View topic - Moose charges in the summer season

In another thread there was a mention of a moose charging through shallow water towards a canoeist. The moose walked off eventually. A few summers ago I had a similar encounter on a shallow stream with a young bull moose. How often does this happen and why?

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http://www.youtube.com/user/TheNorthwoodsman1

I've had moose running towards me but I would not call it "charging" since it was obvious that once they were aware they were running towards me they stopped, looked, turned and wandered off.



https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/artic ... acts-moose

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"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

Perhaps I'm an anomaly. It went into full charge, but immediately stopped when I called out. A year later, right after the remains of Fort Hall, after the first chute, I was chased around in the water for around 25 minutes or so by a cow. I figured there was a calf nearby, and there was, I later discovered. Another time on the Putahow, shortly before the lake before Nueltin, I startled a moose avoiding the flies by lying in the swampy reeds. I took a corner and it was only a cople of feet awy. It stood up and took a couple of aggressive steps towards me and stopped, watching as I floated by. I had to look up at that one. That one was just startled, though. Still, I've been within a couple of dozen yards of moose many times probably thirtyish times when I was awake, and those were the only three that got aggressive at all. Also there have been several times when I woke up in my tent to discover them walking around my tent investigating, and a few times I didn't wake up, but found hoof marks circling my tent in the morning.

I can't comment about male moose in the fall, but I was feet away from several other moose on the trip I got chased, and I think I figured out what works. Don't make noise to alert them. Don't change anything about what you do. Just look straight ahead and keep paddling consistently. Don't even turn or bob your head. I wouldn't even recommend reaching for a water bottle or anything. Be bland and repetitive or they may spook.

The one that fully charged, I think I was just some mystery unknown danger, and the moment I called out, he immediately changed his tune, realizing what I was. With the one that chased me around the small lake, I think I made a mistake. Her head was underwater, and I did a quick slapslapslap with my paddle to avoid surprising her, probably seventy or eighty yards away. She was immediately aggrssive, and didn't tire or lose focus of me until I made it by. I think I would have been ignored it I had just calmly paddled. I think my making noise made her go into overdrive to protect her calf. I even fired a bear banger, and she might as well have been deaf. My view s that it's very rare, though, despite two moose who were very aggressive, and another one which I randomly startled (which scared the crap out of me, it's antlers were basically right above me.... In reality, I was probably ten feet past when it stood up and stomped a bit, but it felt like it was directly above me...)

The encounter I had started with the moose looking at me from about 300 meters I snapped a few pictures and then looked down to change a camera setting. When I looked up it was coming fast. I yelled and waved my paddle to no effect. As I tried to turn a 17 foot canoe around in a 16 foot stream that had no trees the moose had stopped the charge and walked away into the brush. I assumed it was a cow protecting a calf until I zoomed the pictures and saw small antlers and laid back ears.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/TheNorthwoodsman1

From that distance I'm surprised (she?) even saw you. It may have picked up your scent and was posturing. I think once it got close enough and saw that it was just another one of those damn backcountry campers it left LOL. A blast from an air horn will make them stop on a dime (in most cases) but when they're charging its the last thing we think about.
I always find threads that involve moose interesting. For all the bear insanity thats out there and the OMG it's gonna eat me thru the night if I leave a cracker crumb on the ground, I don't think people fully understand how dangerous these creatures (moose) can be. When I camp in the fall I have my moose radar on full alert.

Whether or not they charge must surely also depend on whether or not they have their wallets with them....

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Steve Boal

Most of the world's political, social, and environmental problems have the same root cause: human overpopulation. By 2050 or so, the world population is expected to reach nine billion.

I was charged by a moose... an angry mama moose. It was spring, though. (technically, early summer)

This was about 8 years ago, so spring/early summer of 2010(ish). It was my annual, need to get out of the city into the woods, May long weekend trip. This was at a private campground, with a long, not well maintained trail around the lake the campground was on. In spring or early summer, that trail is a doozy, as due to changing water levels, you can't necessarily take the marked trail, so you'd better know the terrain.

It was still very early in the morning, I had set out at sunrise. The trail at one point about ⅔ the way through steps out into the edges of a massive marsh. As I stepped out to enjoy the scenery, there was a moose in the marsh, who was very clearly aware of me. I snapped some pictures, loitered for a bit, and headed off.

Almost immediately, I heard what I can only describe as an infant animal wailing. Not a second later, I hear from the swamp... kerslosh-kerthump-kersholsh-KERSWOOSH... the sound of that moose, charging through the swamp at me, with its calf still screaming. I ran for my life, off the trail and not thinking about being lost, I just ran, over fallen trees, over rocks, tumbling and falling all the way. I was pretty sure this moose wanted to kill me.

At this point on the trail, you're on a peninsula, surrounded by swamp and marsh on three sides. On the fourth side was the trail, back towards that moose den. The only way out is back past that moose den, or over a perennial beaver dam - which I was expecting to cross, just not with an angry mama moose at my back. (or I suppose you could brave the marsh on the wet side of the dam, or the swamp on the dry side). I'm extremely aware that a moose has the home field advantage over me in a marsh, and that I'll be sinking to my knees most likely, over the muck of this dam, and that I'll be entirely helpless if she decides to come for me. I can't quite describe what the adrenaline did to me. It was surreal. The only comfort I had was knowing that that mother likely wouldn't leave her calf. It took me several hours to be "normal" again.

The sounds of that moose breaking onto shore and looking for me still resonate. I was afraid of bears before that. Now, I'm afraid of moose.

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

Moose are by far the most dangerous animal in the woods by far, Most charges are due to poor eyesight and once they realize you are a human, they bolt off the side (male moose in fall exempt of course). I am no Moose whisperer, but that is my best guess. I have had some charges and some leisurely walks towards me on the backpacking trails that seemed nothing more than curiosity more than anything. Once we even had a Moose that was not overly aggressive but he was not going to let you past the trail, almost like he was playing security guard, so after 1/2 hr of walking towards him on the trail and having him block us, we took a deep circle around in the bush and he seemed to be satisfied with that and let us be. We never did understand that one.. but it was good for a laugh.
Can't say I have aver felt truly threatened by them and I always stop to watch and enjoy them.

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Outbound2Explore

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit. ~ Edward Abbey

When paddling the Yukon River, locals told us to be more afraid of a moose than of a bear. When a bear takes an interest in you, they are most likely only interested in your food. There are exceptions, of course, especially if cubs are involved. But when a moose takes an interest, its goal is simply to kill you.

A friend of mine was walking along a road not far from her cabin when a moose appeared to block her way, not intending to let her pass. Luckily a car came by about that time and kept the car between her and the moose until my frightened friend could make it back to her cabin.

Been charged by a moose early in May.. The Striped Maple was budding. This is a favorite food for hungry moose early in the season.. I was on a trail about a mile from home in a healthy stand of moose maple but fortunately with some big pines.. The moose was not about to move being fixated on food.. Head down feet apart.. So I moved a hundred feet off trail ( not much had leafed out so this was easy). Again the moose in front of me.. Head lower and feet way out and hair on neck up..
I got a big pine between me and it and backed away so I was to the best of my ability out of sight of the creature.. Then went home ( a fifteen minute walk) to wash the kitchen floor.

You just never know what a moose will do.. They have little traffic sense.. They are not overly endowed with cerebral power and brainworm can make them extremely aggressive.

and from today in Maine

https://www.newscentermaine.com/video/n ... 41c6930cd1