The moose is loose!

Misty Blue · 05-14-2006, 03:30 PM

Hi Folks!

I just had to relay this story.

The power plant at which I work has just started up from it's annual shutdown which meant 13 to 16 hour days. That is what I was doing on Rt-25 north the other day.

At about 0515 I saw a cow moose and stopped to let her cross from the Ossipee Mt side towards the Bearcamp. Following behind her was a calf, about 5 feet tall at the shoulders.

Mom crossed and jumped over the fence ( the roadside kind made of six inch square mesh on galvanized posts). The calf tried but didn't make it. It caught the fence at it's hips and it's right rear leg went through two of the mesh holes. The critter landed on it's back on the other side of the fence with it's leg stuck and pointing straight up.

I pulled my truck over and got some wire cutters from the back and headed down to see what I could do. When I got there it was kicking and bucking and the leg was getting more tangled. This was one stuck moose!

Keeping an eye on "MOM", who was about 25 yards away, I spoke softly to the calf and rubbed it's leg gently and it calmed down and looked at me with a big brown eye and made bleats like a sheep.

After a couple of minutes of cutting fence wire I was able to slide the leg out of it's entrapment and free the little one.

It just stood there and looked at me, ran off for about ten yards, looked back and then ambled over to Mom. The two of them then strutted off into the Bearcamp swamp.

I know that this doesn't relate directly to the Lake but the rescue made my day and I hope that this story makes yours.

Misty Blue

Resident 2B · 05-14-2006, 03:38 PM

Misty Blue,

Well done!

Your story made my day.

R2B

riverat · 05-14-2006, 03:54 PM

Wow! great story. You must feel swell after that experience. I'm getting moosebumps just thinking about it.lol

tricia1218 · 05-14-2006, 09:06 PM

Great job!! I applaud you efforts!!!

Pepper · 05-14-2006, 10:26 PM

Wonderful story, MistyBlue! Thanks for sharing it!!!

dpg · 05-15-2006, 05:24 AM

Awesome!!!

Cal · 05-15-2006, 08:03 AM

It's certainly a "feel good" story. Good work

upthesaukee · 05-15-2006, 09:55 PM

Now if you just had your digital camera with you....

Great job. It's amazing how a usually hostile parent animal can sense a human not doing any harm to the offspring in trouble, and not charge the human. Nice feel good news.

suzytrufls · 05-16-2006, 09:56 AM

What a great story to hear............I am so glad for people like you out there to help the helpless creatures!!

jkjoshuatree · 05-16-2006, 10:52 AM

Good for you Misty. That's an amazing story. You've not only done your good deed for the day, but perhaps the whole year.

Very impressive!

Lin · 05-16-2006, 12:29 PM

Nice Job Misty Blue, bet they were happy getting out of man's contraptions

Rattlesnake Gal · 05-18-2006, 08:47 AM

This really is an amazing story Misty Blue!
That calf was very fortunate it was you who came driving along, wire cutters and all. And thankfully mommy moose accepted your assistance.
You are a very special friend to all who reside in the Lakes Region.
Thank you!
RG

SAMIAM · 05-18-2006, 10:20 AM

Misty....you're a STAR.....good job

gtxrider · 05-18-2006, 11:09 AM

Nice job, I bet a lot of people would have just driven off and not even called fish and game.

Can we refer to you as the "Moose Whisperer"?

BBS2 · 05-22-2006, 07:49 AM

What an amazing story. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about what you did. What a nice, kind, resourceful person you are

Gavia immer · 05-23-2006, 04:43 AM

There is a place in Heaven for folks like you.

Mr. V · 05-23-2006, 10:05 AM

It is hard to avoid wondering "What were you thinking?"

"Mother moose may be the most dangerous land mammal in North America shy of the grizzly bear. They certainly will defend their young from all comers. Should you ever get in a situation where a mother moose perceives you to be a threat: WATCH OUT!"

It was arguably foolhardy of you to approach the animals in that situation, unless you have a breadth of experience with and around moose.

A happy ending, but it could have ended badly.

05-14-2006, 03:30 PM	#1
Misty Blue Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 658 Thanks: 121 Thanked 283 Times in 98 Posts	The moose is loose! Hi Folks! I just had to relay this story. The power plant at which I work has just started up from it's annual shutdown which meant 13 to 16 hour days. That is what I was doing on Rt-25 north the other day. At about 0515 I saw a cow moose and stopped to let her cross from the Ossipee Mt side towards the Bearcamp. Following behind her was a calf, about 5 feet tall at the shoulders. Mom crossed and jumped over the fence ( the roadside kind made of six inch square mesh on galvanized posts). The calf tried but didn't make it. It caught the fence at it's hips and it's right rear leg went through two of the mesh holes. The critter landed on it's back on the other side of the fence with it's leg stuck and pointing straight up. I pulled my truck over and got some wire cutters from the back and headed down to see what I could do. When I got there it was kicking and bucking and the leg was getting more tangled. This was one stuck moose! Keeping an eye on "MOM", who was about 25 yards away, I spoke softly to the calf and rubbed it's leg gently and it calmed down and looked at me with a big brown eye and made bleats like a sheep. After a couple of minutes of cutting fence wire I was able to slide the leg out of it's entrapment and free the little one. It just stood there and looked at me, ran off for about ten yards, looked back and then ambled over to Mom. The two of them then strutted off into the Bearcamp swamp. I know that this doesn't relate directly to the Lake but the rescue made my day and I hope that this story makes yours. Misty Blue

05-14-2006, 03:38 PM	#2
Resident 2B Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Shore, MA Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 987 Thanked 310 Times in 161 Posts	Great job!! Misty Blue, Well done! Your story made my day. R2B

05-14-2006, 03:54 PM	#3
riverat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Alton, NH Posts: 722 Thanks: 337 Thanked 280 Times in 123 Posts	Wow! great story. You must feel swell after that experience. I'm getting moosebumps just thinking about it.lol __________________ Waking up in the morning is the greatest, everything after that is a bonus

05-14-2006, 10:26 PM	#5
Pepper Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Laconia, NH Posts: 1,284 Thanks: 409 Thanked 155 Times in 40 Posts	Wonderful story, MistyBlue! Thanks for sharing it!!! __________________ Never waste time lamenting what was. Simply celebrate what is!

05-15-2006, 09:55 PM	#8
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,547 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,398 Thanked 1,918 Times in 1,061 Posts	Now if you just had your digital camera with you.... Great job. It's amazing how a usually hostile parent animal can sense a human not doing any harm to the offspring in trouble, and not charge the human. Nice feel good news. __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

05-14-2006, 09:06 PM	#4
tricia1218 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: MA/Paugus Bay Posts: 155 Thanks: 31 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Great job!! I applaud you efforts!!!

05-15-2006, 05:24 AM	#6
dpg Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 2,560 Thanks: 149 Thanked 229 Times in 166 Posts	Awesome!!!

05-15-2006, 08:03 AM	#7
Cal Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Pitman , NJ Posts: 627 Thanks: 40 Thanked 21 Times in 12 Posts	It's certainly a "feel good" story. Good work

05-16-2006, 09:56 AM	#9
suzytrufls Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Great Story What a great story to hear............I am so glad for people like you out there to help the helpless creatures!!

05-16-2006, 10:52 AM	#10
jkjoshuatree Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bear Island Posts: 642 Thanks: 349 Thanked 145 Times in 77 Posts	Wow!!! Good for you Misty. That's an amazing story. You've not only done your good deed for the day, but perhaps the whole year. Very impressive! __________________ Dream out loud.

05-16-2006, 12:29 PM	#11
Lin Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Massachusetts & Moultonborough Posts: 673 Thanks: 41 Thanked 15 Times in 11 Posts	Nice Job Misty Blue, bet they were happy getting out of man's contraptions __________________ Lin

05-18-2006, 08:47 AM	#12
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,252 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,451 Thanked 1,349 Times in 475 Posts	Three Cheers for Misty! This really is an amazing story Misty Blue! That calf was very fortunate it was you who came driving along, wire cutters and all. And thankfully mommy moose accepted your assistance. You are a very special friend to all who reside in the Lakes Region. Thank you! RG

05-18-2006, 10:20 AM	#13
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,836 Thanks: 326 Thanked 1,626 Times in 562 Posts	Misty....you're a STAR.....good job

05-18-2006, 11:09 AM	#14
gtxrider Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Piscataway, NJ Posts: 1,030 Thanks: 2 Thanked 46 Times in 24 Posts	well done indeed! Nice job, I bet a lot of people would have just driven off and not even called fish and game. Can we refer to you as the "Moose Whisperer"?

05-22-2006, 07:49 AM	#15
BBS2 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 88 Thanks: 11 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	moose What an amazing story. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about what you did. What a nice, kind, resourceful person you are

05-23-2006, 04:43 AM	#16
Gavia immer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 193 Thanks: 21 Thanked 19 Times in 11 Posts	There is a place in Heaven for folks like you.

05-23-2006, 10:05 AM	#17
Mr. V Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton Posts: 1,326 Thanks: 61 Thanked 235 Times in 159 Posts	It is hard to avoid wondering "What were you thinking?" "Mother moose may be the most dangerous land mammal in North America shy of the grizzly bear. They certainly will defend their young from all comers. Should you ever get in a situation where a mother moose perceives you to be a threat: WATCH OUT!" It was arguably foolhardy of you to approach the animals in that situation, unless you have a breadth of experience with and around moose. A happy ending, but it could have ended badly.