Moose with an identity crisis?

Tuesday, October 7, 2014, 10:11 AM -

First published on ontheoldpath.com - June, 2013

Moose with an identity crisis? No I don’t think so, I think she is just a little lonely ...

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About a week or so ago our neighbour phoned and asked my husband Dave if there was a moose in our yard in Apple Hill, Ontario. Umm, well some people might refer to our dog as a moose of a dog, but no we haven’t seen any moose. Apparently there is a young moose that has taken up residence with his cows. We drove over, but we saw no sign of her. Each day we drove by his fields we’d slow down and take look but she evaded us. This past Sunday on our way to church one of the kids yelled out, “MOOSE!!!” We had to stop and watch her for a few minutes, making us even later for church.

Since then we seem to see her every time we go by. I can not remember when my fascination with moose began. My children will ask, "What is your favourite domesticated animal?" Horse. "What is your favourite wild animal found in...they will name various countries, but for Canada, it is tough, well, I know they can wreak havoc, I like beavers and raccoons. However, it is the moose that has to be my all time favourite. I think it is how gentle and graceful they seem while also possessing an awkward gangly side, and yet at the very same time they can be very powerful.

I can remember on our Honeymoon Dave and I headed North and I was desperate to see a moose, but it never happened. Finally, about 5 years ago I saw my first real in the wild moose! He was rather far off in a field trekking along. Dave has seen some on one occasion on his way home from work. Our new neighbour, while 100% moose, seems to lack that wildness that I imagine a moose to have. She almost seems like an attraction at a petting zoo as she has been making friends with all the cows.

I am sure if you were to hop the fence and try to pet her all ideas of her apparent tameness would dissipate within seconds.

My farming neighbour just hopes she will find her way back to the woods before she causes any harm. As the local authorities have all been quick to wash their hands of it. No one wants to mess with a moose. For now she offers me a sense of joy every time I see her. While I am sure some might joke about, ‘ just milk her too,’ I came across the following quote while I was answering questions the children had, thought that perhaps our dairy farmer might not want to pursue that after all. (Actually he doesn’t milk at his barn anyway).

"Moose milk is high in butterfat (10 percent) and solids (21.5 percent) and boasts higher levels of aluminum, iron, selenium, and zinc than milk from dairy cows. Milk yield runs 1 to 6 quarts a day. Peptic ulcer patients at the nearby Ivan Susanin Sanitarium consume the milk as part of their therapy. Dr. Minaev describes it as “a little bit salty, a little bit bitter, and a little bit acidulous and [it] has a light scent like spruce needles." ~ Sue Weaver

There’s your little known fact for the day!

Dave shot a quick video of her a few days ago, he was in the car and put his hazards on so I apologize for the constant clicking noise.

Interestingly, all the hunter friends we have, have said the moose is without a doubt female. Officials from the ministry said it was a young male. While I agree the moose looks young, I’m leaning towards female as well. What do you think?

Our family is beginning to feel like the, ‘Moose Paparazzi.’

UPDATE: October 7, 2014:

Ms. moose has moved on from the cowfield, but the local gossip is that she’s still in the vicinity and the rumor is that she’s being courted by a certain Mr. moose who’s caught her eye. Also the locals speculate that the moose lost her mother last winter and that a local neighbour had been feeding her prior to her taking up with the cows, which would explain why she was so comfortable around humans and their domesticated animals.