How to Keep Moose Out of Your Garden

I’ll never forget the morning when I first woke up to the sight of a moose lying down in my backyard.

Well, two moose, actually. Young, fuzzy, and huge.

Having only recently moved into my small Alaskan home, I’d seen moose tracks in my yard plenty of times, but never the giant animals themselves.

After grabbing my young son, I dashed over to the back porch to show him the two adolescent Cervids.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

But then I noticed that my freshly planted willow tree looked strangely sparse, like an eyebrow plucked at random.

With a yelp, I dashed to the front yard to check on my brand-new plum and apple trees.

Every single one of their leaves had been stripped off by large, moosey teeth.

Thankfully we had already harvested the fruit, but I wondered how badly the mauling would affect the trees.

Would they survive the coming winter? Would they still produce apples and plums?

Since that fateful October day, the giant creatures have devoured:

My life as a gardener in Alaska has been defined by moose. Or more specifically, how to keep moose out of my garden and orchard.

My yard has no fence around the perimeter, so it’s even more of a struggle to keep animals out.

But moose can jump lower fences anyway.

If you live in Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Maine, Wyoming, Wisconsin, or any other area where the great Cervids are out to gobble up your garden, you’re in luck.

I’ve learned a thing or two about deterring the creatures from my plants while still enjoying the sight of