MAKOTI (AP) - More moose are being spotted in North Dakota and people don't seem to mind.

Elmer and Virginia Wolff recently saw three of them. A cow with her two leggy calves took up residence for a while in the family's farmyard southeast of Makoti.

The moose plucked leaves and crab apples, checked out the bird feeder and drank from the bird bath.

"We enjoy seeing them," said Elmer Wolff, who took photos of the animals from inside his house.

Many people in the Ryder and Makoti area have been spotting moose more than normal.

Moose are gradually expanding throughout North Dakota, said Randy Kreil, wildlife chief for the state Game and Fish Department.

"What's interesting about moose is that most landowners don't mind moose because they're basically solitary animals," Kreil said. "They don't run in large herds and they cause very minimal crop damage. It's not like you have a herd of 40 elk in your sunflower field, you have a bull moose or cow and calf.

"They're very adaptable animals and as long as people can tolerate them, they can live most anywhere," Kreil said.

Sue Bradley of Ryder spent time last weekend photographing a bull, cow and two calves when they were southwest of Ryder.

Bradley said the moose have also been in the city of Ryder. "They've been all over," she said.

Elmer Wolff has seen the moose at his place before. He said a cow and calf were standing on his driveway about a month ago.

September through October is rutting season, so the bulls and cows may be seen together, Kreil said.

"It's best to avoid them and give them their space. You should always be cautious of wild animals," he said. "Another caution is don't approach them too closely to spook them to get them to run out in front of traffic or get in places that people don't want them."