Moose Brigade
North of the
Valley of the Sun
Headstrong & unstoppable, the moose is the perfect totem for this brigade...
The largest of the deer, the moose is identified by its size, its broad, overhanging muzzle and the flap of skin, known as the bell, hanging from its throat. The massive antlers of the male are flattened and palmate, with numerous small branches. The moose is less gregarious than other deer and is usually alone outside the breeding season. In winter, it feeds on woody plants, but in summer, water plants provide the bulk of its food. It wades into water to feed and swims well. Following an 8-month gestation, the female gives birth to a single calf, very rarely to twins. The calf is suckled for about 6 months but stays with its mother for a year.Moose links-
Something to ponder... If the plural of mouse is mice, shouldn't the plural of moose be meese?
A Native American Legend - Nation Unknown
One night, a family of moose was sitting in their lodge. As they sat around the fire, a very strange thing happened. A pipe came floating through their door! Sweet-smelling smoke came from the long pipe and it made a circle around their lodge, passing close to the Moose People.
The old bull moose saw the pipe, but said nothing, so it passed by him. The cow moose said nothing, so the pipe passed by her, too. The pipe passed each of the Moose People until it reached the youngest bull moose who was near the door, of the lodge.
"You've come to me," he said to the pipe. Then, he reached out, took the pipe, and started to smoke it.
"Oh, my son," said the old bull moose, "now you have killed us! This is a pipe from the Human People. They're smoking this pipe now and asking for success in tomorrow's hunt. They will find us now. Because you smoked their pipe, they will find us."
"I'm not afraid," said the young bull moose. "I can run faster than any of those Human People. They can't catch me."
The old bull moose said nothing else.
When it was morning, the Moose People left their lodge. They went across the land looking for food. But, as soon as they got to the edge of the forest, they smelled the hunters. It was the time of year when there is a thin crust on the snow, and it made it hard for the Moose People to move quickly.
"These Human People will catch us!" said the cow moose. Their feet have feathers, like the grouse. They can walk on top of the snow."
Then, the Moose People started to run as the Human People followed them. The young bull moose who had smoked from the pipe ran away from the others. He was still sure that he could outrun the hunters. But, the hunters had on snowshoes, and the young moose's feet sank into the snow. The Human People followed him until he was tired, and then they shot and killed him.
After they killed him, they thanked him for smoking their pipe and for giving himself to them so that they could survive. They treated his body with care, and they soothed his spirit.
That night, the young bull moose woke up in his lodge surrounded by his Moose People. Next to his bed was a present that the Human People had given to him. He showed it to the others.
"See," he said. "It wasn't such a bad thing for me to accept the long pipe that the Human People sent us. Those hunters treated me respectfully. So, it is right for us to let the Human People catch us."
And, so it is to this day. Hunters who show respect to the moose, and other animals, are always the ones who have a successful hunt.
Mooses Come Walking
by Arlo Guthrie
Mooses come walking over the hill
Mooses come walking, they rarely stand still
When mooses come walking they go where they will
When mooses come walking over the hill
Mooses look into your window at night
They look to the left and they look to the right
The mooses are smiling, they think it's a zoo
And that's why the mooses like looking at you
So, if you see mooses while lying in bed
It's best to just stay there pretending you're dead
The mooses will leave and you'll get the thrill
Of seeing the mooses go over the hill
Moose "facts"-
# The moose is the largest member of the deer family. Its scientific name is Alces alces.
# Mooses are for the most part sort of a brownish color, though they can range from light beige to almost black.
# The plural of moose is "moose." We choose to ignore this fact.
# Mooses are very large. It's best not to mess with them, especially during rutting season.
# Each year in Alaska, there are more moose-related deaths than bear-related deaths.
# Mooses are herbivores, and it's a darn good thing they are. Otherwise there'd be even more moose-related deaths.
# The moose is the official State Animal of Maine.
# The moose is found all over the Northern Hemisphere, in Europe, Asia, and North America.
# The history of the name of this animal is somewhat confusing. Before the "discovery" of the New World, the Asian/European variety was called by names related to the English word elk. The North American elk, or wapiti, is an entirely different animal found only on this continent.
So... In Europe and Asia, an elk is a moose. In North America, an elk is a wapiti, and a moose is a moose.
# The word "moose" itself is derived from the Natik word "moos," itself supposedly descended from the Proto-Algonquian *mooswa, meaning "the animal that strips bark off of trees."
# This is not to be confused with "dog," the animal that barks.
# Only the bull moose has antlers, and they fall off every winter. The cow has better things to do than grow silly appendages.
# The last words of Henry David Thoreau are reported to be, "Moose. Indian."
