It was a beautiful Autumn Saturday in Wasilla, Alaska. Sunny and in the 50's.
I decided tp finish a garden project that I have been planning for a long time and build a moose cage to protect my Black currant bushes.
In the past these berry bushes have been eaten back to the stumps by moose every winter and I had to re-plant a few that were just too far gone.
I built a wood frame covered with fence wire to protect my Black currants.
Just in time… as Momma moose and her 2 calves visited my garden as soon as I was done.
I only hit my thumb once - Ha!
Next spring on my morning coffee garden-walk on a gorgeous sunny morning in Alaska. I checked out the moose cage around my Black currents and it did a great job. No moose damage last winter and the bushes look very healthy. I will need to remove part of the wire fencing when it is time to harvest berries. That is really not a big problem and I will eventually make a detachable side panel that will be easily removable.
Moose damage has been an ongoing problem without a strong and very high moose fence around my garden. That will be expensive and is just not in my budget for now. Moose will eat a variety of plants, not just fresh vegetables. During our long winters they will eat woody shrubs and even young trees and bark to survive. They can be particularly bad for fruit trees similar to the deer damage that happens in the lower 48 states. Fruit trees in Alaska require protection from moose damage. They will not eat everything and don’t seem to bother my Gooseberries or Raspberry bushes. Unfortunately they do like Blueberry shrubs and have destroyed my attempt at growing them. After replanting my Blueberries several times I have finally given up and will grow something else.