06/05/11 Photos | Petra, Maine Wildlife Photos | Ken Anderson

06/05/11 22:30:34

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The moose may still be close enough that the camera is picking up their body heat, and perhaps the wind in the branches is supplying the movement needed to trigger the camera, which is a Primos Truth Cam 35. I don't see anything here, but there may be an animal in the dark somewhere.

06/05/11 22:30:31

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The moose have left, and I cannot see any animals in this photo. This small clearing in the forests of Petra, Maine has seen a black bear earlier in the day, then a couple of moose, the latter of which have just left the area.

06/05/11 22:30:06

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

They have had enough with that annoying camera. One of the moose is walking off, and the other will follow. There are no moose in the next picture.

06/05/11 22:29:47

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The moose are finding the flashing of the wildlife camera to be annoying. They know where it's coming from but they don't know what to make of it.

06/05/11 22:29:46

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The two moose don't know what to make of the flashing camera. They sense that it is not a threat to them, yet it is something that shouldn't be there in the middle of the wilderness at 10:30 in the evening.

06/05/11 22:29:45

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The period from August to late September are good times to see moose at ponds, including cows with their calves. At other times of the year, moose may be wherever you happen to find them. This may be in the deep woods or on the interstate highway.

06/05/11 22:29:45

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The second moose is also looking upward at the flashing camera even as it eats saplings and other plants growing along the forest floor at Petra, Maine.

06/05/11 22:29:43

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

There we go! A second moose steps forward. These may be the same two moose that we saw at another camera location earlier, if you've been viewing these chronologically.

06/05/11 22:29:26

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

Moose are not generally considered to be dangerous or aggressive toward people, but you should avoid startling them or approaching them too closely on land or in the water. Cows are protective of their calves, and bulls can be aggressive during the mating season, in late September and early October.

Look closely at the right of the screen. You will see an eye shining in the dark, and you might be able to make out a head.

06/05/11 22:29:24

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The moose is the largest antlered animal in North America and the largest member of the deer family in the world. While they may appear majestic at a distance, they are rather ugly and even silly looking close up. This is a young moose that still carries his winter coat. Before the summer is over, the splotchy parts of its fur should fill in.

Do you see the eye shining in the dark to the right of the screen? If you look closely, you can see an ear above and to the left of the eye.

06/05/11 22:29:25

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The best time to spot a Maine moose is at dusk and dawn, although they are active throughout the day and night. As you are driving the country roads of Maine, or even on the Interstate, watch for moose. Not only are they fun to observe, but you don't want to hit one.

06/05/11 22:29:23

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The moose continues to eat while keeping his eyes on the flashing wildlife camera that is mounted to a tree facing this small clearing in the wilderness of Petra, Maine.

06/05/11 22:29:22

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The moose ignored the salt lick that I had placed on the log behind him, opting instead to eat saplings and other plants along the floor of the forest of Petra, Maine.

Observe the pair of eyes that you can see in the dark on the right of the screen.

06/05/11 22:29:06

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

Moose are active throughout the day, but more so during the hours of dawn and dusk. They are able to run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. Moose are not ordinarily aggressive but they can be stubborn, and may become aggressive when hungry, tired, or harassed by people or traffic. I once pulled my car over to take a picture of a moose that had stepped out of the tree line and appeared about to cross the road. When I opened my car door and began sliding out, the moose ran at my car, causing me to abandon my idea of taking his picture. Another time, my wife and I had to stop our car late at night on Route 11, between Brownville and Millinocket, Maine, while at least five moose were milling about the road. Moose are not naturally aggressive, but neither are they particularly afraid of you or your car.

06/05/11 22:29:05

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The young moose pauses to eat a tree. He is still well aware of the wildlife camera, which produces a flash while taking night pictures.

06/05/11 22:29:04

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The young moose takes yet another step nearer to the wildlife camera, all the while keeping his or her eye on it closely. The camera is mounted to a tree in the forests of Petra, Maine.

06/05/11 22:29:03

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The moose is still well aware of the camera, which is a Primos Truth Cam 35 wildlife camera, mounted to the trunk of a tree facing this small clearing in the forests of Petra, Maine. This location is somewhere between a quarter and a half mile into the forest from the seasonal road that runs through Petra. You won't find Petra, Maine on a map but it is in the northern part of Maine's northernmost county, Aroostook County, near the Canadian border.

06/05/11 22:29:02

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

Satisfied that the camera does not pose a threat, the moose takes a step nearer to the wildlife camera, which has been mounted on a tree facing this small clearing in the forests of Petra, Maine for the past several days and nights.

06/05/11 22:28:35

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

The one hundred acres of Petra, Maine are an ideal habitat for moose. The property is bordered by a brook on one side and a dense cedar swamp on the far side. The land features a diverse habitat that includes two seasonal run-off streams, a couple of potato fields and a thick, new-growth forest with a mixture of hardwoods and softwoods.

06/05/11 22:28:35

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:05:36 -0400

Moose are browsers rather than grazers, gaining a significant portion of their food from aquatic and marsh plants, although they also eat grass, lichen, saplings, and plants growing on the floor of the forest. Moose are even known to walk as far as fifteen feet underwater in order to eat aquatic plants on the floor of a body of water.