So, I think I may have won a small jackpot as far as wildlife spotting in Wooorshington state. At least it feels that way to me. But first let me build a scene for you.
My Wife an I purchased a small chunk of land outside of the town of Twisp Washington. 3.7 acre of raw land on the Twisp river, last tract on the road, three sides(ish) are National Forest land, it’s fantastic. This story has nothing to do with that land, BUT I was up there this weekend doing a little light clearing. Saturday I had had enough of working and decided to head up to the end of the road to see the sights and what the damage was from the recent wild fire (Cresent Mountain fire if your interested), so down the road we (dog) go. Im roughly (guessing) ten miles out when I come to a barrier across the road, with a sign on it telling of the fire, the closure yadda yadda. Many people clearly had driven around the sign....eh...better not, so, I throw the truck in reverse look to the left and my eyes say “MOOSE”...and my brain says “your a moron, no it isnt, that just an old stump in the dark of the woods”. So I sit for maybe 30 seconds and this dark spot that was so obviously a stump, moves his ear, then turns his head towards me. WHOA. This is only the second time I’ve seen a moose in real life so I’m pretty stoked. Well he finally gets tired of me and putters off. Now he was far enough away from me that I felt like I could hop out and have a looksee to try to catch him at a different angle. So I walk slowly forward of my truck maybe 30’. Then again, my lying eyes say “hey, theres another BIG moose right there” again, clearly a stump or.....Holy cow thats another Moose! This time being a BIG cow with a calf in tow. ****! I briskly and quietly as possible hustled back to the safety of my truck as I didnt want to test her patience of me while her calf was around.
Wow.
Probably just another day for you Canadians etc but what a sight!
So this story brings about a question in my mind. The proximity of the bull seens oddly close to a cow with a still very dependant calf. Is this in fact odd? Was the bull after the cow for mating attempts? Or perhaps he was the cow earlier rearing?