oose - Winter Visitors

Moose are the largest members of the deer family, native to the northern United States and Canada, and are found throughout Alaska. The state of Alaska recently named the moose the "Alaska state mammal." The male has huge palmate antlers and can weigh up to 1,800 pounds. Moose come into town and occasionally visit our neighborhood in the winter. Moose encounters can be dangerous, even fatal, especially if you get between a cow and calf. People have been trampled and even killed by moose. I had my own moose encounter in February 1995. I was taking photos of a pair of yearling calves (in the photo below), as they were browsing the trees across the street from our house. I think one of them became curious about the flash on my camera. As it started walking towards me, I slowly backed up until I was at a chain link fence, with only a fire hydrant and STOP sign between me and the moose! The moose finally stopped about ten feet from me and just stood there, looking at me. I was pretty scared, to say the least! The moose never laid its ears back (a moose sign of aggression) so I guess it was curious. It just stood and sniffed the air, and looked at me for several minutes. Then, a neighbor's dog barked, the moose looked toward the sound then calmly turned and slowly walked away. The other moose joined it, and both moose slowly moved on down the street. As soon as they were gone, I quickly retreated, (heart pounding), to the safety of my house. It was amazing to see one of these magnificent animals so close, to hear its breathing and look right into its eyes. It was at least six feet tall at the shoulder. Unfortunately, I was too afraid to take a picture when it was so close to me, thinking it would perhaps be even more curious and come even closer. It would have been a good picture though.... (SMILE) I do want to say again that moose can be VERY dangerous, and it is always better to stay a safe distance away from them. (photo � 1995 Barbara Logan) I really enjoy seeing these magnificent creatures in our neighborhood throughout the winter and take their photos at every opportunity. I hope you will enjoy the rest of my photos below.

(photo � 1997 Barbara Logan) This (different) pair of yearling calves was half a mile from our house, enjoying the remains of a neighbor's garden in March 1997. They had been in the yard behind ours a week earlier.

(photo � 1999 Barbara Logan) This cow moose was in our back yard in January 1999. There was a bull calf with her, probably about 8 months old, that stayed in the yard behind ours. The cow jumped the back fence to get into our yard. The fence is almost 6 feet tall! She cleaned up pea vines and broccoli stalks in our garden and then munched on the willow tree. We watched the pair for quite a while before the cow went back over the fence. They came back later that evening, as evidenced by tracks in the snow.

(photo � 1999 Barbara Logan) On the way to work one day in March 1999, I just happened to see this moose resting in a little wooded area about a half mile from our house. It was only a couple hundred feet from a fairly busy street.

(photo � 1999 Barbara Logan) We have had moose in the neighborhood a lot this winter (1999-2000). I think the cow in this picture may be the same cow that was in our yard in January. What do you think? She was alone this time, but a neighbor told me there has also been a "two pointer" coming around, which could be her bull calf from last January! She spent the entire morning in our yard, sleeping for awhile, then browsing around and eating pea vines and the willow tree. She did not seem especially upset about the dogs in adjoining yards barking at her throughout the morning. The chain link fence is 6 feet tall. Oh, by the way, the next day, there was a picture of this moose in the newspaper. When she left our yard and went to a neighbor's yard to browse in their garden, they called the newspaper photographer and he took her picture! (SMILE)

(photo � 1999 Barbara Logan) Here is a view of our back yard with the moose visiting our garden. Our neighborhood is a little over a mile from downtown Fairbanks.

(photo � 1999 Barbara Logan) Here is how the moose looked when the neighbor dogs were barking and she got a little irritated at the noise. The ears laid back is a sign of aggression. Moose will also raise the hair on their shoulders when they are going to attack something. A moose was in our yard, again, on January 13, 2000, and was so annoyed at the dogs barking at her on the other side of the fence that she kicked at the fence. There was an article in the newspaper the next day, saying how the moose are getting "grumpy and surly" this time of the year, as they search for food. As the winter snow gets deeper, it gets harder for them to get around. Then they are often seen on the plowed roads. Unfortunately, several moose are hit and killed by cars and trains every winter when they are walking on the roads or train tracks to avoid deep snow.

(photo � 2003 Barbara Logan) This moose was in our neighbor's yard in February 2003. It was wet out - it had actually rained! That's not very common in February! She was eating the choke cherries off the trees. She would bite a branch and slide it through her teeth to strip off the cherries. Unfortunately, choke cherries are not good for moose and has led to the death of at least one moose in the area. (Maybe this one?)