Moose in the basement

[rondog]

Well you do not live in a Western State. In Wyoming and other Big Game states feeding animals is illegal. You quickly create a dependent herd. At some time you will stop feeding them. They will all die. They are wild animals not milk cows. Mother Nature has harsh rules.

Actually, I live in Colorado, I know it's illegal to feed wildlife. I'm not a landowner so it's a non-issue anyway. Even though I'm a hunter, I just love seeing deer around our neighborhood and can't imagine the pain of watching them die of starvation on your own land. That would be hard.

Didn't realize that alfalfa wouldn't sustain them though. Is grass best for them?

I've seen several nice mulie bucks lounging around just a few blocks away in a grassy lawn area, and deer in the schoolyard across from our backyard isn't uncommon. I've even found scat piles in our front yard around the bird feeders. It's awesome to see them around, and I can't help but want them to be healthy and safe. I also know it's not our place to feed them.

 

[Dog Soldier]

I have Mule Deer, Moose, Elk and Antelope near the house. The seasons bring many changes. In time you learn that nature is some times sympathetic and other times harsh.

 

[X-Rap]

I see in the news that Colorado has started "baiting" deer and elk away from highway 50.
Some years back they had a feeding program outside of Gunnison.
I think it's all the same except they changed the name.
They say they have a special blend that is compatible with their digestive system.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

This doesn't compare to the harsh winters spoken of in this thread. Here is a picture one of my cameras took of whitetail deer does looking for food during a recent snow.

They were working hard but obviously were not starving...fat!

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Biggest winter killer of moose in my part of Alaska is the Alaska railroad. They head down to the cleared tracks to get out of the heavy snow with the expected result.
It can be a great way to appraise wolf populations by flying over the tracks and counting them. They know where the food is.

 

[ChefJeff1]

Idaho fish and game has set up a few feeding stations here. The bigger problem is that it's the worse winter in a long time and the animal elders aren't around anymore to lead the herd to lower elevations and safety and food source. These animals should have headed south months ago but don't know that. Last year a lot of elk died at a feeding station nearby. They died pawing at the food storage shelter instead of migrating south. Nature is harsh even in Disneyland.

 

[buck460XVR]

The news article says it "fell through an unlatched window" . My basement doesn't have any windows a moose would fit through latched or unlatched. I think I'd have to put some bars on that!

New building codes mandate that any room in a below grade level(basement) that can be designated as a "bedroom" needs a form of egress in case of fire. This means a window large enough for a person to easily get thru at a height easily reached by small children. Then there needs to be some form of "pit" outside that window to allow access to grade.What you see behind the cow elk is just this, an egress window with a pit.If the pit is covered, it has to be easily opened, which means it's generally something lightweight. Many pit covers are just clear plastic to let in light to the lower level. Many time the pit is uncovered.....bars would not meet code. These pits are like the old time animal pit traps to unsuspecting animals. Add to the fact that many times those animals are baited to the pit because folks try to hide them by surrounding them with tasty landscaping plants. It's a common occurrence where wildlife and new suburbs collide.

As for Mother Nature being a cruel dish, she has to be cruel to a few so that the many can survive. Feeding only trains animals to relate humans to food and they never learn the skills they need to survive on their own. Around here most deer are accustomed to ag crops so winters do not bother them. They also go into winter in good shape which is more dependent on the animals survival than snow depth or available winter feed. In the big woods areas where ag crops are not available, folks have found that cutting natural browse down so animals can reach it works better than supplemental feeding of foods they may not be able to digest. Generally this is only needed if the previous winter was also harsh and browse lines are high..

 

[redneck]

New building codes mandate that any room in a below grade level(basement) that can be designated as a "bedroom" needs a form of egress in case of fire. This means a window large enough for a person to easily get thru at a height easily reached by small children. Then there needs to be some form of "pit" outside that window to allow access to grade.What you see behind the cow elk is just this, an egress window with a pit.If the pit is covered, it has to be easily opened, which means it's generally something lightweight. Many pit covers are just clear plastic to let in light to the lower level. Many time the pit is uncovered.....bars would not meet code. These pits are like the old time animal pit traps to unsuspecting animals. Add to the fact that many times those animals are baited to the pit because folks try to hide them by surrounding them with tasty landscaping plants. It's a common occurrence where wildlife and new suburbs collide.

As for Mother Nature being a cruel dish, she has to be cruel to a few so that the many can survive. Feeding only trains animals to relate humans to food and they never learn the skills they need to survive on their own. Around here most deer are accustomed to ag crops so winters do not bother them. They also go into winter in good shape which is more dependent on the animals survival than snow depth or available winter feed. In the big woods areas where ag crops are not available, folks have found that cutting natural browse down so animals can reach it works better than supplemental feeding of foods they may not be able to digest. Generally this is only needed if the previous winter was also harsh and browse lines are high..

I know all about the rules for basement egress. There are lots of swing away bars and gates for windows available. Securing windows while keeping egress for emergencies isn't a new problem. Keeping animals out of the window well would be a challenge but keeping them from going through the window shouldn't be that hard.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Yes, Many thousand of Big Game animals die on the rail road tracks each year. The Wind Mill Generators have interfered with the 1,000 year old Migratory routes of many species causing them to die on roads and highways.

http://animaltourism.com/news/2011/03/08/antelope-deer-train

 

[Bush Pilot]

I routinely have moose and deer in my yard at given time of the year, haven't seen one in the basement yet. I'll double check the next time I head downstairs.
FWIW, the first few times there were moose in the yard it was kind of cool, now they're a pain in the a**.

 

[Art Eatman]

rondog, deer and goats are browsers. Herbs and forbs and some tree leaves. Cows and sheep are grazers; grass and hay.

 

[mainecoon]

The elk just wanted to do a few thousand meters on the rowing machine. Trying to stay in shape for the spring racing season.