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.