A very Christmasey Moose Visit today
Today when I came back from lunch as I pulled in to park, my "northern Ontario" instincts kicked in and my heart did a big leap, as in my peripheral vision I spotted the distinct silhouette of a MOOSE! 
If you drive the highways north of Sault Ste. Marie, all the way to Kenora, you need to master the art of watching both the road, and the side of the road for these guys, because a big moose is a fearsome target on the road. 
My office at work backs onto some rural farmland with ponds and so forth...I frequently track around the grounds. This cow and calf moose spent the whole afternoon browsing. I snuck as close as I dared without upsetting momma moose. At one point she did flick her ears up and down in my direction. I always kept a vehicle between me and this pair. A big moose can run really, really fast when it has a mind to, and cow moose are very protective of their babies.That is the big cow moose just ahead of my car! She was in great shape, and so was her calf. Very healthy looking and well fed - hay and grain fed, no doubt!
This is my artsy "through the branches shot."
This was the scene, and my co-workers all took turns sneaking out to see them too! Some of my co-workers had never seen a moose before. I felt all excited because it reminded me of home. We used to have moose in our own backyard - cutting through all the time and using our driveway - until we fenced for sheep.The only downside of the moose was that it was warm enough today for Caden and Jet (the old married couple) to come in the car. They have been so cooped up in the cold, it was a great break for them. But because of the moose, they did not get out ONCE!
I went grocery shopping after work and took them out at Sobey's - and they were both REALLY happy to get out. I don't think they saw the moose but if they had been out, it would have surely caused a problem. Moose have such powerful back legs, they are pretty well-matched against wolves and can cripple or kill a wolf with one good blow. I have a friend who lost a collie when she surprised a moose. As the moose ran away it lashed out with one back leg and shattered her dog's pelvis. And that was a very special, and beautiful dog. I hear there are moose at Three Mile Bend dogpark. So far I have not seen one and I hope I don't! A bit of tracking content...
Seeing these moose today was quite a thrill - it is always an honour to see wildlife. We are only an hour from the mountains - and this week I heard that there are COUGARS in this area and east to Pine Lake and south to Three Hills, following wildlife corridors. I am used to bears and moose, but cougars are a new one to me. And unlike at home, the coyotes here are very acclimatized to people and quite a bit of trouble for farmers and for residential pets.
This is something to bear in mind when out tracking - though in more than 20 years in northwestern Ontario - through good habits - I was never threatened by an animal. I was nearly accosted once by a lovesick bull moose, once came across a fresh wolf kill (deer carcass) and aborted that track - and I had a bear follow my track once and eat all my bait and articles (leaving the bear poop behind - right on track) but those are stories for another time!
Category Article Commentary, winter tracking
