What would you do with a rescued moose?

A little over a week ago, Karen Sciascia and Seth McLean were fishing on the Big Hole River near the Missoula area when they came across a moose and its baby calf moose trying to cross the river. The river's current was moving fast and the momma moose was able to fight her way across. Then the baby moose tried to do the same and was swept away by the current.

The momma moose stood by helplessly as Sciascia and McLean raced down the river in search of the baby moose. The pair spotted the baby moose struggling to keep its head above water and Sciasica, a gynecologist in her non-moose saving days, was able to scoop it up out of the water like a large dog. Sciascia and McLean, a river guide, then made their way back up stream and delivered the baby moose to its mother.

How cool would that be?

It'd be pretty much the coolest fishing story ever.

"One time I went fishing and caught a moose."

"A what?"

"You know, a moose (open both hands and place one thumb on either side of your head)."

It'd make all other fishing adventures boring in comparison.

But if I rescued a moose from drowning in a river, I would probably try to keep it myself and take him or her home.* I'd be like, "Sorry momma moose, finders keepers. Baby moose was about to drown and I recued her from natural selection, she's mine now." And then I'd take the 25-pound baby moose home and she'd become best friends with my dog.

*I'm not sure if state laws allow this or not. You should probably check with Idaho Fish and Game before taking a wild moose out of the wilderness and attempting to raise it as a pet. You might even want to consult with a lawyer first. It's probably best just not to try this at home.

I'd put dog ears on her and reindeer antlers on my dog for my Christmas card photo every year. That joke would never get old. I'd train her to walk on a leash and take her and my dog out on long walks. When she got bigger, I could ride her on those walks as my dog ran beside us.*

*Is it physically possible to ride a moose? I have no idea, but they grow to be huge. I'm skinny. I bet a moose could support my body weight. Do they make moose saddles?

At first, they'd be about the same size, and they'd be able to play together. Than the moose would grow much bigger than my dog, but he'd just think he had the coolest and biggest doggie sibling ever. The other dogs at the dog park might look at the moose-who-thinks-she's-a-dog funny, but then my dog would stick up for his little sister/big moose against those other dogs. They'd be the best of friends, even if one had to sleep outside at night and the other slept inside.

I mean really, how cool would it be to have a pet moose*?

*Bonus pet moose story: I have a friend who married a man who had two children. Before their wedding I asked her if they would have any children together. She said she didn't know. She told her husband they could either have more kids or he could get a moose and he hadn't made up his mind yet.