Blacktail Deer Plateau Be strong tonight

Under the cover of darkness, the moose departed from the lakeshore, her long-legged calf drifting along behind her. She moved cautiously, her eyes scanning her unfamiliar surroundings, her pace slow due to the swollen belly that promised new life in another month or two. Every so often, she paused to nudge the son—not quite a yearling—that accompanied her. When she gave birth in the spring, she would chase him away but, for now, she kept him close to her bosom.

They passed beneath the shadow of a great plateau, heading northwest along a winding river toward a great forest in the distance. She hoped to make their destination by dawn, so they could spend the daylight hours sleeping in the cover of the trees. First, though, she needed a drink. Grunting lowly to signal her nearly grown child, she pressed close to the nearby riverbank and dropped her great head toward the water for a chilly drink. The young bull milled anxiously at her back.