The Moose!

[Nyboy]

I am starting to wonder if Bobcat was not a pet turned lose. Every thing I read about them says they are very shy and masters at hiding.

 

[thistlebloom]

A recent evening.

 

[flowerbug]

No, not in the places I usually ride.

If you ever see a cat or a bear it's because they didn't care if they were seen.
I'm sure there have been many times they were watching us and we didn't know of their presence.
A horse will let you know if something's in the trees if they can smell it.



The numbers were low due to a variety of things 50 years ago, but have been on the rise.

around the northern parts of MI it used to be that the moose and deer did not share that much territory. with the recent changes in weather/climate there is more sharing of turf and that has meant a rise in diseases in the moose which are passed to them from deer.

i don't know how it has been going the past few winters, but this has been an overall trend in reducing moose numbers.

 

[flowerbug]

A recent evening.

View attachment 29270

i'd consider those semi-tame to be that close so often.

 

[ninnymary]

I didn't know you had that many show up.

Mary

 

[baymule]

Not a good time to walk to the truck, right?

 

[thistlebloom]

I didn't know you had that many show up.

Mary

According to the neighbors whose property they have spent the most time on (their haystack is now inaccessible to moose, so they are showing up here again now and then) there are two single cows, a cow with one calf, and a cow with twins.

Fortunately they don't move in herds, just cows with their calves.

Not a good time to walk to the truck, right?

I didn't take this picture and wasn't aware they were on the property. A neighbor took it from the road.
We like to 'tag, you're it!' with the moose, and send texts like, 'hey your moose are in my yard again, would you please come get them?'.

 

[thistlebloom]

Yesterday we had a young bull move through the yard in the morning. He walked down our back trail and paused at the horse corrals. I wasn't home but dh said Luke actually lunged at him! The bull leaped away and trotted back down the trail, but returned with hackles up. He was insulted, but kept going through the property and disappeared in the woods.

This burst of confidence from Luke is amazing. Two years ago he was terrified when the moose showed up. He would hardly even go in his shelter for fear they'd sneak up and murder him, but kept a constant watch.
Then last year a cow and calf were standing by his corral. He walked up to investigate and the cow trotted off. I could see the wheels turning, and now he must see himself as a Moose Master.

 

[Nyboy]

Go Luke

 

[baymule]

Luke thinks he's a bad boy! LOL LOL Hope Mr. Bull Moose doesn't call Luke's bluff!