{"id":1014,"date":"2026-04-23T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=1014"},"modified":"2026-04-23T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:00:00","slug":"are-there-wild-moose-lurking-in-south-austin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=1014","title":{"rendered":"Are there wild moose lurking in South Austin?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><i>This story was originally <\/i><i>KUT&#8217;s ATXplained Live<\/i><i>    Tickets for the next show on May 21st are available at <\/i><i>available here<\/i><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Darren Smith left his home in Driftwood on a dark, chilly morning in 2019. He was heading to the airport to meet graduate students who were going on a school trip to South America.<\/p>\n<p>However, the drive did not go as planned. He was near the turnoff for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on the South Mopac Expressway when a large figure loomed in front of him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just pivoted a little bit,\u201d Smith said. &#8220;And it just stood there. It didn&#8217;t move, but it was huge. My heart is beating 1,000 times a minute. I&#8217;m like, &#8216;What the hell?&#8217;<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enh\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<p>\n    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Face to face with an elk\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Bx5-Uwzx90A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The creature had antlers like a deer, but it was larger and taller, appearing to tower over his car like a cryptid in the night. Fueled by adrenaline, Smith pulled into the airport and told his classmates that he had almost hit a moose.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;My main memory is just thinking Darren was crazy,&#8221; said Brian South, one of Smith&#8217;s friends from graduate school.<\/p>\n<p>His friends didn&#8217;t buy it. There were no moose around Austin. Maybe he just saw one hell of a deer. But Smith knew what he saw was different. After a quick Google search, he set the record straight. It was definitely a moose.<\/p>\n<p>But his colleagues remained unconvinced. Moose lived in colder climates, such as the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and the snowy regions of Yellowstone.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I thought, &#8216;No way. There are no moose in Austin,'&#8221; South said.<\/p>\n<p>No one believed him. Even Mr. Smith&#8217;s wife had doubts. And the more skeptical he became, the more his memories of the moose tormented him. Even after weeks, he couldn&#8217;t let it go. A few months have passed since then. Many years have passed since then. He was Captain Ahab. Moose, his white whale.<\/p>\n<p>So finally, he filed a lawsuit against ATXplained. Can we prove once and for all that wild elk roam southwest Austin?<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was a split second of a millisecond that I saw it, but in that millisecond, I saw it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I know it&#8217;s there.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"\"><b>\u201cThere must be a moose!\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>There was one sign in Smith&#8217;s favor. It looked like a moose crossing sign on the State Route 45 Southwest Toll Road, the junction between MoPac and FM 1626. The road opened just a few months before Smith saw the creature that night. And the sign didn&#8217;t catch his eye.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enh\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<figure class=\"Figure\">\n<picture><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"420\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/623def7\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x2000+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F26%2F18%2Fb88aa2e64278bd0e7779d6ca3dc9%2F20250815-elkcrossing08.JPG 2x\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSizeMobile\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" width=\"420\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/53670b5\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x2000+0+0\/resize\/420x280!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F26%2F18%2Fb88aa2e64278bd0e7779d6ca3dc9%2F20250815-elkcrossing08.JPG\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSizeMobile\"\/><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"880\" height=\"587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/f1e50b4\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x2000+0+0\/resize\/1760x1174!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F26%2F18%2Fb88aa2e64278bd0e7779d6ca3dc9%2F20250815-elkcrossing08.JPG 2x\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSize\"\/><source width=\"880\" height=\"587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Are-there-wild-moose-lurking-in-South-Austin.jpeg\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSize\"\/><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<div class=\"Figure-content\">\n<div class=\"Figure-credit-container\">\n<p>michael minasi<\/p>\n<p>\/<\/p>\n<p>KUT News<\/p>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\">When the Elk Crossing sign appeared on the State Route 45 toll road, Darren Smith knew it proved his point. There must be moose in southwest Austin.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;There must be a moose! Why would they put up a sign like this if there&#8217;s no moose?&#8221; Smith said.<\/p>\n<p>As it turns out, he wasn&#8217;t the only one intrigued by the sign. It also sparked debate among good people. <u>texasbowhunter.com<\/u>.<\/p>\n<p>There were also negative opinions on the forum. &#8220;No moose here,&#8221; one user wrote. But others told strange stories of moose roaming near the highway. &#8220;My painter took a photo of a free-ranging herd in the area 10 years ago,&#8221; one user wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI saw a moose while building a house in Circle C,\u201d another wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a moose on the ranch near the landfill,&#8221; said a third.<\/p>\n<p>I found that Southwest Austin had a lot of moose stories for those with eyes to see, but they were all somewhat mythical. <\/p>\n<p>There was also blurry cell phone video posted on Reddit and questionable photos taken from a game camera in the Hill Country. And my editor, Ben Philpott, told me that everyone knows that the elk crossing sign on 45th Street is about an elk that escaped from Texas Disposal Systems&#8217; Exotic Game Ranch. (Everyone knows <i>that<\/i>\u201d Ben said. )<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enh\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<figure class=\"Figure\">\n<picture><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"420\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/85598f9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2080x1387+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2F50%2F1af104da497392f52e6f40a77325%2F52815308821-c60d8567dd-o.jpg 2x\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSizeMobile\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" width=\"420\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/da248a4\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2080x1387+0+0\/resize\/420x280!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2F50%2F1af104da497392f52e6f40a77325%2F52815308821-c60d8567dd-o.jpg\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSizeMobile\"\/><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"880\" height=\"587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/d6690c5\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2080x1387+0+0\/resize\/1760x1174!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2F50%2F1af104da497392f52e6f40a77325%2F52815308821-c60d8567dd-o.jpg 2x\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSize\"\/><source width=\"880\" height=\"587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776956385_450_Are-there-wild-moose-lurking-in-South-Austin.jpeg\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSize\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"    A white rhino lives on land owned by the Texas Disposal System Landfill in Creedmoor, Texas, on April 12, 2023.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c5e8b74\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2080x1387+0+0\/resize\/1760x1174!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2F50%2F1af104da497392f52e6f40a77325%2F52815308821-c60d8567dd-o.jpg 2x\" width=\"880\" height=\"587\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776956385_450_Are-there-wild-moose-lurking-in-South-Austin.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<div class=\"Figure-content\">\n<div class=\"Figure-credit-container\">\n<p>Renee Dominguez<\/p>\n<p>\/<\/p>\n<p>    KUT News<\/p>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\">A rhinoceros stands in a field owned by the Texas Disposal Systems Landfill in Creedmoor, Texas.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Texas Disposal Systems operates a landfill in southeast Austin that receives most of Austin&#8217;s trash. Rhinos, kudus, and moose can also be seen in the same grounds. It is also classified as exotic in Texas.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"\"><b>Interesting things about fences<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Perhaps it&#8217;s strange that a waste management company would store an exotic animal so close to a landfill. But the Texans have a strange way of doing things. There are many such ranches scattered throughout Texas, and some are attracting thousands of dollars in bucks from hunters looking for the elusive elk with its distinctive trumpet and large, impressive rack of antlers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHunters who would normally go to New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado to hunt elk are finding it more profitable to hunt elk within the states,\u201d said Callan Ahrens, who leads hunts from open rangelands in West Texas to exotic ranches in the fenced Hill Country.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enh\" data-align-left=\"\">\n<figure class=\"Figure\">\n<picture><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"420\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/06e423c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1080x1350+0+0\/resize\/840x1050!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2F5d%2F0828d0c34f6e8074a5e6dbc6f062%2Fdonation.jpg 2x\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSizeMobile\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" width=\"420\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/25236a5\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1080x1350+0+0\/resize\/420x525!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2F5d%2F0828d0c34f6e8074a5e6dbc6f062%2Fdonation.jpg\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSizeMobile\"\/><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"880\" height=\"1100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6aef889\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1080x1350+0+0\/resize\/1760x2200!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2F5d%2F0828d0c34f6e8074a5e6dbc6f062%2Fdonation.jpg 2x\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSize\"\/><source width=\"880\" height=\"1100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Are-there-wild-moose-lurking-in-South-Austin.jpg\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSize\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"Interested in what you're reading? Your support keeps our website paywall-free and free of traditional advertising. Tap here to become a member now.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6ca488d\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1080x1350+0+0\/resize\/1760x2200!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2F5d%2F0828d0c34f6e8074a5e6dbc6f062%2Fdonation.jpg 2x\" width=\"880\" height=\"1100\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Are-there-wild-moose-lurking-in-South-Austin.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Moose may now be classified as an invasive species in Texas, but they once roamed the state as a native species until overhunting and habitat loss took their toll. By the 1920s, landowners began trapping elk out of state and bringing them back to West Texas. <\/p>\n<p>Currently, up to several thousand birds may be living freely in that part of the state.<\/p>\n<p>But in the Hill Country, elk are forced into high fenced areas to keep out native wildlife and keep out invasive species.<\/p>\n<p>However, when it comes to fences, there will be holes. Floods create water gaps. Part of the fence falls. Elk runs away. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, then you are at the mercy of Almighty God, because they just reproduce and do what they want,\u201d Ahrens said.<\/p>\n<p>Forget images of moose crossing snow-covered Yellowstone. These animals are adaptive survivors that can withstand both heat and cold. They have a flexible diet and a vast home range of up to 100 square miles.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s why Ahrens can confidently say that elk are breeding and thriving in the Austin area today.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe manage several ranches along Highway 290 between Johnson City and Austin, and we have several elk that we have seen on camera and on surveys from helicopters,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are some on the north side of Austin, and I\u2019ve seen them.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"\"><b>smoking gun<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Things were starting to look up for Smith. The signs were stacking up in his favor.<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, the Moose Crossing sign on Highway 45 was installed after several moose were spotted during road construction. Crews reported cleaning a moose carcass from the toll road.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enh\" data-align-left=\"\">\n<figure class=\"Figure\">\n<picture><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"420\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/e3b929e\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1200x1000+0+0\/resize\/840x700!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F46%2F2b%2Fdaeb7f59486c9d8e8d02698ea8b4%2F1200x1000-dn-top.png 2x\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSizeMobile\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" width=\"420\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/47c9425\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1200x1000+0+0\/resize\/420x350!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F46%2F2b%2Fdaeb7f59486c9d8e8d02698ea8b4%2F1200x1000-dn-top.png\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSizeMobile\"\/><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"880\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/4a2285c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1200x1000+0+0\/resize\/1760x1466!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F46%2F2b%2Fdaeb7f59486c9d8e8d02698ea8b4%2F1200x1000-dn-top.png 2x\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSize\"\/><source width=\"880\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Are-there-wild-moose-lurking-in-South-Austin.png\" data-size=\"fallbackImageSize\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"We provide the day's top local news and exclusive content in an easy-to-read format.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/99567fb\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1200x1000+0+0\/resize\/1760x1466!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F46%2F2b%2Fdaeb7f59486c9d8e8d02698ea8b4%2F1200x1000-dn-top.png 2x\" width=\"880\" height=\"733\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Are-there-wild-moose-lurking-in-South-Austin.png\"\/><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>At the Wildflower Center, just down the road from where Smith encountered the alleged moose, staff shared rumors that the herd had escaped from a nearby private ranch. I couldn&#8217;t say exactly which ranch it was.<\/p>\n<p>Road officials also didn&#8217;t know where the invasive elk were coming from. However, nearby homeowners continue to report sightings. I persistently tried to find evidence of this. I could have taken Ahrens&#8217; word for it, but I wanted to find hard, hard evidence in the form of camera footage.<\/p>\n<p>Enter Michael Eckrot, a homeowner in the Gray Rock section of Circle C near Greenbelt. He keeps an eye out for wildlife with his game camera, photographing cardinals, foxes, deer, and yes, even moose. <\/p>\n<p>Late-night footage from February 2025 showed two deer with large antlers trotting across the frame.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When I saw that big shelf, I knew right away it was a moose,&#8221; Ekrot said.<\/p>\n<p>I played the footage by some experts. Callan Ahrens replied that yes, it was a moose, along with the red deer that appears in Ekrot&#8217;s video. These two similar species often mix together.<\/p>\n<p>So there I was. Smith&#8217;s smoking gun. All that was left to do was to tell him the good news. I called Smith into the KUT News offices and showed him the footage. After years of losing sleep, sanity, and the trust of his friends, he was proven right.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everyone thought I was crazy,&#8221; he said. \u201cThey say there\u2019s a moose in Austin!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enh\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<p>\n    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The big reveal\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3R6D1N9FXGc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><script>\n  window.fbAsyncInit = function() {\n      FB.init({\n              appId : '480442339585794',\n          xfbml : true,\n          version : 'v2.9'\n      });\n  };\n  (function(d, s, id){\n     var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n     if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}\n     js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n     js.src = \"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\";\n     fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n   }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n<\/script>  <br \/>#wild #moose #lurking #South #Austin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This story was originally KUT&#8217;s ATXplained Live Tickets for the next show on May 21st are available at available here. Darren Smith left his home in Driftwood on a dark, chilly morning in 2019. He was heading to the airport to meet graduate students who were going on a school trip to South America. However, &#8230; <a title=\"Are there wild moose lurking in South Austin?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=1014\" aria-label=\"Read more about Are there wild moose lurking in South Austin?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2492,1140,2494,2499,2498,2493,2495,666,414,2496,810,2497],"class_list":["post-1014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-austin","tag-elk","tag-intersection-sign","tag-lurking","tag-moose","tag-sh45","tag-sign","tag-south","tag-texas","tag-toll","tag-wild","tag-wild-elk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1014"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}