Babe Moose with Ma

Photo-J.Borno The Picture Window

I came across this cow Moose with calf near the Kananaskis Lakes. She calmly browsed the bush’s and kept a close eye on me and her calf. In Banff National Park you see less Moose as they are on the decline due to a few reasons, in part to a deadly liver fluke, the return of wolves, and the many deaths on the railways and highways. The Saskatchewan River Crossing and Waterfowl Lakes areas are moose “hot spots” in the spring and summer months. Kananaskis Country to the south have large healthy moose populations and the best place to see a moose is the Smith Dorrien gravel road as it winds it’s way through the best ever moose habitat.

Photo-J.Borno The Picture Window

In northern Europe and Asia moose were used, among other things, to carry riders and loads across inhospitable terrain. As a mount the moose has no equal. A rider on horseback cannot outrun a rider on a moose-as a Russian general found out when he began the conquest of Siberia in the sixteenth century. To gain the upperhand over the Siberian moose riders, the General banned moose husbandry, killed off domesticated moose, and systematically hunted down moose riders.

Photo-J.Borno The Picture Window

Heed the Moose warning signs along the highways as a moose’s body structure, with a large heavy body suspended on long spindly legs, makes these animals particularly dangerous when hit by passenger cars. If you collide with a moose at high speed, the car’s bumper and front grille will break the moose’s legs, causing the body of the moose to fall onto the car’s hood and delivering the bulk of the animal’s weight into the windshield, crushing the front roof support beams and anyone in the front seats.

Photo-J.Borno The Picture Window

Most of the Moose population in the world are located in Canada.
Moose Populations by country:

Canada: an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 moose with 150,000 in Newfoundland
Finland: In 2009, there was a summer population of 115,000 moose.
New Zealand: Presumed extinct.
Norway: In 2007, there were some 120,000 moose.
Russia: In 2008, there were approximately 730,000 moose.
Sweden: The summer population is 300,000–400,000 moose. 100,000 are shot each fall.
United States: estimated in 2011 around 300,000 (200,000 in Alaska)