Backyard Moose

[Hatchdog]

Had a cow and calf Moose visit yesterday. This is not unusual, we have 5-6 visits yearly including last year two bulls and a cow during the rut. Yesterday’s visit was interesting because not only did they hang around for several hours but the calf was nearly on my patio at one time and on my front sidewalk another. Mid-dayish they bedded down about 100 ft from my house. My wife and I went for a three hour drive and they were still there when we got back. We went out to take some pictures and they got up and wandered in front of my shop to the other side on our property. At least the cow did, the calf decided to approach us as we were standing on the patio. We moved closer to the door just in case and watched the calf walk right up to the patio and start munching on one of my wife’s plants which is just now starting to bloom. I yelled at in and it moved away but came right back for more. Then I threw a pillow at it and it moved away for good. Fast forward to later, I let my dog out to take a leak and went with him in case the moose were still hanging around. Sure enough he alerted so I got him back to the house and in doing so saw the calf in the front driveway. The calf then walked up to the front porch and checked out the plants there. I moved him off but in the last pic you can see he’s (yes he was close enough to determine gender) standing on my front sidewalk looking at me. Fun stuff!

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[cooperhawk]

Good pics. Keep safe.
Had a similar experience a few years back with a black bear. It got so bad about going up on peoples decks to get bird feeders that the the DNR eventually shot it. Didn't get any pics though.

[North Country Gal]

Guess the moose in your area didn't get the message about social distancing.

[Sir Henry]

Beats the deer in my yard this morning.

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[fortyshooter]

Wow that was a nice visit!

[JEBar]

are they the product of a repopulation effort .. .. the last time we were in Maine we were in hope of seeing some but none ever wandered by

[markiver54]

I read this morning that the wildlife is thriving in Yosemite and other national parks since they closed them.

[BrokenolMarine]

Someone is having a bad hair day.

[Hatchdog]

are they the product of a repopulation effort .. .. the last time we were in Maine we were in hope of seeing some but none ever wandered by

Not a repopulation effort but a natural expansion from Canada and Idaho. 30 years ago the game department gave out three tags statewide and now it’s up to over 100. In 2012 I was lucky enough to draw my one in a lifetime moose tag. I shot a small bull after screwing up on a large bull. Long story but when I had the large bull in my scope I couldn’t settle down enough to take the shot. He wandered into the brush and when this bull appeared I made a fast shot before I could get shakey again and unfortunately it was a different bull. 160 yards (measured later) standing shooting uphill.

Our moose here in Washington State are the Shiras species, a smaller animal than Canadian, Alaskan, and Northeastern US moose. Here’s a short read on the Shiras moose.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/sp ... lces-alces

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[Hatchdog]

Beats the deer in my yard this morning.
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Sir Henry, is that a Blacktail? Don’t get to see blacktail over here so for me that’s a treat.

[JEBar]

info appreciated .... I'm glad to hear that y'all have a viable herd .... they are building one of elk in Western NC .... I hope they are able to do so in many parts of the country

[markiver54]

info appreciated .... I'm glad to hear that y'all have a viable herd .... they are building one of elk in Western NC .... I hope they are able to do so in many parts of the country

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a Lot of them.

[Rifletom]

are they the product of a repopulation effort .. .. the last time we were in Maine we were in hope of seeing some but none ever wandered by

Not a repopulation effort but a natural expansion from Canada and Idaho. 30 years ago the game department gave out three tags statewide and now it’s up to over 100. In 2012 I was lucky enough to draw my one in a lifetime moose tag. I shot a small bull after screwing up on a large bull. Long story but when I had the large bull in my scope I couldn’t settle down enough to take the shot. He wandered into the brush and when this bull appeared I made a fast shot before I could get shakey again and unfortunately it was a different bull. 160 yards (measured later) standing shooting uphill.

Our moose here in Washington State are the Shiras species, a smaller animal than Canadian, Alaskan, and Northeastern US moose. Here’s a short read on the Shiras moose.
Hatch dog, that moose is pretty good size. How much meat you think you were able to get? And, is that a Browning rifle? Thanks. Big critters those moose,
https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/sp ... lces-alces



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[Rifletom]

Well, not sure what the heck I did there. Hatchdog, how much meat did you get from that moose? Good size critter.
And, is that a Browning rifle? Thanks.

[JEBar]

info appreciated .... I'm glad to hear that y'all have a viable herd .... they are building one of elk in Western NC .... I hope they are able to do so in many parts of the country

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a Lot of them.

that was the herd I was thinking about .... is it large enough for limited hunting

[markiver54]

I think it might be getting close Jim...but would stress limited!
To wait a bit longer would probably be smart, especially after the report I read about wild life thriving during the closure of national parks. Could mean some great hunting in the future!

[JEBar]

I don't anticipate every applying for a permit to hunt an Elk in NC but do hope the herd gets to where regulated hunts are possible .... that would mean the reintroduction is a major success

[Sir Henry]

Beats the deer in my yard this morning.
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Sir Henry, is that a Blacktail? Don’t get to see blacktail over here so for me that’s a treat.

Yes. I’ve always thought they looked more like mule tail.

[Hatchdog]

Well, not sure what the heck I did there. Hatchdog, how much meat did you get from that moose? Good size critter.
And, is that a Browning rifle? Thanks.

Tom,

As I recall I got 400 plus pounds of meat. Might have been more but that’s what I recall. Seems like it was packed in six of those boxes that produce comes in.

Good eye, that’s a Browning A Bolt in 7 rem mag. Funny side story, I traded an outboard for it and after using it for my moose hunt I sold it at a gunshow. I used those funds to buy my first Marlin Lever. That was the start of a love affair with lever rifles.

[Rifletom]

Well, not sure what the heck I did there. Hatchdog, how much meat did you get from that moose? Good size critter.
And, is that a Browning rifle? Thanks.

Tom,

As I recall I got 400 plus pounds of meat. Might have been more but that’s what I recall. Seems like it was packed in six of those boxes that produce comes in.

Good eye, that’s a Browning A Bolt in 7 rem mag. Funny side story, I traded an outboard for it and after using it for my moose hunt I sold it at a gunshow. I used those funds to buy my first Marlin Lever. That was the start of a love affair with lever rifles.

Yep, you get a lot of meat from a moose. 400+ pounds will fill a freezer! My oldest son has that same Browning in 7 RM. It is a shooter. He doesn't hunt, just takes it to the desert and shoots rounds I've loaded for him. He likes that rifle! Ok, thanks.