Moose in the Tetons

Several weeks ago we spent a week in the Tetons. After being in Yellowstone for over six months I missed Yellowstone but enjoyed seeing things not very common in Yellowstone, like beavers and moose, not to mention the Tetons. We spent a lot of time at Schwabacker’s Landing because there was a large family of beavers there. One evening we were waiting for the beavers and suddenly a bull moose appeared out of the trees.

We knew a female moose and her calf were back in the woods near the Snake River. We didn’t know there was a male moose looking for her.

A few days later we drove the Moose – Wilson Road and found a female moose and her calf.

A Female Moose on the Moose – Wilson Road

Moose are the largest living members of the deer family but if you want to see a really big one go to Alaska. They are huge. I don’t know if you ever noticed this but generally animals in cold climates, like Alaska, are larger and have reduced surface area as compared to animals that live in warmer climates. The large size combined with the reduced surface area aid them in retaining body heat.

I have had some close calls with several species of animals but one of the ones that scared me pretty good was a male moose swimming the Madison Arm of Hebgen Lake just outside West Yellowstone. I was fishing in my float tube when I saw the moose heading my direction from the far shore. At first I thought “How neat, a big bull moose swimming the lake.” As he continued coming straight towards me I got a little worried. When he started getting close I started yelling thinking he didn’t see me. He still headed straight at me. I then began to worry he thought my float tube and I were a little island where he might rest. I then started waving and yelling, and paddling. If you have ever been in a float tube you know you can’t go very fast. He finally veered off to the left and went on his way to the shore and disappeared. What a relief!!