Beth Moos of Bozeman, Montana, took up wildlife photography as a retirement hobby, but she knows a good tip when she gets it. When she heard a small group of elk was trapped in the middle of an ice-covered pond, she instinctively grabbed her camera.
"A friend of the family driving down I-90 called me," Moos told Cowboy State Daily. "He said, 'There's elk in the ice west of Bozeman,' so I gathered my stuff and hustled out the door."
Moos, a retired physical therapist, was on the scene to witness the entire rescue, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. All four bull elk escaped with their lives that day, providing a photogenic finish that has given Moos a lot of attention.
"I'm just a hobby photographer and always learning," she said. "It made me feel good that private citizens cared enough to give up their own time and effort to save those elk."
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130)
Iced Elk
Moos got to the spot near Manhattan around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30. From what she was able to garner from the crowd of people watching the scene unfold, the elk had been trapped in the middle of the ice-covered pond since at least 8 a.m.
"They were 30 to 40 yards out in the pond," she said. "I don't know if the ice was thinner there or if they were more congregated and their weight broke the ice, but somehow they broke through."
Moos immediately started shooting with her Sony A1 camera with an attached 400mm lens. She was surprised by how calm the trapped elk were throughout the encounter.
"They were actually kind of sedate out there," she said. "Even when I pulled up, one had his head resting on the back of another one. They were looking over their shoulders and didn't seem bothered by us."
The closest Moos dared to go was within 15 yards of the trapped elk. A Gallatin County Sheriff's deputy encouraged her to get some good shots while she could, as a helicopter was already en route.
The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office and a game warden with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks had attempted to encourage the elk toward salvation for most of the day. They tried using ice melt to create a path through the ice and hazing the elk with rubber bullets, but they stayed put.
That's when one of the spectators offered a different solution. They were a pilot with Central Copters, and they suggested that a helicopter might be better for encouraging elk back to shore.
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130) 
Photographer Beth Moos captured the dramatic rescue of four bull elk, which involved some aerial dynamics provided by a helicopter from Central Copters Inc. (Beth Moos. 1360 Nelson Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718. Phone 715-495-5130)
Touch And Go Operation
Around 4 p.m., the pilot returned in a helicopter. That stirred up the elk a bit, but Moos was still surprised by how calm they were during the ordeal.
"They looked at it, but it didn't create a frenzy," she said. "The elk started batting at the ice and trying to climb up on the lip of the ice hole, but they weren't able to get out. The helicopter circled them a couple of times, and that started pushing them to the other side of the pond."
Moos later learned that the helicopter was more than a motivational device. The pilot touched down on the ice several times, using the helicopter's weight to break through the predetermined pathway that would lead the elk where the game warden wanted them to go.
"From our vantage point on the roadway, there was a time when you could not see the helicopter due to some brush on the shoreline," she said. "I've since talked to some of the people who were more involved with the helicopter, and they actually said they were touching down to try to break up the ice, then they got back behind the elk again."
After 10 minutes of these deft aerial acrobatics, all four elk had reached the shore and rushed across a road that had been blocked off for their benefit. Moos spoke to the game warden after the successful rescue and was told the elk had to jump a fence before they were truly out of harm's way.
"He was surprised that they could do that, because they were in there at least since 8 o'clock in the morning," she said. "A couple of them buckled a few times, they stood around for a while, and then they trotted off towards the woods."
A representative with Central Copters confirmed they were on the scene but were not available for comment.
Photo Finish
When it was all over, everyone wanted to see Moos' photographs. She got incredible shots that told the entire story, from beginning to end.
"People like seeing great photos," she said. "I'm just a hobby photographer, and a lot of people have given me tips. My husband is very supportive. He heard they were great photos and told me, "I didn't expect anything less.'"
Moos said she enjoyed witnessing the rescue from "both sides of the spectrum." She's passionate about wildlife but also comes from a hunting family, so she regularly witnesses the life-and-death struggles of wildlife in Wyoming and Montana.
"I've seen other animals, like bison in Yellowstone, die in ice-covered water," she said. "That's part of the circle of life. Other animals are going to benefit from that (death), but seeing those elk get out made me feel good."
Moos noted that the helicopter rescue wasn't "sponsored" by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The cost of summoning a helicopter was covered by Central Copters, which offered their services out of the kindness of their hearts.
"Those were private citizens who gave up their own time and effort," she said.
After sharing her photos, Moos unexpectedly became a minor celebrity overnight. When Cowboy State Daily called for an interview, she had already ventured into Canada for a snowy owl shoot.
"I didn't expect this kind of reaction, but a lot of people appreciated seeing my photos," she said.
Timing is everything, and Moos's timing couldn't have been better. She got to the rescue just in time to witness everything, and it was all over less than an hour after she arrived.
"It all went down very quickly," she said. "I got there in time for the helicopter, didn't have to stand in the bitter cold all day, and got some photos of beautiful-looking elk. It made for great viewing and great photography."
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
