Last week, after a day of solid, drenching rain, we went for a walk up our road and walked into a mudslide that had just happened within an hour. A creek that normally goes under the road got plugged with mud and went over the road instead.
Further on, the neighbor's yard demonstrated what havoc a little mud can create! We had quite the neighborhood reunion as word got out and folks came by to view the carnage and offer help.
In chatting with one neighbor, they mentioned seeing 5 black bear at one time from their yard the previous week--a sow with 3 babies and another mid-size blackie. This evening we came home, greeted by what I thought at first was moose droppings but on closer inspection was bear scat in our front yard.
I'm bummed that I didn't get to see the bear! But I am worried for the little moose that was cavorting about our yard yesterday, with momma guarding.
I know--you may be thoroughly sick of pictures of moose! But they're a staple in our lives and most Alaskan's appreciate the opportunity to catch glimpses of them regularly, even when they have heart-stopping moments of nearly running into them on the road.
1 comment:
I just learned something new, after 11 years in Alaska! My uncle was visiting and when I mentioned the bear scat, he said that often moose droppings are not "pellets" early in the season with the new growth--it's a diarrhea of sorts with all the greens they are eating. I looked it up, and sure enough, it is a "thing" that many people mistake moose droppings for bear scat. The biggest indicator seems to be that moose droppings, even if it looks like a cow patty, will be uniform, looking like it has been blended. Bear scat, however, will have pieces of what they ate in it (more like the human digestion system), so there would be evidence of seeds, fibers of grasses, etc. After taking a look at my so-called "bear scat" it looks like it is indeed moose droppings! For more perusing on this subject, see http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=240
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