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Alces alces
The largest animal in the deer family. It's hard to confuse a moose with anything else. Large ears and a long snout. This is a massive brown mammal with long legs, standing between 5' - 7' at the shoulder. Pictured here is a cow or female moose. Female Moose can weigh as much as 800 lbs, while a large Bull Moose can weigh up to 1,500 lbs and possess an antler rack that spans up to 6' wide.
Prefers wetland forested areas.
I think it's fun to note the stages of annoyance in this series. Picture 1 (No problems): I had spotted this cow from the highway and my wife and I pulled over when it was safe and I hiked back to get a picture. Picture 2 (Curious Moose): My wife decided to get out of the car as well. Picture 3 (Alert Moose): My wife began walking toward me. Picture 4 (Annoyed / Upset Moose): My wife reached my picture spot. There is no picture 5 because when a Moose lays it's ears down it means the photoshoot is done and it's time for the humans to make an immediate exit. We took two steps back and she turned and quickly exited up the hill and through the forest.
2 Comments
Thank you for the nomination! This is definitely my favorite Moose spotting so far. Made my heart race just a little bit.
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!