Why does it break your heart? Are you thinking someone killed it to get the antlers? Of course I can't speak for Canada, but here, the most likely scenario would be hit by a car...in which case the people in the car did not escape unscathed. Then the moose is dead...so missing its antlers isn't exactly a big deal.

I don't think they do this in Alberta but in BC there is/was a road kill list for low income families if it is fresh enough the C/O will call and you can collect what ever usable meat there is(not sure if they still do this). As for the antlers a full rack is worth about $100 but whoever took them should have had to taken the whole moose for disposal too.

Most of us, we don't like a animal end like this, I'm sure it suffered allot until it died, especially a tall moose with broken legs, ...and if it was the moose in picture which some of us fall in love then it would hurt even more, ..perhaps it's good I don't know.

It does look like someone did something illegal here,..think CL is right, taking the whole moose away, but only after calling Fish & Wildlife,...not just cutting it's antlers?

You are 100% correct from a legal aspect, Konrad (and CL). And, IMO, from an emotional/psychological aspect as well. Thank you for that. :)

Ginny

Perhaps I misunderstood your post, Ginny. I live in an area where 300-600 moose are killed by autos every year. It happens, and certainly people don't do it on purpose. Do any of us like it? No. It always distresses me when one of my daily visitors quits showing up in my yard and I see signs of a recent hit near my home. Despite the fact that they cause untold damage in my yard, I would rather they lived. It was this sentence of yours that confused me, "Look at how the human species can treat their own!" A dead moose doesn't need its antlers anymore than I need my organs after I die (thus I've signed up to be an organ donor). Perhaps selling the antlers, or making something and then selling them, can feed a family for a few days. As for taking antlers without the meat: 1) I certainly wouldn't take meat without knowing how long the carcass had been there. 2) I don't know the legality here of taking the antlers, but I do know the legality here of taking the meat-- it's not legal unless you're on the list for receiving road kill and have been called.

I can only wish that in the future more is done for wildlife crossings, like build tunnels and overpasses in areas needed, fencing included to channel them into these crossings.

With surprise, a trail camera showed about 20 pictures of another older moose,..I know, camera is set up for smaller animals, like deer and coyotes.

This one stayed for 10 min.

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Those are really awesome photos, Konrad. the animals look so healthy! I guess an apple a day works for them, too, haha.

Historically in this area we've never had moose however in the last 10+ years there have been more and more.

One year in late summer we were camping at Cypress Hills in SW Sask when a cow moose and her calf came through the campground and made their way to a puddle where the calf played in the water and the cow just stood around waiting for her little one to finish. There were people (campers) all over the place but the moose didn't care, almost like they were tame and living in the park, they must have been very accustomed to people. Everyone gave them their space and respected they were wild animals, after the moose got a drink from that puddle they just wandered off. The next day they came through again with a large bull moose. That was the first time I had ever seen moose up close and personal like that.

What an awesome pic of the coyote...is it actually trying to get apples down, or is there something else in the tree getting attention?

We have fencing in what used to be one of the worst stretches for hitting moose. No tunnels or overpasses...first, there is the obvious huge expense, but if I recall correctly (and of course it's totally possible that I don't) research showed that moose wouldn't actually use them enough to be effective.

You might enjoy the linked youtube video, shot in Anchorage this past week.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alaska Bull Moose Street Fighting

Thank you all!
Nice encounter, pudge!
Great video!
Coyotes do eat apples from the tree.
I've seen a picture of a coyote in a tree,...this one here wasn't really up to..., perhaps this year? LOL

This year I have seen Fox for the first time

So cool...a fox, too. I think I might have to get one of those cameras.
One summer a dead bird was on our lawn, so DH threw it in the woods. Next am, it was back in the exact same spot. Threw it in the woods again, and again it was back in the same spot. This eerily continued for several days, until one morning I looked out and saw the fox bringing it back out of the woods to the exact same spot once again. We're not superstitious, and we don't believe in "spirits", but it was a relief to see it was a living, breathing animal doing this!

I'm thinking if you left an apple crate or ladder out he'd climb it.

Yes, good idea, I might put a box down when most of the apples on the ground are eaten. I was hoping for snow and shovel some to the trunk.

Here is mom with offspring from Sept. 10
Not too many Deer this year.

Looks like there is more Moose this year then I bargained for.

Mother and offspring.
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Holy Moose ! The magnificent antlers on that guy.

Konrad, will the moose damage your fruit trees throughout the winter?

Konrad, do you "man the cam"? Or does it snap pictures on its own? Does it pan around? You could stream it online! LOL

I have moose damage every winter,...how much?..It depends on how many shot caps I will set up and moose population. About for the last 5 years I haven't done anything since the trees have grown larger, moose will mostly just prune them but sometimes they pull down branches.

Camera is battery operated, put inside a pelican case [watertight] hooked up on a motion control board. You see one camera strapped to a tree in the 3rd. picture to the very right.
I have build several of them, this moose got shot with 3 cameras from different angles, I can also put it on short videos.

Link will show the deer scare, scroll down.

Here is a link that might be useful: Deer scare

Great pictures Konrad! I'd just as soon not have the moose and deer in the garden. 2 winters ago I had to dodge a cow moose and calf all winter long when they hung out here eating out of the hay shed. We ended up replacing a Royalty ornamental crab apple and a September Ruby apple tree. They ate a Toba hawthorn tree until there was only a stick poking out of the ground..lol.. and also reduced a mountain ash by 3-4 feet...with all the hayfields with hay stacks in fields near us I dont know why they decided they would rather dine here.Fascinating on what your camera catches coming to your orchard...Jean

Thank you Savona!
Yes,..moose can take out some small trees in a hurry, they can bite through a 3/4" branch. Protecting them when small is the key.
I don't think I've lost one apple tree by moose,...have several hundred. On larger trees like mine, they can pull down branches, mostly it's pruning ends. Had more damage done from others animals, like deer buck stripping bark on some unprotected trees with their antlers,..and rodents.

I could fence the whole thing in but I rather see them come and enjoy some handouts,...have lots to share, made over 1000 Liter of apple juice, now there is some pulp for them.

I was checking camera today with more surprises, moose cleaned up pretty good on the ground and tree about as far as they can reach, mostly under cover of darkness,...hunting season must be on?

Getting right in there!

Cleaning up

Awesome shots...our moose don't eat many of the apple-- instead they just rip them off the trees. Our largest tree was really thrashed this month, and I couldn't figure out how the moose broke so many large branches. Looking at your pics makes me think maybe a good-sized bull was using antlers on the tree!

Yes, that's very much possible.
Moose pressure, [about 4 of them regulars now] seem to be the highest this fall ever! I'm thinking of putting up the shot scares again.

Sounds like "Bullwinkle" has told his friends about his new supermarket. So long as he doesn't tell them it is a clearance sale you might get way too many visitors.

LOL CL!

Have you given them names yet?

Just wanted to say I'm enjoying these close up pictures of the moose! I've only seen them in the wild a few times from a vehicle.

I'm loving these pictures, too.

I had no idea that moose had such a cute square shaped muzzle.

It's also nice with all of Konrad's pictures to see that there are still some wild animals out there =:)

Love the night time pix Konrad. You must be in prime moose country for around here. Nice as they are I would just as soon not have them wrecking what few trees I have. Porkers do enuff of that.

Thank you all!
Moose been hard on some trees by breaking large limbs, have put up 8 shot caps poles, [all of my arsenal] all 8 fired in the first week, should have gone out sooner to check, it does slow down now.

Young Moose

So enjoy your pics, Konrad. It is so nice to see wildlife right in your own backyard. I only have bunnies and birds. I don't think my neighbours would like it much if I startyed baiting for moose! Keep the pics coming. Always good to have something to do in the snow.:)

Ginny

Ginny maybe you could convince Konrad to blow up one of his pics and mount it they you could have your very own moose and he wouldn't hurt your trees.

Oops THEN not they

Hahaha, Cindy! Or I could build a fence with moose murals and have a whole herd! :)

Ginny

That's it!!

it is special to have a look at our photos

thank you

great shots konrad.. loved them.. got 6 partridge at my feeder all winter now.. soon they will go to nest..

Thank you all!

Tamatik,.. nice!..where do you live?

Had only one moose in this year for about a week, he's gone now.

Several minutes apart.

Mom with two offspring,..got picture from her 3 years ago,..it's got a distinctive V notch on one ear, no other deer in the yard this fall.

Same moose, he cleaned up this little Norkent tree in 10 min.

After a nice meal he checked out the camera.

Konrad, do you suppose within the next two to three weeks there will be a lot more?

Let's hope so.

Please keep us posted.

Bullwinkle and friends make for awesome viewing :)

Hope not,...I don't think so, most apples are down and gone now.

Konrad, not sure if you're on Facebook or not, but the first of your most recent pictures was picked up by the GardenWeb to be their photo of the day! Congratulations!

Thank you Marcia!
Didn't know, my wife is on it, thanks for the comment!

This is a first for me,..an nursing mom!
The same Whitetail, you can see the notched left ear.

Here is a news clip from Sweden,
a drunken moose stuck in the apple tree.
Hopefully I never have to deal with this lol.

Here is a link that might be useful: Drunken Moose

Oh, sweet! But that baby looks a little old to be nursing! LOL

As always, Konrad, your photos are a pleasure to see. :) We have no deer around here although we do have a coyote. Or maybe even a couple. I think they follow the tracks in search of mice. Lots of "urban coyote" space around here. :)

Marcia, whitetail fawns (females) will sometimes nurse well into the winter if momma will allow it. If she is pregnant, she will likely wean them. :)

Ginny

Thank you all!

Getting brave,..during daylight!
From Oct. 9

Really is a special treat that you are a member of garden web and post such good photos and interesting comments

I occasionally lurk on this forum even though I live in Missouri, and have really enjoyed the pictures of the moose and deer. Thank you, Konrad, for sharing ! :-)