Moose on the loose

So last week a pair of moose decided to wander into Butte. Therefore my job that day became Moose stakeout 2010. About 5 minutes after I got into work we got word that there were moose on Harrison Ave, which is a major road in Butte. I then quickly loaded up the station car with my camera and tripod and headed out there. Once I got on the scene and parked I saw the 2 moose running across Harrison. As fast as I could I got out my equipment, set it up, and started shooting. Unfortunately I only got about 3 seconds of the Moose sprinting back across Harrison. But they kept running so I filmed that. Then they kept running far and the police and Fish Wildlife and Parks Game Wardens followed them. So, I also followed. Got back in the car and drove to where all the action was. Then I set up my camera and tripod again and filmed some more moose activity. As I was standing at that spot a reporter for the NBC station came up so we were both standing there filming moose running. Well then we hear what sounds like gun shots (later learned they were firecracker shells to scare the moose) and a cop standing by us yells "get back to your vehicles!!" So we go back to our cars and just film standing next to them as the moose come running by. Then they ran off far away so we couldn't see them anymore. But we could see where a bunch of cop cars were gathering so we drove over there. We learned that the moose had run into the area and Fish Wildlife and Parks said they bedded down in an area of trees and bushes so we couldn't see them. So we waited for the Moose to come out of hiding. 3 hours later all that had happened was one of the moose stood up once and then went back down into hiding. It was a very interesting 3 hours just sitting there outside waiting for moose to show their faces. At noon Fish, Wildlife, and Parks left so we did too. They put up signs along the road to warn motorists of moose in the area but they said the moose would probably be there all day so they would decide what to do that night and possibly the next day. Well turns out the moose was up and running again around 3 p.m. and by 4 they were safely back to the mountains they came from. So it ended well and no large animals had to be tranquilized. Definitely was a first for me. I had never seen a moose in person. They are much hairer than I imagined. The rest of the week wasn't quite as exciting after that fun stereotypical Montana experience.