Moosin' around

[Melissa Watson]

When the dogs are away, the moose will lay…

My Pyrenees, Freya and Luna, have been busy guarding the goats and shedding all over Antelope Ranch in Lyons, so it’s been very peaceful and quiet up at our house in the Bar-K. Spent the day with Jack the cat and a momma moose and her two calves, who snacked on the aspens and then took an afternoon power nap in the front yard. They were in the same spot, just off the front porch, for a couple of hours. It was magical.

Being that Momma meese are notoriously protective of their young, I was very conscientious about delicately and quietly exiting the front door to the car back and forth. They paid us (the cat and me) no mind, and surprisingly stayed in their spots, even when I started the car and drove away. Sunday Colorado kinda vibe. 

If you listen with sound on, you can hear her munching away.  Fun fact: To get the most out of their food, moose digest it a bit, regurgitate it, chew on the cud, and re-swallow it for a second round of digestion. Moose patiently chew their cud about eight hours every day. In preparation for winter, moose increase their body weight by as much as twenty-five percent.

[Kirk C. Watkins]

Yep. I was fishing at Penny last night when I heard the moose "speaking" to each other in their low, guttural conversation. Back and forth they were speaking as a mother, a father and a really big baby crashed thought the trees and into the pond where I was fighting a fish on the shoreline. Since it was dusk, I couldn't quite make out the individual characteristics but one of the moose entered the water and started swimming towards me. I quickly unhooked the fat rainbow trout that I had just landed and moved quickly to the top of the stair heading to the community garden, where I sat in silence , contemplating the wisdom of trying to sneak past the now full family of moose occupying the pond, or walking, in near dark, up Ski Hill, to fetch my truck which was parked at the entrance to Penny Pond. I walked back up the stairs to the entranced to Penny Pond and was quickly convinced to go the other way, as the moose shapes in the fading light were alerted to my presence and started again to move towards me, making their guttural moose calls. 
I walked to the nearest house, singing as loud as was practical to announce my presence to the forest dwellers, as many sightings of Mountain Lions, Bear, and Elk were at the forefront of my consciousness in the fading light. 
I arrived at my neighbors house and knocked on the door, not sure what they would think about random, unannounced visitors at their door after dark. Thankfully the Gjertsons were home and answered quickly, offering me a glass of water and a ride to Penny Pond to retrieve my vehicle. When we arrived Jen shined her headlights down to the shores of Penny Pond and Cole confirmed at least two sets of eyes, shining through the willows beside the pond through the now dark evening. I wasn't crazy...
I saw them again this afternoon at the junction of Ranch and Ridge, a Big, skinny Daddy with a decently mature rack, a Momma almost the size of the Daddy, and a baby, almost as big as the other two.
Please be careful. They looked a little frazzled and have been spotted throughout the BarK over the last couple of days.

[JamieP]

Beautiful picture, Melissa!!

[Sal DeVincenzo]

Awesome... woof.