Katie Slanga shares her love of photographing Minnesota moose

Katie Slanga got into photographing Cook County’s moose population by accident.

She told WTIP that in 2017 she was looking for a new hobby after moving here for a job at Bearskin Lodge. Slanga said she was the only employee at the lodge before the seasonal staff started, and when she took her camera out one evening, she stumbled upon a moose. “That was kind of it,” she said, “I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Bull Moose. Photo by Katie Slanga

Slanga does photograph a variety of wildlife, but she seeks out moose when she heads up the Gunflint Trail with her camera. She’s passionate about sharing her moose photos with people who may not get many opportunities to see the elusive animals. That passion has changed how she sees her work. She said, “So now I’ve kind of switched to instead of ‘I’m a wildlife photographer,’ I say I photograph our Minnesota moose, because that’s really what I want to do.”

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Katie Slanga about her start as a photographer of Minnesota moose, as well how she goes about finding her subjects. Audio of that interview is below.

Moose gathering. Photo by Katie Slanga

Kirsten Wisniewski April 5, 2024