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Garden Gate:  The moose mowed my flower beds!  |
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jo Thompson
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jo
the mountainside of the Chugach
in Alaska
USA
603 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 14 2006 : 1:40:21 PM
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So after a nice beautiful moist summer, my roses were still high, frost hadn't hit (I don't know why). Our moose that had calved here left her young one behind to go rut with the neighboring cowboy (the boys look like cowboys with their big racks) and he ate my entire yard. The strawberries were a big hit, all the way to the ground.
Our little Bella woke us up two nights ago, bark, bark, bark, MOOSE alert mom. I thought she needed a little yard break, took her to the front door and moose babe was standing staring at me as I opened the front door. Back to bed immediately, Bella went right to sleep.
One night ago, same scenario, this time husband Paul is in his shorts, armed with slingshot, hit the moose and then the gong thing above the moose. A one man arcade game.
My roses are mowed to the ground, last night was a hard frost.......
How is your weekend going girls?! jo
"friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon"
http://homepage.mac.com/thomja/Anchorage/PhotoAlbum14.html |
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Amante
Farmgirl in Training
10 Posts
Amante
Stow
MA
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2006 : 1:45:46 PM
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You make dealing with chipmunk a walk in the park!
Amante |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2006 : 2:35:02 PM
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Boy and I thought raccoons and squirrels were a pain - you have us beat with that moose. Reminds me of my sister and the bears - young males are always coming by their fish cannery in Ugashik, AK causing problems. Not sure if they have found her garden and chickens yet, but give them time - I feel sorry for them when they do, cause my sister will be eating bear meat if they get close to her stuff.
Anne in Portland
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2006 : 5:16:23 PM
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I have a friend who always complains about her "high heeled pigs" eating all her best plants! She is referring to deer, but I think your anhiliating moose has got them beat! Sorry to hear they mowed everything. Could you put a positive spin on it and consider they saved you some fall pruning?!!!
with a happy heart |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2006 : 08:27:35 AM
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I had to laugh just reading the title to this topic! How many of us can even come close to a funnier one?
Our raccoons are sure hungry right now. One friend of ours had a whole family of them break into her screened back porch. When she tried to shoo them off, which took some effort, the daddy raccoon picked up the dog bowl he was eating from and carried it out of the porch! This is a true story. But not as unusual as a baby moose in the roses! :)
Peace |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2006 : 09:43:56 AM
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This kind of puts it all in perspective!
I'll pass this little ditty on to my mom. They have fits w/ deer eating everything.... including my grandmother's roses. But a moose wins hands down!
I know you can hang bars of Irish Spring near plants you don't want deer to eat, but for something like this...........I'm at a loss.
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2006 : 08:44:45 AM
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Jo
I could just picture you at the front door then running to bed. I would pull the covers over my head. I too understand the nature of our four legged friends. Last fall my pry's woke me up with the alarm bark that there was something in our pastures. As I often do, I ran out of the house in my slippers and tee shirt running toward the dogs with shovel in hand. It was very foggy and I was sure that we had something cornered. After running full force to our farest pasture the fog was clearing and my morning eyes finally focused enough to see a herd of all bull elk. We had not had elk around only deer. I am going to guess about 8 or 10. I yelled at them, they snorted at me. I think they were missing the point that they were in my pastures. I turned on my slippers and took off running for the nearest barn with them right behind me. For what reason I do not know, I think the dogs thought they were to round them up like the sheep and bring them into the barn for me because I was going in that direction. As I jumped over my five foot fence (no easy task for this lady in her tee shirt) they kept coming. and in a single bound they made the fence and was still coming towards me. I ran to the chicken coop and shut the door. After waiting a while I looked out the door and I could see them down by the road. As I went in the house to call the fish and game people I found out I had not phone line. Get this - the herd went down to the end of my property and trambled the phone box into the ground. The phone guy said he had never seen such damage, even when a car hits it. The fish and game guy told me next time not to scare them in the fog.
WHO KNOW they were soooooooo touchy! It reminds me why I love elk steak so much.
Have a great day ladies
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
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jo Thompson
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jo
the mountainside of the Chugach
in Alaska
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2006 : 08:52:51 AM
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Grace, I had another scare last night as well. I had packed up to go down the hill to see my neighbor around 7 pm. It was black outside, open the door and my labs bolted out. Raising all out war on three moose in the yard, a cow and her two calves. Trying to get the dogs back in and not bring the moose into the house as well. My heart was beating hard. The frost has killed everything now so they should stay off but they're sure thick around here right now. Elk are HUGE close up. They are our mooses cousins you know!
Watch out for big critters, I'll be glad when I'm sure the grizzlies (brown bear) are fast asleep.
jo
"friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon"
http://homepage.mac.com/thomja/Anchorage/PhotoAlbum14.html |
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bybiddie
True Blue Farmgirl
267 Posts
susan
upstate
ny
USA
267 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2006 : 1:50:05 PM
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Grace and Jo, I sure hope you two are writing all this down for your memoirs - it's better than television!
susan
Lovin' my life |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2006 : 5:25:43 PM
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I keep saying I will put it all down in a book sometime, but it might get me locked up in a real funny farm if I let you all know some of the things we have done around here. I got to tell you my midnight beast story. The boys and I had only been on our farm for less then a month and feeling like we are just getting calm. My bedroom windows face our little barn that came with the place. I had just got to sleep when my dearest pry was barking up a storm. I opened the window to shout at her when I seen this shadow running after my beloved chickens. The dog was whirling and chickens screaming. I ran out of the house again only in house slippers and my tee shirt. Honest, I do have other clothes. My brave young boys ran to get the shot gun and we went to protect our chickens. I could not make out in the dark what beast was trying to take my chicken littles but I knew I had it in my sight. Just then my dog kept run in front so I picked up the nearest thing to my and hopped into the corral. With all my might I took that pitch fork (that's right) and buried in the side of this wild beast. With it still moving, making horrible sounds, my oldest dragged my dog out of harms way, while my little one screamed "It's still moving", of which I reply with another jab, this time with all that this round german mother could mustard. The tines of the fork now deep inside the beast we knew we were safe. We could not really make out what it was so we left it there on the ground and went in the house and hide under our covers. I was still upset so it took a while to close my eyes but morning came too soon. As I pulled off the covers and put my feet on the floor I could not believe what I was seeing - I was covered in quills, the bed covers, my tee shirt, my slippers and a trail on the carpet going down the stairs. In all of this excitement we never turned on a light in the house and not a single poke was had by any of us brave warriors. The boys and I went outside to view of kill and on the end of the pitch fork was the biggest porcupine I had ever seen. Now we faced an even bigger problem, how to get him off my best pitch fork? We tried everything and finally just threw it in the dumpster. As we spent the next hour getting the quills out of just about everything we could not help but laugh the whole time. What are the odds of never getting poked? I guess the same odds that porcupine must have thought he had of never dying my pitch fork.
Enjoy and have a smooth night.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep |
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jo Thompson
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jo
the mountainside of the Chugach
in Alaska
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2006 : 11:20:45 PM
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Grace you are a scream!! no moose tonight, it's cold, I'm hoping they've moved up the hill for their fall frolick! Paul is on his way to LA, sounds forlorn on the phone...... I know he'd rather be home with me and his "brown faced girls". geez, porcupine, those things are the worst for pulling out of dogs, no porkys here, but they do live in some places in alaska.....
"friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon"
http://homepage.mac.com/thomja/Anchorage/PhotoAlbum14.html |
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nouveau_farmchick
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Paris
Sequim
Wa
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2006 : 11:18:06 AM
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What fun you are having! We have a herd of Elk in our neck of the woods, they give the people from CA, that moved here something to complain about. They like to play with our horses but otherwise they just plow their way up the mountain.
My best friend lives in Willow, she will be down for a visit next week.
I really like your signature about the salmon!
Pennie
God bless Farmers |
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Beemoosie
True Blue Farmgirl
2077 Posts
Bonnie
New York
USA
2077 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2006 : 05:51:18 AM
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So Jo, I am guessing you think my moose obsession is totally CRAZY!!!! lol Don't send all your live ones!
Bonnie
...she is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.
Prov 31:10 |
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Garden Gate: The moose mowed my flower beds! |
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The moose mowed my flower beds!
