During the six years I lived in Anchorage, moose were still a common sight on the multi-use trails, in many parks, and even in neighborhoods. I even saw a few wandering downtown, right outside my office window. Anchorage actually provided a haven for them, because hunters were not allowed to kill them in the city limits and there was likely less predation, as resident wolves were hunted and trapped with passionate intensity by so-called “trophy” shooters and bears preferred mostly to stay outside the city.
These four fall moose were in the yard next to my house, about 15 miles from the nearest true wilderness. They likely were the urban moose who spent time traveling around town, particularly during the fall (avoiding the hunt in the nearby Chugach State Park). Looks like we had one male and three females, but can’t tell about one of the juveniles.
Sometimes when I run in Seattle’s Discovery Park, I think I will see them, but then I realize it is my mind playing tricks on me, and I laugh how silly that thought is outside of Alaska. These photos fall into the “point and shoot” category with the handheld consumer-gade Canon I have used for years. (Click on each photograph to see a larger pictures on separate picture pages.)
What Beautiful Light 