a musk picture:
- Keep a safe distance of 200 meters to avoid harassing Kasturi. In addition, Muscoxon is large and sharp. An adult male can weigh 450 kg and run 60 km/h.
- Its appearance is known for muscox; Avoid secretly on them. Muskoxen does not like surprise.
- Always keep an eye on the entire flock, so you know where all the animals are and can surprisingly avoid one when reaching others.
- Pay attention to the behavior of the muscox. If it shows signs of irritation such as digging in the ground, throwing its head, or blowing your nose, it is peacefully and immediately to leave.
If you have any doubt about the skills required to be in this type of environment or to see these magnificent but dangerous animals, do not hesitate to rent a guide from a local organization. By doing this, the best possibilities of finding Muscoxon will also be ensured and do not waste so much time.
Hill equipment
There is a cold cold and wind in the Dowfzel mountain, so it is necessary to be well prepared. I recommend the following:
- Strong and hot shoes, snowblown, gighter, snow mask and thick gloves
- Merino wool base layers, flass mid-layer, a wool cap, and layer of warm cloths including an untouched jacket
- A thermos filled with a lot of food and a hot drink, such as tea
- Telescope From a distance, a musk can see a lot like a rock in the snow. The telescope helps you determine the right path and sees the animals from a safe distance.
- A GPS, map and/or compass to find your way in poor visibility. A smartphone alone is not enough for this; Most of them will die almost immediately in this cold.
conclusion
Taking pictures of Muscox in winter is a true challenge. This requires preparation and desire for adventure. I firmly advise to hire a guide or join the safari managed by a local organization, even if you are very familiar with the mountain terrain. This will save you time and energy and will help to ensure that you will find the best possible photos of Muscoxen.
I hope you enjoy this article, my suggestions and the story of the picture of Muscoxen in winter. If you have any question or response, please feel free to tell me in the comment section below.
