Quiet as a Moose

Posted on 2006-06-30

On June 26, 2006, my Dad and I ventured to Currant Creek, Utah, for an afternoon of fishing. It turned out to be deja vu all over again, Bullwinkle.

Almost one year ago to the day, I was fishing this small stream, eyes fixed on the water and the fish before me. Next thing I knew, my Dad was trying to get my attention. I looked downstream at him, only to see that he was pointing upstream of me. As I turned my head, there she was -- a big cow moose about 30 feet away. She just stared at me for a while. Then, as quietly as she had appeared, she lumbered silently into the woods.

Well, June 26, 2006, found us once again fishing in Currant Creek. Little did we know, the previous year's sighting wouldn't be our only close encounter of the moose kind.

My feet weren't more than five feet from where they were the year before when, for some reason, I was compelled to look upstream. There, like the apparition of the previous year, a moose was staring at me - a bona fide Bullwinkle 30 feet away.

I stared at the bull moose for a short time before he lumbered into the woods, ever so silently. It's amazing how quiet these enormous animals are. The moose pictured in the photo wouldn't be the only sighting this adventure. We spotted at least three more, including another bull.