Southern Wyoming Moose   By Susan Parker      Airs Oct. 12, 2008     1:14 long

I am here near Encampment Wyoming and most people who want to see a moose in Wyoming would head to the national parks, but moose can also be found in southern Wyoming.  These moose were introduced in Colorado and they then migrated north.

Moose live alone or in small groups and they hang out in wet, swampy areas.  They can be seen eating during the day and night, but are most active at dawn and dusk.  Moose can eat over one hundred pounds of plants each day.  They like to eat plants in and around lakes and marshes but they also like branches and leaves of willow, birch, and aspen.

Moose prefer to spend the winter in an area that provides plenty of food near a sheltering, mature forest.  This shelter serves a dual purpose by helping them deal with the deep snow and protecting them from cold.  A mature moose can weigh between eight hundred to twelve hundred pounds.  Their long legs are uniquely adapted for walking in deep snow.

So the next time you want to see a moose think about the Snowy Range in southern Wyoming.  From the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, I’m Susan Parker, exploring the nature of Wyoming.