The Kesler-Partnow Nature Preserve
The Partnow Manse is located in mid-town Anchorage. We’re in a nice settled neighborhood with lawns, gardens, porches, etc. One wouldn’t think that we’re at ground zero of The Wild Kingdom. Granted, we’re on the south side of Westchester Lagoon, so we’re a smidge wilder than other neighborhoods.
But still….This is Alaska.
Last week, a [moose] cow and two calves moved in for a few days. They helped themselves to our late blooming flowers and made themselves comfy in the backyard. Peter wondered when we had gone from two pets (Tyge and Echo) to five pets: Tyge, Echo, Mama Moose, Calf I, and Calf II.
The morning after the moose moved on, I was walking Echo in the wooded area off our back yard. Echo started straining hard on the leash and dragged me to the biggest pile of bear scat I have ever seen. It was big, it was very fresh, and it was smelly. My guess is that our bear is a brown bear. Or a giant black bear. Our neighborhood has had the occasional bear move through in the past, but this bear has spent the last several days hanging around. Since our pile of scat appeared, other piles have showed up. Fortunately our bear seems to be very secretive and well behaved. No one has seen it. I reported the bear scat sightings on Anchorage’s bear tracking site.
I will say, it’s now become a bit more tricky when letting the dogs out. I’m a pro at scanning for moose. Moose are big, gangly, and have lots of right angles. They can be spotted. However a bear is much tricker - they’re just big and round. They blend right in. I admit that when I was walking Echo in the woods last night, I was a bit more careful than usual.
In addition to the bears and moose, we also have a bald eagle pair nesting two houses to the east. The houses directly on the Lagoon have had several visits from the Lagoon beaver who quickly and deftly performs tree removal.
And how could I not include the fantastically neat new Chester Creek project at the West End of the Lagoon - about 1/4 mile from our house. The creek entrance from Cook Inlet to the Lagoon has been completely reworked and the Silver and Pink Salmon runs are thick. Everyday, Peter, and the poochies and I walk to the bridge to watch the salmon spawning. It’s really cool.
o.k. Here are several pics:
Bear Scat! This picture does not do justice to size or aroma.
Mama Moose
Adorable Calves
Backyard Ungulates:
Doe-eyed calf.
Hanging out in the shade:
Hello. I am 
I thinks that mooose chit, no bear. I look close, almost violait my patant.
Ooh - it’s been a long time since FQ posted a comment! Welcome back!!!! But in this particular case, you seem to have difficulty telling one pile of scat from another. Of course, that’s nothing new.
I agree with the other commenter, that’s not bear scat, it’s ungulate. It looks like elk, of which I’ve seen loads (pun intended), but given your description of size I’m assuming moose, which admittedly I have not seen. The formation of small pelletized packets is so typical of ruminants that it really leaves little doubt. More fun thinking it’s bear, but especially since it coincided with your observation of the moose family, that seems to be the only conclusion to draw. Living in rural Pennsylvania, and walking 5-10 miles nearly every day, with a family of black bears not a half mile from the house, I have occasion to see lots of bear scat and it it’s more dog-like in form.
Beth
Well - moose droppings have a very distinctive appearance - they’re not called nuggets for nothing. Our backyard is littered with piles of moose droppings. I’ve also seen many many piles of brown bear scat in my day. In Alaska, brown bear scat are big piles consisting of individual big lumps that remind me of cinnamon rolls. However, I’m not the lone identifier on this. One of my other neighbors who hunts/fishes frantically removed a bunch of salmon bbq remnants from his porch after he discovered an even larger scat pile in his backyard.
This part of Anchorage is also very fish rich and there are a number of bear trails within 1/4 mile of our house. And we had two brown bears who spent quite a bit of time here last year. However, this is the first year that we may have had bears in our yard.
Of course, there is no way to be sure unless I actually got a picture of the defecating critter. Peter thinks it’s more likely moose droppings than bear scat.
Looks like a big pile of nothing good to step in to me.
Perhaps your moose was in need of some Pepto-Bismo?
I would so love to live up there among the critters. How do the dogs get along with the moose?