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I was rifle hunting this year; in fact I took my first rifle elk this year. This particular event took place as I hunted for deer with my first ever deer tag in WY.

I spent all summer trying to decide where to use my region "H" deer tag. I planned to try to hunt deer and scout for elk for a future general elk tag.

I finally decided on an area, after changing my mind many times. My first goal was to be remote and alone. I want to hunt hard and high so I tried to keep my pack weight low. For this reason I took less food, and less gear, the weather was good so this was going to be my first hunt with a bivy sack.

At this point I want to say, I have no reason to make this story up or embellish, and I have not. If you read further you understand I am spilling my guts as to what happened. I normally take the high road when attacked or insulted but given the events that transpired I am not in the best mood towards those who fill the need to debate my choices, attack me or make ANY SARACASTIC COMMENTS AT ALL. This means you. There is 1 person in particular I am expecting some BS response with a bunch of ........ please do not read further.

If you feel you cannot read this story and, regardless of what you read refrain from a rude comment then stop now.

I debated sending this story in to several magazines but, frankly I doubt they would believe me, and either way, I have been fortunate and I really do not need $200 in gear so decided to not try and share my story, with you, telling it as best I can remember.

Enough bs.

I arrived at the TH (trailhead) at 8AM Friday morning 9/25/09. Happily I was nearly alone. Rifle deer season was in full swing and rifle elk opened the very next morning (Saturday) I expected to encounter tons of elk hunters heading in with camp.

I hikes a long ways, it was down a trail but I learned that, although I was in great shape overall, dropping the hikes with heavy packs paid a toll, my legs were not as ready as I wanted. I hiked, hard, from about 9:30 until 3:00. At this point I was about 4-5 miles in, and 2,000 feet above my truck. Not bad but I had 1,500 feet to go - but only 1 mile. Short but steep! I was traveling up a steep drainage, and since I had left the bottom there had been exactly 0 water. My legs were beat and I dropped my pack my a landmark (I always try to pick a major landmark so I can find camp in almost any situation). There was a spot 15 feet away that I could spend some time to dig the dirt to "level" enough to spend 1 night. I wanted to hunt that evening and had a long climb ahead.

My plan was to drop my pack, continue on with my daypack and look for water while heading up to glass. I was beat. I walked exactly 20 steps (with one leg) before I was beat. Break. 20 more steps. It took my 2 hours to get high enough to really "hunt" which meant glass what turned out to be cover upwind of me.

The good news was I found water 500 feet higher then my main pack. Not at the "top" but only 500 feet below my ideal camp location. I glassed a little draw downwind and saw zip so I decided to glass while heading back down. I found some mulie does, and scoped them out (literally) and then turned to see two moose about 500-700 yards out. A bull! Neat! Cow was clearly in heat, or very very close - the bull was right behind her and my 8x binos did not show but I was sure he was lip curling and 3-4 times I thought he would mount her. A quick turn of the head revealed mountain goats in the shale in front of me.

Sweet, with a turn of my head I could see moose, mnt goats or mule deer. As a buddy said "You are not going to see that in Ohio!".

I got 1 liter more water and dropped into where my pack was. I have never been so tired in my life. I had to FORCE myself to eat my mnt house (which I Love).

I always take 2 Tylenol PM in each day’s food. I take them after eating - about 1-2 hours later I sleep well, for a few hours at least. I had eaten and taken them and was laying WIDE awake in my sleeping bag in my bivy sack looking up at the sky and watching planes fly over. I like to think about the people in the cabin (I do the same when flying). You think a cheap seat in plain is not "comfy" try bivy hunting! Ha! I thanked god for being able to lay there and see the stars, miss my kids, and know I was alone in a great place.

My only mistake was I did not camp tucked into cover as I normally do. The reason is, imagine a herd of elk stumbling into your camp at 3am. One winds you and they panic and run. Right over you in your 1 man tent. Ouch.

There was no where near my main pack to camp in the trees. I am sure 1/4 mile away there was but I was BEAT and not moving camp in the dark. I feel this (camping in the open) was my only mistake, AND 50% bivy hunters do not even bother to do this.

You get the drift.........

This was my first rifle bivy, skies were clear and no rain forecasted for days so I, literally at the last second, set my rifle right next to me. Also, I my rifle magazine was in need of adjustment and would not load shells, thus I had a live round in the chamber. IMO (in my opinion) not a good idea but I had no choice. Setting a rifle next to you, in the dark, with ammo somewhere else in hopes of "loading it": if needed, in the dark seemed pointless.

This likely saved my life.

I was at the very edge of griz country and I dispose of all unused food/garbage by putting it back into my Ziploc bag to cut down on scent. Black bears are hunted hard hear and I even debated getting a tag.

As I laid awake looking at the stars and (literally) thanking God I am able to be hear at all I hear smaller animals scamper by. No worries, I hear this a lot, scary when you are right on the ground but alone, at night, in the noisy dry woods a chipmunk sounds like a Trex.

About 45 minutes after lying down I hear a large animal walking close by. To close. For a loan city boy!

I yell something like, go away! It never ceases to amaze me how you have to "debate" what to yell at threatening animals in the wilds.

I hear pounding "hooves" I say hooves because I assumed it was a mulie doe I spotted 1/4 mile away uphill. It clearly was something bigger because I clearly heard it bound off.

About 1-2 minutes later I again hear something large close by. I twist around in my sleeping bag/bivy sac (it was still warm out so I am not "bundled"). I clearly see what I think is a bear broadside at 15-20 feet. Not a big deal, I know darn well as soon as it hears a human voice it will run. I look at it and yell "go away". No response. Nothing. NOW I get a little nervous. WOW I think, I slightly aggressive bear, I guess mnt house lasagna smell pretty good.

At this point I am not 100% sure of what happened exactly when so I will write what I am sure of or by best guess.

I got a little nervous and (I think) picked up my rifle. I got "taller" into kneeling position and turned to directly face the "bear". I yelled LOUND AND DEEPLY

GO AWAY!

With authority and LOUD.

Nothing.

Realize at this point I mearly heard footsteps and turned to see "something" broadside a 15-20 feet. I never saw it move. It is well after dark and the moon is out, a ridge blocks the moon from my valley but my night vision is good and I can see ok.

There is a loooooong pause as I call myself a pusssy for being scared of a dark "shadow" that I am now sure is some bushes I did not notice before.

Then it charges.

Let me be crystal clear here. The large black object I saw above me at 15-20 feet charges ME. Nor runs towards me, not scampers a few feet. IT FREAKIN barrels downhill right at me. After repeating to myself about 100 times "this does not happen" I am still trying to access the situation. I am quickly being forced to shoot. I do not like this.

Forget self protection, fear etc. I DO NOT want to fire a high powered rifle at a dark figured bearing down on me.

Even as I type this I lean over the key board and get emotional. This is tough.

This 1 second is burned into my brain like seeing my wife for the first time and watching my kids be born.

I am VERY unhappy that I am being forced into a situation where I am going to possibly have to shoot my rifle into the night at "something".

As it bears down on me I desperately search for answers. Answers that never come. What is it? Should I shoot? I have only 1 bullet, when? Why? What the FUYFHUFBUIUSANOAIHFIUAHIGIG is going on?

Above all I do NOT want to shoot. I do not have enough information to shoot my rifle in the dark. My brain is desperately trying to sort out this situation. There is no way I am going to have to shoot, at this black thing, in the dark? Or am I?

As it closes to 5 feet I get a weird flash, literally I think "What if this is some local joker trying to "scare me" and I am about to kill him???? In my mind I see my gun going off and a guy with his arms outstretched saying booo.

Not likely.

When it reaches what I think is 5 feet I squeeze (ok YANK) the trigger.

Believe it or not but I have had to pause, a lot, just to type this. In my mind it is crystal clear what happened.

As my gun goes off there is a very very fast flash, like a camera but not as bright and much faster. I remember thinking back that I never though a gunshot could produce enough light too see ANYTHING.

It does.

As the gun goes of I CLREALY see the head of shiras moose, at FULL CHARGE at 5 feet. At the shot it veers off and runs by at 3 feet. At some point I thrown myself back (I know only because I crushed my next day’s bag of food). I see the black object hurling downhill, just past me and hear hoof beats for a couple seconds.

I am stunned.

I repeated to myself dozens of times "That did not just Fin happen" over and over.

At this point I have been very longwinded - and emotional - although you cannot see it.

In summary in figured out what happened that night and confirmed it with tracks in the morning.

This first things to bound away was the cow moose. The second things I "shot" was the bull, who by UNREAL coincidence, popped about mere feet away so see this TINY dumb moron from Ohio yelling at him - with his true love on the other side of me, and having the uphill advantage he decide I was WAY TO FREAKIN SMALL to interrupt his x rated plan.

I found his tracks and eventually found 3 drops of dark blood about 40 yards away, funny because up until that point I wondered if it really happened. I had to check my gun to be sure is was fired! I thought maybe I imagined it!

I had to know if I really held off as long as I could. I followed his tracks on my hands and knees until I found hair EXACTLY the length of my rifle from my sleeping pad, his next bound also was clear and had a tiny bit of hair, he passed my sleeping pad at under 2-1/2 feet.

The image of him at full charge as my gun fired, is forever burned into my brain. I ended my deer hunt and hiked out Saturday and went through great pains to report it. This was tough since I LIVE for my western hunts and I know, if convicted likely they are done, for 10 years, every where.

I will go into more details later about what happened after. This story is 100% true to the best I can recall. I am NOT to proud to admit that, the next day, hiking out I thought about my wife and kids and broke down crying realizing I likely almost never saw them again.

I am very likely to be able to tell you this story. Thank You God, thank you Brandie (my wife) and thank you Brooke and Bree (my 2 girls) I love you more then you will ever know and am lucky to be able to hold you again.

Your friend Don.

PS My kids can already say "BAD MOOSE"

You did what you did from the heart. Whatever happens after that is pretty much out of your control. It took the right heart to go out and report it. It took some stones for you to come on here and tell it.

Anyone who would judge you for your choice should probably look in the mirror and ask what they would have done.

glad you are ok.

That was a situation. I've read moose kill more people than bears do, not sure of that but it's what I've heard. Makes em dangerous in my book. Bear, moose, Joker, whatever, it should have heeded a warning. The mountains never have been and never will be any place for screwing around. Life and death goes on up there.

Glad you're OK. Hanging on here for 'the rest of the story".

Wow.

I spend a lot of time out doors and although I really haven't spent a great deal of time in griz country, I have in black bear country and I have had some very close encounters with bears, and although I have a tremendous amount of respect for them, I do not fear them.

I can't say the same thing about moose. My closet calls in the wilds have always come from moose, both bulls and cows.

Many years ago a buddy and I stopped to talk with a Wyoming Game and Fish biologist at the Dubois fish hatchery. We were trying to find a good place to hunt elk and during our talk he related to us about a fisherman being killed that year, by a cow moose, while fishing on Wiggins Fork. He said the cow stomped him into the ground and only his clothes held him together.

So moose at times can be very dangerous. I personally fear them more than any animal that roam the mountains in which I hunt.

Here's a picture of a bull moose that charged me several years ago when I moved in too close to take his photo. I turned to run as he charged me from less than 15 yards, but slipped and fell in the wet snow and by the grace of God he stopped just 2 or 3 yards from me. You can bet that was the last photo I took of that bull. Had he done to me, what the moose did to you, he would have had me.

A man never has to apologize for defending himself, his family or his friends!!! That is a pretty simple fundamental right, be it a moose,bear or a man.

I am glad you are okay and hope you have many more great bowhunts. BB

I have a very healthy respect for moose.

TO hit a moose in the body at 4 feet would have required me aiming up at 45 degrees. While I was to busy soiling myself to be sure, I am fairly sure I was aiming at most 2 feet of the ground.

Funny - for 1-2 days I did not care one bit if the moose died, it is one thing to surpise a mom griz and and get between her and her cubs it is quite another to yell TWICE at a moose and still get charged. However after a few days to calm down (which I am still doing) I hope the moose is ok and wish him no harm unless he pulls that stunt again. Let someone lucky enough to pull a tag shoot him, not someone who would much rather be at home snuggling with his wife then getting charged.

I was very very worried about reporting it, short of the obvious that had I done something wrong why would I report it there was not a lot going for me unless one went to the sight. There it was obvious that unless I had planned one heck of a stunt AND luckily got the moose to pass by within 3 feet of the only flat spot to lay down, I was telling the truth.

The warden went over the story with me twice, and I gave him the exact location, there was a landmark that you could find in the dark with a lighter, and GPS coordinates. He said he might go back in and check it out. He was worried about a moose being wasted. I am willing to get if that moose does/did die it was not anywhere where we were going to find it.

And like I told him, I was NOT going to into the bush (thikc willows) alone after a wounded bull that charged me once already, with a .280 (not bull stopping stuff) that only held one the chamber. With a sleep deprived wide eyed guy at the trigger.

My guess is I grazed his leg.

There is little doubt in my mind pulling the trigger saved me. It was very clear at the time the shot caused the moose to angle and just miss me. The noise, buller, flash, who knows and, I do not care - it worked.

At one point I actually checked to see if I soiled myself. I kept thinking I dreamed it and wondered if I was really half asleep or suffering from dehydration.

I had on a white tshirt and was in a black bivy sack. I wonder if I looked like a moose with his head down (palms) willing to fight for the cow and a buddy said maybe I looked like a blcak bear (white 'v' on chest).

Who knows.

I had a PLB and had I survived the intitial blunt tramma of getting hit head on in the chest by a full charge, downhill, bull moose I still doubt I would have made it out alive. I remember looking at my watch and thinking I had something like 10 hours to go before daylight. 10 hours to imagine every twig snapping was another bull hot on the trail of the cow moose.

I do plan to call the warden to see if he checked it out or ever heard anything, which I doubt he will. It was a good hike in but on a small trail so someone might stubmle on something. I was also worried about some other hunter getting charged, but what are the odds.

I know moose are the most dangerous, especially during the rut but getting charged at night enver occured to me.

I really did not think I would make my bivy elk hunt (fear) but I did and even had tons of moose pooh around my tent and saw moose 1/4 mile away every day! aarrgghh.

I know this will not happen again but I am still looking over my shoulder much more nowadays. Heck that night I was scared sleeping in the back of my truck down by the road near a ranch!

I have the empty bullet to remind me to always be prepared, be careful, and each day with my kids is truely a gift from God I almost did not get.

Read the book "One With the Wilderness" by Mike Mitten. One of his hunting partners barely survived a moose attack in Alaska. It is a fantastic story.

having been in a few truly life -death wilderness situations u rely on all skills and judgment. good job and now relaxe about it.

best wishes. fisher

I'm glad your ok! You'll never forget this incident.

In 2000 I was hunting moose in Wyoming and met a older gentleman from AZ who was also hunting moose by himself. Well I got my moose and was elk hunting about 4 miles from his camp and on my way back one night stop by to check on him. He was all exicted and stated he shot a big bull moose but couldn't find it. I told him I'd come back in the morning and help him look for it. We froded a river and went back in about three miles to the spot where he shot the moose. He told me the moose ran to the north but it was pretty open. I asked him where the first blood was at and he showed me. You could see the animal racks and he went south not north. I tracked it about 400yds and found a bed with a little blood next to a small pond. I went around a conifer tree and I was eye to eye (10ft) with his bull that was still alive. It saw me and got up and charged I dropped my bow and ran like my life depended on it, which it did. The bull was right on me but I jumped behind a tree and thank goodness he went by. The guy from AZ and myself laughed a couple minutes later, but it wasn't funny at the time (To bad we didn't have a video camera). He'd only hit the moose in one lung. We waited about 15 minutes since I figured the moose would lay down again since he wasn't feeling to good. We went about 100yds and I spotted him bedded. The guy from AZ snuck in and put a killing shot in both lungs.

I had a buddy who shot his Utah moose out by Flaming Gorge a couple of years ago and had another bull that would charge us every time we chopped on the downed critter to quarter it. I guess that chopping sounded like horns clacking together or something. We were right next to a dead tree that had tipped over recently and made a big hole by the root ball that we would dive into before he would whiz by. One of the craziest nights I've ever had in the woods. We finally got part of his bull out to the trailhead at 2:30am with his horses.

I have to ask one question though Don. Where was your headlamp and flashlight? I have two of each in my day pack for those just in case situations so I can always see out there to 20 yards or more no matter where I am from my bivy camp.

Glad to hear you're safe and sound. You'll have to get back on that horse as soon as you can. All the best stories are from the epic adventures. As I always like to say, "fondly remembered, but not so fondly done" Hehehehehehehehehe!!!

Cheers, Pete

My headlamp, hhmmm that was another error. I was so beat I dropped my daypack well uphill hunting that night (to save carrying it back up the next AM along with my camp) and forgot to grab flashlite and/or headlamp out of it. This left me with only my backup mini light.

KK

Though not quite as close, I did come within about 5' of getting trampled and gored by a full grown bison bull on my elk hunt this year. Barely beat him into the timber or it would have been ugly. I can relate to that "I almost just got killed" feeling!

Stay well!!

Sam where were you?

One thing I have been debating is if a light would help. Another warden realated a story like mine, dark guy rounds a bend face to face with a moose, he yells several times and waves him arms, moose charges he kills it in self defense.

I suspect I will use my bivy again much later, but I do think being in a tent would have prevented it. For 2 pounds more tents are looking better and better.

Jake told me a story about his bison. He said after he shot it it looked for him. Yikes.

What would it have done if you had laid there and not moved or made any sound? Would it have charged anyway or was it charging the movement or sound? I've never seen one in person so I know nothing about them except everyone says they are good eating.

Glad you're OK, Rob

I'm a really glad you are OK. I'm no expert on moose, but I once accidentally found myself between a hidden leering bull and his cow in September while backpacking on Isle Royale. That was creepy. What you just went through, on the other hand was CRAZY.

The way I hear it, Moose kill more canoeists each year in Canada than water does. Given those facts and you going out of your way to rat on yourself, I suspect that you'll be keeping your hunting license. If for some reason you don't..... well, bro, you are in good company. The only difference between you and the most other hunters (myself included) is that the rest of us wouldn't have waited quite so long before defending ourselves.... ;-)

I think Don did the right thing,,, all I would have done differently was,,,, shoot sooner,,, and then not told anyone - then again, Don is more honorable than I.

I imagine your first night solo out in the woods next time is going to be a little rough. You're going to need to have a little stronger sleeping pill!

Seriously I did get scared dozens of times from my tummy growling.

As for shooting sooner, frankily it makes me seem "brave" but realistically I think the only reason I made it last second was 1. I had exactly one and only one shot and B. it happened so fast I really only likely paused long engouh to shoot :)

I did spend the time as I said crawling until I found hair because I really never believed I waited that long. Maybe I forgot pulling the trigger 14x only to realize the safety was on the flicked safety and shot!

I spent the whole way out and then a couple hours calling friends to see what they thought I should do (report it?).

Evidence there made it very hard to argue I was honest, unless I got two moose to run by the only flat spot around to sleep (amazing coincidence) after one was shot (or as one was shot). Anyone with any brain would look at evidence and never try to charge me. It was still very tough and even after making the calls and waiting to hear back I wished I had not. It was Saturday and offices were closed, I called tons of people and finally a warden elsewhere I had a home number to spent a great deal of his time getting me to the right person. He was a big help.

You'll get your moose revenge when your moose points pay off in the coming years.

Kirby

I believe every word of your story. At age 10 in 1952 I think went to yellowstone with family and had a lecture from older park ranger. He told us the usual do not feed bears and added in all his yrs the only time he ever had to climb trees was cow moose.

I was scouting for shiras with my son in law 5 yrs ago as he drew a once in lifetime tag. in wa. I was armed only with a sweadish army knife that lacked a blade for moose.

Ihiked a couple miles in behind a closed gate gruntin into likely places. Coming back into wind increased volume as was going into wind,came around sharp corner and a bull was standing in opening on my right.

He was broud side at about 20 yds sraring at me. In my younger yrs. had taken a couple bulls in bc. After watching each other and wondering what he was thinking decided to scare em off.

Dont wave your arms and yell!, as he profiled and aproached me at a walk. It was steep on both sides of road with no trees. He walked me backwards 5o ft. at a time and would stop this seemed to go on forever as I tryed to reason with him.

I finaly decided during one of these short breaks to take backpack off unzip side pouch ,get camera and flash him to see if that would work. I was reaching in for cam when heard cruching on gravel. Felt for rock as looked up to see him coming. with rock in hand started the game again... As he walked OVER my pack he stoped put his nose up and caught enough of my scent to whirl and leave.

Let Jim Shokey wave canoe paddles, this is not a good way to check out your heart.

Milt

I can relate too. Here is what happened to me a few weeks ago. I only had a bow and a can of pepper spray.

This happened while attempting to hunt a bear bait in Idaho

I set my bow and bait pail down then walk over about 5 yards to start putting my stand up.

Suddenly I hear brush breaking coming at me like a freight train. I look through the brush and see a bull moose charging in, grunting the entire time.

At 20 yards I yell at him. He turns off at a 45 degree angle.

So I think he is gone and proceed to put my stand up. After the stand was up I need to put new bait out and get my bow. I leave my bow laying where it was while I put the bait out.

Suddenly the train is on his way back in. I put a tree between us and pull my pepper spray. At 20 yards I yell again, he doesn't care this time.

He keeps coming. At 15 feet, I yell again thinking to myself if he does not stop I am spraying him. (I have no idea if it will work on a moose or not)Luckly he stops and stares at me. Finally he walks off and almost steps on my backpack. He hesitates as he passes my bow and smells it. Literally his nose is touching my bow.

Finally he is gone. So I go pick my bow up, hang it on the string and put my pack on. Suddenly the train is coming back and this time he looks mad.

Up the tree I climb as fast as I could. At 5 ft he turned off and left for good. I was 10-12 feet up the tree. :)

He was DOWN wind almost the entire time.

You could have let this incident die with the echo from the shot, and likely no one would have been the wiser.

Someone taught me a very important lesson recently.

It is much easier to defend your actions and what you did in the situation, versus your inaction and what you should have done.

Kudos to you for taking the high road. Glad your back to tell your story.

A feller on another site hit a bull...went in to get him and the bull charged at 10 yards. He was ready with a rifle and dropped him... I've also had bulls and cows run me around a bit...usually provoked as Im trying to call and photo them... MUST be careful...

Glad you are OK Don... you did nothing wrong!

I'm glad you're okay!

Anyhow, I'm glad God was on your side this time. I'm sure nothing will ever come of it as far as the law is concerned. You have a right to protect yourself and honestly, your story is plenty believeable.

Not sure what to do next time?

Close range, spot a moose while hiking. Bull, rut, obvisouly staring at you. Excluding climbing trees etc. Stay still? Yell? Yelling still seems good although I am thinking not loud deep yells (mistake for a bull moose sound)?

Maybe the high piercing little girl screams. Likely to come naturally in such a situation anyway:)

Waing arms so far appears out, maybe they mistake them for palms? I have seen guys with paddles etc challenging moose. Looked dumb at the time. Looks 100x times dumber now. Can I take life insurance out on them with me as the beneficiary? Seems like a good investment.

I am starting to think to avoid moose charge just act meek and back away? No waiving, puffing up, yelling?

I realize this likely will never ever happen to me again but I still need a mental plan to comfort me. I did hunt in and saw many more moose in my elk area, and was ok, in that I hunted and packed in. Was not happy with tons of moose droppings in my cmap location. Including lots of droppings inside my vestibule. I know likely I will never ever have a problem again.

I think I will carry bear spray with me while bowhunting. Pain but piece of mind.

I hope that you don't catch any flack for "poaching", I've heard some stories that would make me hesitate turning in any self defense shootings for the fear of having my license yanked.

You did the right thing by far. What would have happened if you would have hesitated in shooting and been trampled? You have a wife and kids to think about.

The comment you made about "being a pussy" is way unwarrented. The first time I bivyed out, was not on a hunting trip but a scouting/gold prospecting trip. I spent the night 100 "vertical" feet above a large Huckleberry patch on a very steep mountain face, because like you, I was dead beat tired and it was the only "flat" spot I could find.

Well, since it was Grizz country I was on pins and needles for the first few hours of the night. I'm embarrassed to say that after waking up several times with my heart in my throat and hearing "something", I finally lost my nerve......unzipped my tent, stuck my pistol outside and capped off two or three shots while yelling at the top of my lungs "leave me alone!!!"

About 30 minutes later, after I realized that I was being completely irrational and stupid, somehow got back to sleep.......only to be woken up by a curious/freaked out mule deer who didn't like my tent and finally charged! I think this was the longest and most nerve wracking night of my life, but they've all gotten progressively better since then. And no, I do not shoot from my tent, in the dead of the night anymore!

Sorry for the long winded hi-jack, I'm just glad you are ok. You should submit this story because it is a good one that someone can possibly learn from. Good luck on your future adventures!

Last Wednesday I walked by the area 2 times in the dark. He was on my mind.

The only critters that have ever chased me were a small bull moose and a cow moose.

Go hug them girls again Don.

'draw

For the record, I would have soiled myself!

Dude, I'm glad you're okay, but if there is any advice I can offer it is this; "sleep easy"

You've been tested, you're a man of action. If a situation arises that CAN be handled, you will handle it.

To simulatneously puke and crap your pants afterwards is just part of being mortal :)

One thing to consider is getting a an electric fence from High Country Enterprises in Alaska. I have the backpacker model and it has detered several invasion attempts by night time visitors. It wouldn't stop a charging moose, but it if he stopped to sniff it he would most likely run the other way.

An interesting side note to this is that these were tested against Grizzly bears using dead moose as 'bait' then putting the fence around it. For me hearing that little click, click, click during the night gives me peace of mind.

Here is the link:http://www.electrobearguard.com/

Again, Glad you're OK.

J@ckrabbit

Certainly glad you're OK.

My guess is he is fine.

Better to be tried by 12 than carried by six....you did what you had to do. You did the right thing....period.

Yup. Ten years ago....

I'd like to hear Lou's moose encounter story! I've seen it referenced many times, but have yet to hear the actual story................................

Charged by a moose......well that explains why you were camping in the back of that small rental hatchback in AZ back in 2013! It didn't look very comfortable.....but makes sense now.....

Stay hungry

Exciting read

G