Moose Time

What better place than to experience Ontario nature than in Algonquin Park in 2004. We have spent over the years many days even weeks in the summer and fall in that great setting, This June Elaine and I spent close to a week at a resort at the east end of Algonquin. Perfect except for the vicious black flies. I should have known better - May and June are peak months for these biting insects. Armed with sprays and lotions containing Deet we survived. Spring is a beautiful month to be in the park. Very few people around in fact on two of the walking trails - Peck lake and Spruce Bog Boardwalk we were alone.
When you enter the Park and pay your entrance fee you are greeted by a sign warning about meeting moose for the next 60 kilometres! On our second day just west of the Lake of Two Rivers we met him. There to our right feeding on the succulent water lilies was a fair-sized bull moose. Three other cars had stopped. All of us were taking shots as the giant animal ambled along. Occasionally he would lift his giant head and stare at us humans. I approached more closely and have some good shots. Back in our car the others eventually drove off. Elaine said, “ Let’s see if he’ll cross the road.” We sat and waited. Then suddenly he emerged from below the embankment. I took two snaps through the windshield as he passed in front of us. Thankfully one turned out.
Back at the resort we were told that moose move out into the sunshine from their forested protection this time of year for at least two reasons as follows: less black flies in the sunshine and access to the roots of the lily pads and other aquatic plants.
Next day at almost the same area an even larger bullmoose with a huge dangling dewlap under its muzzle and budding antlers stood in the wetlands. This moose had huge ears as my photos show. This larger bull of the two we had seen looked at us each time he tore away some of the lily pad roots. Charge us? Not at this time of the year. Rutting time is in the fall and friends and relatives have told me some scary tales involving a giant amorous bull moose. We had experienced something I hadn’t accomplished in ten days in May in Norway - seeing two bullmooses! However, my Norwegian cousins did feed me roast moose. It tasted like beef. Warnings there and here - be on the lookout for these giant animals especially at dusk and dawn. Meeting a 1500 lb. moose - something has to give! Enjoy these giants as we did. It’s much safer.