The muskox (Ovibos Moschatus) is a massive arctic animal. It weighs up to 400 kg (880 pounds) and measures up to 2.5 meters long (over 8 feet). Although it lived across Europe during the last ice age, it went extinct on the Eurasian continent around the same time that the last wooly mammoth vanished about 3000 to 4000 years ago.
However, unlike the mammoth, the muskox survived in Greenland and parts of Canada. Today, it can be found in mainland Europe, high in the mountains of Norway – the Dovrefjell – where it was reintroduced after World War II. The current population there is about 200-300 individuals.
I went hiking frequently in the summer to see them. But from a photographic point of view, one has to photograph these animals in the winter to picture them at their most spectacular. The best is during a snowstorm, when you truly see the ice-age heritage of these amazing animals.
Four hundred kilometers north of Oslo, the Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella national park can be found. The area has seven months of winter, and the ground is permafrost. The main purpose of this 1700 km2 national park is to protect mainland Europe’s last wild mountain reindeers and arctic fox populations. In that sense, the muskox is a bonus, but clearly a highlight for photography!
I stayed at the Dovrefjell Lodge, which is located at the E6 next to the park. It was striking – though perhaps not surprising – how different the hiking was between summer and winter. Even with snowshoes, I got stuck in deep snow more than once. Where I could hike 20 km in the summer, I could cover only 5-7 km in the snow.
In view of that, it was important to decide what would go into my camera backpack for photographing muskoxen in this winter wonderland. I had a surplus of equipment to choose from, including a Sigma 500mm f/4, but I settled on the following combination:
- A Nikon Z9 with the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 + 1.4x TC
- A Nikon Z6 with the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
- My most beloved Nikon AF-S 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x TC for low light
With this combination, I felt I had the best of many worlds. I could shoot in low light, reach up to 840mm, and carry everything in one backpack. The zooms would also cover landscape photography should the opportunity arise. Together with additional cloths, snacks, and drinks, the combination added up to about 18 kg (just shy of 40 pounds).
Kinge, my local guide, made the plan to be on the mountain with the Muskoxen during sunset, where the 300 mm f/2.8 would shine. The hike started below the tree line and gained about 300-400 meters of elevation, approximately 1000 feet.
The snow in this area can be soft and deep. With the amount of gear on my back, I easily sank into deep snow despite my snowshoes. But it was truly amazing to hike in such a landscape and leave the last trees behind.
As soon as we hiked above the tree line, the weather changed quickly. Just in sight of the Snowhetta (2286 m) we found a group of Muskoxen at temperatures of -10°C (14°F) with a substantial wind chill. Tough for the photographer, but not the muskox.
The family group consisted out of two bulls, one female, and one calf. They did notice us in the beginning, but after a while, they grew fully relaxed and we managed to take some great pictures.
Kinge is a photographer himself and had a lot of useful ideas to modify our perspective on the Muskoxen during our photo session with them. It was also good to keep us moving during the sub-freezing conditions.
Amazingly, right at sunset, the ongoing storm temporarily disappeared, bathing the scene in beautiful light. We were able to capture the promised photos of sunset, snow, and the muskox.
Here, the Z 24-120mm f/4 and the 300mm f/2.8 were an ideal combination. It justified the moment while hiking up the mountains when I was asking myself – why are you carrying this prime? I must say, at the end of the day, it was worth it!
After spending 4 hours with the muskoxen, we had to hike back using the remaining light to reach our parking spot. It was an amazing day in Dovrefjell that I’ll not soon forget.
You can watch a video depicting my adventure below. I call it “Nikon Z9 Wildlife – the Muskox Challenge.”
This guest post was submitted to us by photographer Dr. Michael Rübhausen, a physics professor at the University of Hamburg in Germany.
Gives a great sense of just how rugged the terrain is…and the musk oxen are just laying around like they’re on the beach!
Great photos and article! I particularly like the hints of orange from the sunset in many of the shots. The wider images portraying more of the scene are also pleasant.
I am so happy that you noticed it. In the beginning we just had this crazy storm and when this was over there were only some cracks in the cloud coverage. I was really hopping to get some of the sun reflections from the clouds back onto the snow.
Thank you for this beautiful and inspiring report! Great animals, great landscapes, and great shots
Thank you for your supportive comments !
I started watching the images before reading, but at the second/third photo i noticed very poor composition and exposure. I scrolled back to the top and saw “Guest Poster”. There was my answer.
EXIF data don’t lie. Gear doesn’t make you a good photographer either.
Those RAWs must be absolutely dark…This is not PL level at all.
When taking the pictures on the Z9 I used the live histogram and exposure compensated such that it was shifted towards the right side. This way I ensured that the raws were not dark at all. The exposure compensation varies between 1,3 and 2,3 stops depending on the picture.
A very dignified reply.
Maybe show some of your photos :))
a nice lead in, helpful break-down of gear, and most of all inspiring photos. thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you for your supporting comments …..
Beautiful story of impressive wildlife.
Nice to see that without a long tele impressive wildlife can be captured.
Thx for sharing.
You are welcome. I do love the 300 mm F/2.8 – I even often use it for birds in case I can come close enough or for the more environmental pictures. Thank you for your nice comment.
Thank you for this great fairy tale :-)
It is inspiring, to the point I’d like to be there, so close to these fascinating animals and landscape. Really nice are also the perspective changes made with your guide.
Any arctic fox around?
Yes next to some of the last mountain reindeers of Norway the second species this park aims for is the arctic fox. Red foxes are frequent in the valleys up to the tree line and the arctic foxes are higher up in the mountains. I was not hiking deep enough into the park to have a chance to see them – but they are clearly a reason to return to this wonderful area.