The Moose

The Locals are Large, and Always Hungry

Note the efficient slurping technique used to strip the leaves off the branches! [At  the 0:44 second mark of the video.]

Our neighborhood is on the edge of Wasilla city limits and is a dense forest of birch and cottonwood trees.  The undergrowth is also very dense with willows, wild raspberries, and decaying forest floor - prime moose habitat!

Here are some photos of the moose who have stopped by since we moved in.

This young bull stopped by while were were building our firewood storage bin.

Howdy!

We had another fellow stop by yesterday.  He had asymetric antlers - very strange looking, but they didn't seem to bother him.  Asymmetry can be caused by a variety of things: injury to the pedicle [the root of the antler], damage to the antler structure while still in velvet, fluctuating hormone levels, and even their diet.  Not to worry - he'll shed these in the spring and have a chance to grow another set.

He, and a few others, showed an appetite for apple tree and cherry tree leaves. So we have to wrap the tree tops to protect them until the fence is installed.  On this visit, he nibbled on the unprotected raspberry bushes behind the two tripods, but didn't cause any lasting damage.

A Moose Wandered by on a Bright Sunny Day

A near miss - the little moose saw it, though.