Moose, Spruce Grouse, and Another Bear. Oh My!!

Not long after I posted today's blog, we had a visit from one of the various hairy young men who are building cabins in the woods 'round here. Mike is actually less hirsute than some, to be fair. A tall, willowy man with expressive hands and a soft German accent, Mike approaches his cabin-building with keen precision and a small collection of old hand tools. He builds well, but he doesn't build fast. Which is why, when the curious bear ambled onto Mike's patch, he came nose to nose with Mike at the door of the tent which is our friend's temporary residence.

"What did you do?" the Farmer asked him.

"I yelled at him to go away," replied Mike. "I screamed Go! Go!"

"In English, or in German?" inquired the Farmer.

Whatever the language, it must have translated well into "Bear." After snuffling about a bit and, apparently, satisfying its curiousity, the bear shuffled off. Kai and I agreed that our bear sighting was much more agreeable.

"I had the same problem with a moose when I went hiking last month, too," Mike sighed. He was hiking a Highland trail well known for its moose population, when he rounded a turn and came face to face with a mother moose and two tiny offspring. Hedged in on both sides by impenentrable tuckamore, Mike was at an impasse: wait for the moose to move, or hike back to the trail head. Quite sensibly, he waited. Waited for half an hour, in fact, from a respectful distance, popping his head out of the tuckamore occasionally to check on the moose's mood, and backing away again when she glared at him.

"And then I got attacked!"

"By another moose?" We were incredulous.

"No, by a grouse."

The Spruce Grouse is a small bird that looks a lot like a chicken. According to Mike, the female of the species can peck quite viciously. It actually chased him down the trail, pecking as it ran. I tried to muster up some sympathy, but then failed. The Farmer was already falling out of his chair, laughing.

Looking on the bright side, if Mike had to be attacked by one of the creatures he encountered, at least it was the Spruce Grouse!