Heikki - some friends of yours stopped by!

[jmtk]

These guys have been hanging out in our neighborhood. They're stripping the leaves off the trees in our front yard. The pic below was taken from our safely-out-of-moose-reach second story deck.

The other morning I was driving to work and saw one in a neighbor's yard, with his antlers stuck in some Christmas lights that had been left up in a tree since last year. I stopped the car and watched him as he proceeded to yank the lights out of the tree to get himself untangled.

I've also watched them munch my strawberry plants, and stoop to get a drink from a neighbor's lawn sprinkler!

Jeanette

[Joseph]

These guys have been hanging out in our neighborhood.

In UTAH?!!

Joseph

[mikeschn]

Displaced Moose?

Moose typically hang out in the areas in red...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... bution.png

[Nobody]

Displaced Moose?

Moose typically hang out in the areas in red...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... bution.png

Either that map is outdated or it doesn't represent a lot of the area inhabited by moose. Their range has been expanding over the last few decades, both by natural expansion & thru the efforts of state/national fish & wildlife agencies. It's hard to tell without some kind of boundary overlay on the map but the red area might cover lots more than it appears, especially in the north & western USA. There're lots of moose in the Colorado/Utah mountains now & the pacific northwest has always had moose. They're mostly the 'smaller' Shiras moose & not the giant Alaska/Canadian ones but they're still very impressive size wise. It's quite an experience to be 'slipping' thru the dark timber at 7000' or so stalking a nice mule deer & suddenly this 7 1/2' tall, 1800#, black monster with a 5' antler spread appears ahead of you & he's 'slipping' even quieter than you are. It's simply amazing how something that size can creep so quietly thru the timber/brush when they want to & yet sound like a runaway locomotive when they go 'crashing' thru the same area when scared or disturbed . Thanks for the pix

[Mike C.]

Maybe the Moose's ( is that the plural or is it Meese? ) couldn't read. Or maybe they didn't have a copy of that map.

Oh well, there is nothing worse than an uneducated or illiterate Moose.
They are troublemakers and hooligans.

[jmtk]

Yup, in Utah. Moose are very common in our region. We live in the mountains at about 7000'.

Although the most entertaining moose sighting I ever had was actually at work. I work in the Salt Lake City valley, near the University of Utah, but my work building is right up against the foothills of the mountains. In the winter when the snow gets deeper, animals start coming down into the valley to find forage, sometimes even moose. One winter day, there was a moose right in front of our building and spent most of the day there until the wildlife officials came and darted him, then hauled him off in a horse trailer. Watched the whole thing from my office.

Jeanette

[Mary K]

Yup, in Utah. Moose are very common in our region. We live in the mountains at about 7000'.

Although the most entertaining moose sighting I ever had was actually at work. I work in the Salt Lake City valley, near the University of Utah, but my work building is right up against the foothills of the mountains. In the winter when the snow gets deeper, animals start coming down into the valley to find forage, sometimes even moose. One winter day, there was a moose right in front of our building and spent most of the day there until the wildlife officials came and darted him, then hauled him off in a horse trailer. Watched the whole thing from my office.

Jeanette

Humm... I almost stepped on a cotton mouth at my job...your job sound like more fun.

Thanks for the pics and stories.

Mk

OHhhh Yea.....this guy was on a building at work last week....

[peggyearlchris]

Oh Maryk is that a moth? It sure is big. Peg

[Classic Finn]

These guys have been hanging out in our neighborhood. They're stripping the leaves off the trees in our front yard. The pic below was taken from our safely-out-of-moose-reach second story deck.

The other morning I was driving to work and saw one in a neighbor's yard, with his antlers stuck in some Christmas lights that had been left up in a tree since last year. I stopped the car and watched him as he proceeded to yank the lights out of the tree to get himself untangled.

I've also watched them munch my strawberry plants, and stoop to get a drink from a neighbor's lawn sprinkler!

Jeanette

Well ya cant blame them for being hungry after the very long trip..

I sent them over to visit you folks since I couldnt make it over... They crossed the Bering Straits
and traveled through the woods and fields...

They only understand the Scandinavian languages so ...If ya put one of them on the phone they,ll stop eating your trees and plants in the yard..

I see they are thanking you for the hospitality...

Best regards
Heikki

[Pam Wright]

I was going to say "Colorado"... too! Last weekend we had a cow and calf walk thru our camp site 1 hour before we pulled in.... and had them about 2 miles down the road.... Woo!hoo! that is cool! Sorry about the strawberry plants!

pam