Get Up Close and Personal with Deer, Elk, and Moose From the Alaskan wilderness to the Florida Keys, Stan Tekiela has spent 30 years in pursuit of deer, elk, and moose in order to study and photograph them. Now, he shares his fascination with these grand and majestic creatures, providing you with a naturalist's point of view. Stan presents the lives of these intriguing mammals through headings and concise blocks of text paired with gorgeous images that only he could capture. Marvel at North America's most amazing animals. Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela is the author of more than 175 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles, and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 25 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs. Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. MAGNIFICENT DEER, ELK AND MOOSE When I think of wildlife, deer and creatures like them come to mind. White-tailed Deer, exquisite animals with soulful eyes, are found in nearly every habitat and clime. in the mountains on a frosty autumn morning, it’s exciting to see a male elk puffing steam as he bugles to his harem of cows. Moose, huge creatures of the boreal forest, are gentle souls with easygoing personalities. I am always struck by the calm, reassuring nature of these sentinels of the Northwoods. I have spent the last 30 years traveling, studying and photographing mammals. From the Florida Keys to Maine’s rocky coast, across the northland to the Rockies and into the Alaskan wilderness, you won’t find a more interesting group of animals than deer, elk and moose. it is my pleasure to present their lives and behaviors, complemented with images that capture their majesty and beauty. I hope you’ll enjoy this photographic adventure and celebrate these wonderful animals with me. ORIGINS OF THE SPECIES The ancestors of our White-tailed Deer first appeared in South and Central America 40–50 million years ago. The species as we know it today expanded northward, inhabiting nearly all of North America. Whitetails are still continuing to move north, into the Canadian Yukon. The first elk-like animals lived in Eurasia 25 million years ago. They didn’t appear in North America until much later, 10–15 million years ago. For centuries it was thought that our North American elk were a subspecies of the smaller European Red Deer, but scientists determined in 2004 that they are a distinct species unique to the Americas. Moose may have evolved on the European continent 500,000 years ago, arriving in North America much more recently, at the same time as elk. Today moose are found in northern latitudes around the world where there is suitable habitat, such as near Mount McKinley in Denali National Park, Alaska, as shown.