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| Moose Antlers, Hoopy Lake, Kamloops, BC |
To the first-time observer the Moose, Alces alces, looks kind of prehistoric, clumsy, awkward and outright strange. Its head is not "cute" (by human standard ) like that of a deer, the snout is way too long and out of proportion, the legs are long and spindly for the large body that they have to carry, the hooves are too big ..... it would not make it in Holywood ...but ... why don't we take a closer look?
A couple of years ago, my camera and I found ourselves seated on the ground of a cold muddy ditch. We were pretty much in a swamp near one of the Kootenay Summits waiting for a whitetail deer to show up for his daily Salt'n Spa Treatment.
The deer tiptoed in and I, hiding under a large umbrella and admired by clouds of black flies, was totally absorbed in my photography. Five minutes later, no longer able to withstand the flies, I shook my head only to see a large moose cow and her calf some ten meters away, enjoying the mud and salt as well. When did they show up? Two large animals like that and I did not hear them come! (Yes, I am semi-deaf, but still...)
Biting flies or not, I did not dare to move much; Big Mamma was too close and I did not dare to take a chance of upsetting her. You need to know that I paid for this picture with my blood regardless, for in the name of their next generation, the black flies sucked me dry before she decided to take her calf elsewhere.
It was not too bad for her to move through the swamp because the moose have hooves that can spread widely - that helps them move through mud and snow as if they wore snow shoes.
Let me tell you - I tried to walk in and it was not so easy for me.
Their long, strong legs carry them well above the water or snow. They are excellent hikers and swimmers, well adapted to many different environments - deep forests, swamps, lakes and rivers.Their long snouts, with nostrils that can close when under water, help them reach the submerged vegetation or, when hiking, reach lichens suspended from branches high above.
In its last stretch before Castlegar, Kootenay River does not look like an ideal moose habitat. It is too rocky and sterile because it had been dammed so many times. Yet during the fall, when aquatic plants thrive in some of the shallower bays, the moose come to feed. Not the huge moose bulls whose antlers we photographed in the Kamloops area. At least I have not had an opportunity and the privilege to meet one here. But on more than one occasion I did meet a moose cow on these shores, usually in late summer and fall and always after the sunset while letting my kayak glide on the glassy surface of the river.
In its last stretch before Castlegar, Kootenay River does not look like an ideal moose habitat. It is too rocky and sterile because it had been dammed so many times. Yet during the fall, when aquatic plants thrive in some of the shallower bays, the moose come to feed. Not the huge moose bulls whose antlers we photographed in the Kamloops area. At least I have not had an opportunity and the privilege to meet one here. But on more than one occasion I did meet a moose cow on these shores, usually in late summer and fall and always after the sunset while letting my kayak glide on the glassy surface of the river.
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| Last Stretch, Kootenay River just before its conjunction with Columbia River by Castlegar |
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| Common Mergansers and mating insects, Kootenay River after Sunset |
Anchored by the weeds I was observing a heron that landed on a dry tree above a beaver's lodge. A mother whitetail with her twins happened to show up competing for my attention. When I looked back the heron was gone. It was getting darker by the second and I decided to turn back and head home.
Yet, before I even moved something that wasn't there before caught my eye - a boulder that seemed to be, somehow, out of place.
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| Elodea, Water Weeds |
While the moose was feeding - completely in and out of water, a beaver swam by and all I could do in that falling darkness was to put away my camera, sit, watch and think how lucky I am to live a peaceful life in such an amazing part of the world.
As stated above, moose can completely close their nostrils and when they feed under water their long snout helps them to reach down and feel for for grasses.
The same long snout also helps the moose (mooses, meese .... TOEFEL studies ... couldn't help it ) reach up for twigs and lichens and buds; other favourite moose foods.
OK, I do realize that I haven't seen much when it comes to this species. I have only seen the cows and the young - the bull is apparently much larger and almost 2x heavier than cows. The antlers can be huge - the largest I have seen have been tossed in the grass by a cabin at a remote lake by Kamloops, BC.
There was another pair nailed to a log on a shed. No wonder that the male must be so much larger and stronger - to carry such weight.
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| Moose Antlers, Hoopy Lake, Kamloops, BC |
Like every male in the deer family, the moose needs his antlers for advertising his condition, for fending off the rivals and for protection from predators. By the end of the rutting season it is time to shed the heavy weight (a good set of moose antlers could weigh 30 or more kilograms). The exhausted bull would only attract attention of predators not having much of a chance to beat his odds.
Rut happens in September and October and the calves are born some eight months later. They will stay with the cow for the most of their first year of life.
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| A Moose Cow and Her Young, Manning Park, BC |
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| A bull moose shed his antlers. With the upcoming spring they will start anew. For now there are only two nubs on his forehead. This photo was taken in the dark ages of pre-digital era (actually using a wonderful Fujichrome Velvia slide film) - it had been scanned on almost an equally old scanner at 1200dpi. |
My most exciting moose encounter happened on Kootenay River several years ago. The darkness was falling so I put away my camera, keeping out only a small camcorder.
Just in case. The moon would rise soon, perhaps I could record that.
I sat in my 2-meter kayak, parked on the rocky shore - more or less stuck between two boulders and quite immobile at a moments notice. All was quiet and the world came to a complete still.
One of those magical moments, I thought.
Well, it was magic allright because as I lifted my head I was staring at a dark bulk of ... something. It seemed that IT was also staring at me. Neither of us dared to move (well, I better talk only for myself).
Another something stumbled onto the shore - much smaller than the heavy shadow that was towering above my shore-stuck-kayak-bound little being. A baby moose!
Oh boy!
Now what?
I whispered in my weakest, tiniest little voice ever: "Hi you."
(or maybe it was something different, I do not remember).
Awwwwhhh, Great Mamma Moose, thank you for being a nice girl tonight! I shall not move or spook your little one, not make a sound (though the courage is growing equally with the distance between us and the camcorder is gently purring in my silly palm.)
With a couple more glances they walked away skirting the shore, to find another spot.
I treasure this fear-soaked, awesome footage and it bugged me that I could not use it for the purpose of this blog (not yet - have to figure out how first).
But today it dawned on me that, perhaps, I could rip an image or two from the precious video.
Not only did it work (what would we do without the right mouse button?) the frames happily jumped into "My Documents" and saved themselves as a ".png" file.
Dragged into Adobe Photoshop I adjusted the exposure and noise and saved as a .jpg so I can finally share my greatest evening on Kootenay River with the rest of the world.
And I am happy that I am still able to write about it too, for an angry mother moose is one of the most aggressive animals around. She is also so protective and so formidable that her young does not need the well known protective baby spots.
As she decided to walk away, she immediately placed herself (and her hooves) between her young and myself. Just keep on walking it that direction and, thank you very much for everything!
