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When someone from the North tells you that they live with the wildlife, they mean it. When you're on Holloway Bar, you never really know what's in the woods looking back at you. This moose has been been hanging around camp the last couple of years. Last summer, a cow moose was in camp often with two young calves with her. I think she feels safe here among the miners...
The wild animals know. People often talk about animals (mostly pets like cats and dogs) having a sixth sense. They act strangely before natural disasters, and they seem strongly connected to their owners. The moose know too. For a hundred years or more, they've been hunted in this area and have ended up on more than one dinner table. But, since Christina and Scott came to this beautiful valley, the moose aren't hunted here - this is their refuge. They are safe here. They know. They can feel it...
The first thing you notice about the moose when you see them wandering through camp is their immense size. It's hard to tell from these pictures just how big these beautiful animals actually are, until you actually see one standing beside something like a pickup truck. This moose (now affectionately named Victoria - thanks, Vickie!) was around camp early in the spring - the snow's still melting, and the spring green has yet to burst forth on the trees.
Sometimes you come across moose just while driving down the road. Most often, you'll just catch a glimpse of a bull or cow moose standing off in a swampy area, munching away on dinner. Other times, you'll see them wandering through the trees, looking back to see who's watching them and what the humans are up to this time.
Other times you'll come up on a herd of moose when you're driving down the road. This is somewhat rare, though - as the moose tend to be loners. If you're lucky enough, you'll be given the opportunity to get real close. But, you still have to respect their size - and remember, they are wild animals. Getting this close to an animal that might be 2 meters tall at the shoulder and weighing many hundreds and hundreds of kilograms can be dangerous. These pictures were taken from the relative comfort and safety of a road maintenance truck (which you can see a reflection of if you look closely into the eye of this young bull moose!)
So, Northerners really do live among the animals. The moose are just one of the majestic creatures that frequent the McDame Creek Valley. Christina and Scott feel a connection to the wildlife here, and the animals are learning to live among the people.
