On Friday October 11, 2019 I encountered a bull moose off the beaten trail of some woods in Brattleboro. Earlier in the week on Monday, I had seen the same moose, or perhaps a different one, in the exact same location. Before I saw the moose, I had encountered a pile of his fresh poop, and marveled over how each piece was the size of an acorn!
The Monday encounter was at a distance, and so I didn’t notice antlers. Perhaps it was a female, or perhaps I just didn’t see very well. Also, the animal appeared lighter in color, and so I questioned what I had actually seen. But there aren’t many animals that large around here, so there weren’t other options of what else it could be.
The encounter on Friday was up close and unmistakable. I feel bad for the moose, as the wooded areas in Brattleboro are small and well used by many people. I prefer not to reveal the exact location, as it is a site that is sacred to me, which I have been visiting regularly for many years. Has anyone else noticed moose or moose scat around Brattleboro? Look out for them – they are among us!
In terms of other animals that live among us, last year I posted an article with videos on my website about a fox family.
https://www.kindground.org/cultivate-nourishment/our-fox-neighbors.
That story has a sad ending, which I haven’t had time to write about. A friend witnessed the father fox being killed by a car.
AH
Moose sighting in Brattleboro
I came across a few piles of moose scat in a local forest. I was very excited and surprised to see this in town! I am an avid hiker and don’t even find much moose sign even in some of the wilder areas in southeastern Vermont. I came across the scat a few weeks back and it appeared to be fresh. I am assuming it was from the same animal that was observed by the previous writer. This was in an area that I also value as a special place! Would love to hear about any other sightings (buckshotvt@hotmail.com)! JT
Hi and thanks for responding. My post has received a l
Hi and thanks for responding. My post has received a lot of views, but I had been hoping for more comments like yours. More has happened since I wrote my initial post, and I’ve been weighing out the pros and cons of sharing it.
As thrilled as I am to encounter moose so close by, I feel bad for them. All the woods in Brattleboro that I know, are well used by hikers, runners, bikers, and people walking their dogs. Also many of the wooded areas are near homes, the highway, and other types of human activity. My husband encountered a woman in the woods who had just seen a moose near my spot. But he also suspected that her dog chased after it.
The information that I write here about the moose could be used by a local hunter to kill them. (I am not opposed to hunting. I have friends who hunt, and I have enjoyed the wild game that they have given me. But I would feel sad to hear of these moose being shot in Brattleboro. It feels like a rare and special thing that they are even here.)
I have wanted to bring friends to the spot. But I have hesitated to do even that. I’ve been hunting wild mushrooms and edible plants for 30 years. I labor to spread the mycorrhizal mushrooms and beneficial plants that I gather. But so many places where I’ve worked hard to increase the abundance, have been rapidly decimated by logging or people who take everything and leave nothing to reproduce. I’ve had lots of heartache and loss around trying to preserve things that other people rapidly destroy.
So I’m caught between wanting to share something special, but also trying to protect the special thing so that it isn’t harmed or ruined.
more about Brattleboro moose
It looks like I was wrong (at least for now) about the moose hunting. I didn’t realize that the Vermont moose population was in so much trouble and has been dwindling. Last year only 14 hunting permits were issued, and only for the Northeastern part of the state. There might not have been any permits issued for this year.
I am contemplating the idea of a small group of people putting up webcams in places where there’s regular moose sign, and filming the moose as a means of learning more about their lives. My husband and I did this with a local fox family, which I linked to in my post: https://www.kindground.org/cultivate-nourishment/our-fox-neighbors
I have the beginnings of a similar moose story, but would need more people willing to purchase (and risk losing) a game cam. And also help with regularly checking the cameras. Anyone who has seen recent signs of moose or wants to volunteer a game cam can contact me via the link that I gave. I will be writing an update about the Brattleboro moose. Stay tuned.
BMWC
I haven’t seen a moose in quite a while. They are stunning when you do see them. They are huge!
A Brattleboro Moose Watch Club sounds like a great idea.