Gone Hunting

Moose are funny animals.  They are BIG and spindly-legged mammals with giant hooves and tiny tails.  How big is big?  A big bull can stretch  8-10 feet from head to tail, and 7 feet at his withers.  His antlers can be 4-6 feet wide.   He can weigh as much as 1200 lbs, and require 9000 calories of food each day.  His face is funny looking and he has a long hangy-down on his chin that is more commonly referred to as a bell.

It has been said that moose are not afraid of anything.  They are huge and powerful, and can swim quickly, and can move swiftly through mud.  They use their big ol' antlers and sharp hooves for protection. 

Today, I went on a moose hunt, accompanied by my parents.  We asked around and got some requisite information on places to hunt for a moose.  Or plural: moose.  Moose could be found along the river, in the water or on the banks, or in amongst the willows and brush.  So off we went, in search of our moose.   We searched high and low.  Up and down the river, through the brush and willows, we had our eyes peeled.   We looked in the wooded areas of aspen and pines, up the mountain sides and on the flats of snow.  Nothing but tracks.   Along the lakes.  Nothing but tracks.   Even an area nicknamed Moose Alley.  Nothing but tracks.

I guess sometimes hunting is like that – one hopes to see something more tangible than an animal’s tracks.  Alas, we left with nothing to show for our morning. 

Oh – and what does one use to shoot moose?

A camera, silly.