swamp donkey with calf

[jbunny]

10 min ago i spoted a moose and calf laying down behind the house about
65 yds away.

 

[Camper]

Sweet

 

[jbunny]

she is now 25 yds from my back door and freezer. hehehe

 

[Invalid Zero]

Damn, I'm no moose expert, but she looks busted.

 

[tactical870]

Damn ticks sure made a mess of her..... Hope she finishes the winter ok.

 

[jag]

question

Is that hair loss from natural shedding or is that from ticks?

 

[browning nb]

Is that hair loss from natural shedding or is that from ticks?

Its from ticks.

 

[jbunny]

yea she looks pretty rough. she,s scratching with her legs ansd bitting her undersides constantly. shes probley loaded with ticks. i have never seen
one that bad. wr shouldn,t be getting much cold weather so she will be fine
when the green grass comes.

 

[heavyBullet]

Dam, she is in rough shape. Isn't that what they call a "ghost moose" when they get all grey in color like that?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I have seen this often, but why only the moose? I have seen moose covered, almost as though they were covered with grey grapes, yet deer and elk in the same area never have a sign of those rotten little beasts.

 

[heavyBullet]

I have seen this often, but why only the moose? I have seen moose covered, almost as though they were covered with grey grapes, yet deer and elk in the same area never have a sign of those rotten little beasts.

From what I have read its due to the differences in grooming between Moose and deer. Winter ticks infest their host around September-October, but unlike deer, the moose only react when the larvae have turned to adults and start feeding, whereas deer groom much more in the fall, ridding themselves of the larvae before they become adult ticks and start feeding around February - March.

Must be a horrible thing to live with.

 

[Longwalker]

Winter ticks kill many, many moose. Product of warm winters without much snow. Horrible way for a moose to die, but they don't get many good choices....

 

[Slooshark1]

I much prefer being human... Without ticks.

 

[Fall Guy]

Winter ticks kill many, many moose. Product of warm winters without much snow. Horrible way for a moose to die, but they don't get many good choices....

IIRC, I read an article (by a biologist) that said a really cold spring (well below freezing temps in April) is key to killing the ticks and keeping them in check.

 

[J0HN_R1]

Its so bad it looks like mange... Poor girl...

 

[woodchopper]

she looks rough, but I've seen worse.

If the biologist are correct then next year there should not be a lot of ticks. The adult tics will fall to the ground and with the snow cover not be able to burrow and lay their eggs.

 

[kamlooky]

Wish I had a back yard like that.
Can you go and hunt out there?