Derek Burgoyne puts the phenomenon at 1 in a million.
He accidentally found a bull moose with his drone and clicked record 16 seconds before the great beast, shaking the loose snow from its body, shed its antlers on the spot.
“Never in my wildest dreams would ever imagine catching this on film,” Burgoyne told CBC news. “This is winning the lottery when it comes to wildlife photography for sure.”
Working as a woods operation supervisor in Canada’s New Brunswick province, Burgoyne has captured a lot of footage of moose engaged in various activities. He’s recorded moose cows with their calves, groups of moose bedded down together, and even a pair of bull moose jousting during the rut.
It’s an endearing coincidence for him to have caught such a split-second moment in a moose’s life, because ever since he was a child he’s gone out into the forest looking for shed moose antlers.
“What they’ll often do after being bedded in the snow is they’ll shake their body to rid themselves of the snow and water,” Burgoyne explains. “As he shook himself, I was recording, and you seen what happened.”
MORE FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: Adult Elephants React to Birth in the Herd Just Moments After Adorable Baby is Born (WATCH)
Derek posted it to his YouTube channel Adventure in the Wild, where he sometimes shares these experiences he records during the course of his work.
Because the area was one he was working at, the lucky man got to retrieve the shed antlers, which were 17 points at a 45-inch ‘spread.’ No doubt they will maintain a place of honor among his extensive shed collection.
WATCH the video here, from CBC, or without the story from Derek’s YouTube.
SHARE This Unbelievable Lucky Footage With Your Friends…