On the way to church on Sunday we all had fun counting how many moose we could see. Interest in the game slacked off about 45 minutes into the drive, but by then we had counted 18 moose beside the road. Our all time record for moose sightings on the way to church is 20.
When we first moved up I was very scared of moose. I had heard that they stomp people and was afraid to even let the children go out in the yard. I imagined moose hiding behind every corner or tree, just waiting for someone to come close enough to run out and chase them down.
The longer we live here, the more I realize that while moose can be dangerous, most of the time they aren’t and there’s a few things that can help you stay safe around moose.
First of all, I’ve noticed that we see more moose at certain parts of the year. This is helpful because then we can keep an eye out for them. We usually don’t see many moose during November, December and January, but as the winter goes on, the deep snow and lack of food forces them down from the mountains close to the road system and we often see them as we drive. Late May and June are also good months to see moose because that’s when their babies are born and the mamas stay close to civilization to protect their calves from wolves and bears. July and August are usually hit or miss for moose, but as fall comes in, so does moose mating season and we’ll often see bulls strutting their stuff or even fighting each other. It’s a pretty neat time of year since you can often hear moose calling each other, especially in the early mornings.
So knowing when to especially watch out for moose has been helpful for me, but also realizing that they aren’t out to get me and will run nine times out of ten. Yes, you need to watch out for moose, because occasionally it’s the tenth time and they will give chase. But they aren’t predators and it was helpful for me to realize that.
So if you plan to take a walk around here, just remember a couple things. Keep your eyes open and if you see a moose – 1. Give them space. 2. If you have a dog along, make sure you keep it on a tight leash. 3. If you’re taking a walk around here you’d better just be smart and carry bear spray or a handgun.
I’m sure I’ll learn more about moose the longer we live here in Alaska, but it’s nice to not be terrified of them anymore.
Have have you had any experience with moose?
Yes, I had a close encounter with a moose when I lived in NW Ontario. Around ’88-’89, we single staff were on the way home from a shopping trip in town and a moose ran out in front of the mission’s maxi-van, while a girl was at the wheel. Needless to say, it made for an awful lot of meat to butcher up and a van to repair. They are big beasts!
It’s just good that no one was hurt! Hitting a moose on the road is no small thing. It’s literally like hitting a cow or horse!