TIL moose will eat your windshield wipers if you park in the right spot

Last January I parked my truck at the pullout near Hatcher Pass for about 45 minutes while I went snowshoeing. Came back and the wiper blades were gone, just chewed right off at the base, and there were big slobber marks all over the hood. Turns out moose love the salt and minerals that collect on the wiper rubber in the winter, and they will happily tear them off for a snack. Cost me $38 for a new set plus another $12 for the little adapter clips they snapped off. My buddy who grew up in Fairbanks laughed like crazy and said everyone up there knows to carry spare blades in the cab. Has anyone else had their truck picked apart by a moose, or do they mostly go after the birch saplings around your cabin? I never thought about wildlife as a maintenance issue until that day, but now I always check for tracks before I settle in for a hike.

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ivan16022d ago

Moose are probably the least of your worries if you ever park near a salt lick, because they'll peel your whole bumper off for a taste. The real trick is to keep a bottle of vinegar in the cab and wipe the blades down before you leave, since it kills the salt smell.