Moose in the Yard

A delightful shock to see a big cow moose and her calf pass close by the window today, heading directly to the large weeping willow in the front yard. A cow moose typically weighs 200–360 kg (440–790 lb). When I was growing up here, we never saw moose, but with the regrowth of forests in the area, among other environmental improvements, they're back. Being solitary creatures, the strongest bond is between the mother and her calf. She won't chase this one away until she's ready to give birth again. Although generally slow-moving, this moose would most likely become aggressive and quick-moving if one of us came between mother and child, so we photographed them from the safety of the house. If a moose becomes habituated to being fed by people, it may act aggressively when denied food. So, no point in tossing out last autumn's shriveled apples - I might start something unpleasant. Like other wild animals up here, we give them plenty of space. In the 19th century in Sweden there was a debate regarding the national value of using the moose as a domestic animal. Among other things, the moose was proposed to be used in postal distribution, and there was a suggestion to develop a moose-mounted cavalry. But, hunting the moose gave more gratification, nearly driving it to extinction, so those ideas were short-lived. Not much you can do with moose, except eat 'em or admire 'em.

Baby Moose

So I'm in the kitchen making chicken cacciatore for supper, when Kerry calls from the living room, "There's a moose in our front yard. Two. Get your camera." Well, this was a big deal. Kerry grew up here from the age of seven, and had never seen a moose on the place. They'd come through the front gate (I'd have seen them if I'd looked up from my chopping and stirring), eaten from our willow trees, wandered over to our fence line, crossed the county road, and climbed the hill across the road.

I grabbed my camera, threw on the long lens, and went bounding across the front yard after them. No shot through the trees. I ran out to our driveway and into the county road where I could see them. Here came the school bus down the hill toward me. I was a bit concerned about the bus sliding on the wet snow toward me, but more concerned that it would frighten the moose farther up the hill. It didn't. Walking up the hill, I was able to get a few shots. This was the best of the bunch, of the calf.

As the actress playing Miley Cyrus on SNL would say, "It was pretty cool."

Snowshoeing Redux

Overcast, but warm today. The snow has been melting, and plowing the driveway created some icy versions of Jersey barriers, that won't melt off until sometime in spring. I decided to go snowshoeing, this time with poles - much faster, better balance, and more of an upper-body workout. No surprise, since I did a lot of cross country skiing in Wyoming. What did surprise me was a line of moose tracks crossing the driveway, about 150 yards from the house. We've seen what we thought were moose tracks in soft dirt, but nothing with as clear an impression as these - about five-and-a-half inches long, with small impressions of dew claws. After I finished my mile-and-a-half loop, I brought out my camera to take this shot. Still waiting to see a moose in the flesh on our place.