Almost got taken out by a moose today!
Moose
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Was on a run here in Alaska today with my dog Hannah. and she was NOT the cause of this....She didn't chase or bark at the mooose! Came to the top of the steepest climb of our run and 50 yards away was a a young bull moose...about 40 inches or so. As soon as he saw me he took off at full speed at me. I had just enough time to grab a stick about the size of a bat and step behind a young cottonwood that was only about 8-9 inches in Diameter.
Moose did not stop with my yelling and hit the tree full speed......and kept pushing trying to get through to me. I was right between the antlers on each side of the tree. Luckily Hannah stayed quiet and just behind me and did not chase. I finally whacked the bull on the side of the face twice with the stick I picked up and it ran off about 50 yards and just stood there staring at us. Then, he slowly wandered up the hill and we were able to continue on the trail to our destination about 1 hour 45 minutes away!
almost needed a little extra TP to clean up after that!
oh man! That is crazy! Cool story thanks!
Know the feeling, brings back many memories of my moose encounters walking my dogs on the Kenai. Got lucky a couple of times, over the years, when caught out in the open too far from trees,they always broke off at the last moment.
As many of you know, I spend a bunch of time out taking photographs or wild animals. From my experiences, moose by far are the most dangerous animals out there, and especially this time of year. But I really don't trust them at anytime.
It can be pretty intense when what happened to Elmer, happens to you and you learn real fast, how fast it can happen. I personally would much rather be taking photos of bears, black or grizzly, from a close distance, than I would a moose.
Here's one that was giving me the evil eye, just this year. He didn't charge, but I knew I had just about reached his limits, and backed off from there.
Glad you made it back safe Elmer. Some of those do have a very bad disposition!
Have a great bow hunt. BB
Elmer, Go back with your bow and shoot that crazy bull!
Awesome story! I ended up on the wrong end of a moose chase a few years ago. The moose was actually chasing someones small dog and I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. They can be pretty aggressive, especially those Anchorage "urban" moose!
Elmer, Glad you came out ok! I about got ran over by the bull I killed last year. He charged from about 50 yards with my arrow in his lungs. He veered off at 5 feet after plowing a tree over. It happened so fast there was no time to get worried:) That kicked in after it was over.
I don't have much experience with moose but I do know enough that both bulls and cows get my respect.
Rick M
BB, I get that same look from my wife once in a while.
We all get that look from our wives....Mike
BB, I will agree with you on the dangerous part. I spent two summers working in Yellowstone. The next dangerous in line is the bison. Bears fall way down the line. We had a bit of a run-in during the archery season. I got the video while me friend, who was standing well behind the bull who was walking away suddenly turned and charged. Missed him by just a couple inches.
I've been doing a 6 mile walk each day and have seen 3 bulls this week. One a 36" bull in a park around the corner from my Anchorage home, another 60"+ bull I watched breed a cow on a corner of green belt, and then yesterday I walked past a 45" bull less than 15 feet away browsing on a mountain ash in a church yard. I gotta start carrying a camera! Last night a cow and calf were in the yard munching the last of my wife's pansy blossoms...
Nick, This happened on the McHugh Creek Trail about 15 miles south of Anchorage.
Carcus, Wish I could go back with my bow, but this area is not open to moose hunting!
I agree with BB. I am much more nervous/scared of moose than I am of bears or any of the other critters up here. Moose are far less predictable than the others!
Fawn's video shows many of the classic signs that a moose has "had enough" and that the humans are too close.
Only someone completely ignorant about animal behavior would have not moved away. The bull gave the dumb people PLENTY of warning before backing up his hints.
Btw, for those of you who consider the rut the most dangerous time to be around moose, I disagree.
In my experience, Springtime, with a cow with a young calf is the worse time to be on the receiving end of moose interactions!
I'd rather fight a grizzly than a cow with a new calf!
Pete
I agree with Pete. Momma and baby moose are bad news! The thing that didn't make sense in the video I shot was the bull was moving away, we weren't approaching and the cow was on the other side of the bull, away from us. I'm not sure what made him turn and charge, but I have seen this behaviour before. The first time just a backing up was all it took to diffuse the bull and the second time another person nearby yelling and jumping up and down stopped a charge. There was a lady killed this past spring here in CO by a cow moose with a calf. The lady had been warned the mooose were there and to not approach. She did and became toe jam for the moose. Unfortunately, because of her "stupid human tricks" not only did she loose her life but so did the moose!