My First Moose

A few years ago, Birdgirl and I spent a few days camping in Algonquin Park. In the park guide, it said that moose were often observed in the park, but that it was rare to see a black bear. Over the period we were there, we saw black bears on three separate occasions, and a bear visited our campground and raided a nearby tent. But moose? Nada. Zip. Not one. I’ve never seen a moose in the wild. Until yesterday!

Yesterday morning, when I was driving to Ponygirl’s place, I was just a couple of kilometres from home when I noticed a large shape emerging from the trees at the side of the road ahead of me. I was in an area of agricultural land, cornfields and pasture. My first thought was that someone’s horse had got loose. Then I realized that this was no horse! It was a moose! I stopped the car and watched as the moose crossed the road while I rummaged for my camera.

I took the first shot through the windshield, and then opened the car door and stepped out. As I watched, the moose, confronted by a fence in its path, turned and headed up the road toward me. As it approached the car, it turned into a section of rough wet ground and set out away from the road. The moose wasn’t overly large, for a moose, and I think it may have been a youngster, looking for its own territory. I don’t know how pleased the moose was, but the encounter made my day!