Alaskan Moose
The Automatic Bush Trimmer!
The Alaskan moose is one of the most valuable animals to Alaskans - for many reasons.
Moose are quite large. They weigh from around 600 to 1000 pounds or more. So one moose can provide a lot of meat for a family. And their hides make excellent leather. Moose droppings are good for compost. You will see them along trails in the woods - they are oblong and from one to three inches long. If you pick one up and crush it, you'll find it's pure sawdust. Some enterprising Alaskans have even made them into "moose nugget" jewelry! Shhh--don't tell anyone! A Cow Moose Found the Perfect Greenery for Lunch A moose will normally act as tame as a cow. Just don't get between a cow moose and her calves! That could be dangerous. The calves are born anytime from April to July and will remain with their mother for some time, so that is the time to be careful around them. Moose often come down from the mountains when the snow gets deep. They can't walk in the snow easily even with their extremely long legs. And food is scarcer, too. So they wander through settled areas as it is easier to find something to eat. They will hang around your yard, trim your bushes, and watch you curiously while chewing their cuds like tame cows. Young Bull Moose Investigates Backyard When I was a kid there were two moose that stayed in our yard for over a week. My sister and I had to walk right by them everyday to go to the school bus stop. We were always a little leery of them, so one day we tried to get them riled up by making a lot of noise - hoping they would leave. They flatly ignored us!
TIP: Because they are a very large animal - largest of the deer family - and they don't scare easily, moose can be dangerous for drivers. Slow down when coming over hills and look a long way down the road anyplace where there are woods close by. Moose often graze by roadsides and might just decide to cross the road as you are coming along!My husband's construction foreman hit a young moose coming over a slight hill on Knik-Goose Bay Road - that's southwest from Wasilla. At about 40 MPH, he couldn't stop fast enough and when he hit it, the moose flew up in the air, landing on the front of the pickup, totally destroying the engine and smashing the windshield. Luckily, the driver was just a few inches out of the way. We were following about 50 feet behind him and saw the moose landing on the pickup! It was definitely a shocking experience, especially for the driver.
This Alaskan moose family was taking advantage of my niece's nice lawn surrounded by lovely GREEN bushes and trees.They like to eat the tender ends of tree branches in the winter as well as anything else they can get that's green. They favored her cherry apple tree this time, in addition to the wild birch, willow and aspen.
In summer and winter, they are out and about finding the most luscious bushes to eat. You'll usually find moose abundantly available for picture taking - and they are in no hurry to leave. Of all Alaskan wildlife, you'll find the Alaskan moose one of the easiest to photograph. But that's not true of the Alaska Dall sheep... Return to Top of Alaskan Moose Page Return To Alaska Wildlife Page Return to Tips for Backwoods Alaska Vacations Home Page
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