I was paddling up.a 14 feet wide shallow stream through a treeless area in a 17 foot canoe and spotted a moose 400 meters ahead. It was in Atikaki PP in Manitoba in July. I was getting a few pictures when I realized it was running at me. I waved my.big yellow paddle to no effect. I looked for a tree and saw none. I then attempted to get headed the other way. With the moose closing fast at 200 meters I was pinned. Another frantic look back and the moose had turned and was headed for cover. I assumed a cow protecting a calf but the photos showed small antlers in velvet.
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Moose — Stories, Photos, Videos
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A few nights ago I dreamed Sadie and I were on another Canadian canoe trip. We had made camp on a trail and suddenly I saw a cow moose trotting down the trail right towards camp. I grabbed Sadie and we scuttled off into the tall grass and crouched down.
As the moose passed by it stopped and stared in our direction. Hackles were up and ears were pinned back. I didn't know if it actually saw us or not but it sure seemed to think there was something suspicious. It moved on about 50 yards before stopping to look and smell again. It walked off the trail into the grassy area where we were hiding and it was definitely looking for us.
I figured Sadie could probably scare it off so I gave her a little shove and said, "go get it!"
Sadie charged with gusto but instead of running off the moose met her charge and absolutely wrecked her.
While Sadie was getting the beat down of her life I sprinted for cover while the moose was distracted. But the moose saw me and gave chase. What followed was a panicked few minutes as Sadie and I were both trying to flee from the moose and it divided its attention between the two of us. We both survived but not without heavy damage.
Alan
As the moose passed by it stopped and stared in our direction. Hackles were up and ears were pinned back. I didn't know if it actually saw us or not but it sure seemed to think there was something suspicious. It moved on about 50 yards before stopping to look and smell again. It walked off the trail into the grassy area where we were hiding and it was definitely looking for us.
I figured Sadie could probably scare it off so I gave her a little shove and said, "go get it!"
Sadie charged with gusto but instead of running off the moose met her charge and absolutely wrecked her.
While Sadie was getting the beat down of her life I sprinted for cover while the moose was distracted. But the moose saw me and gave chase. What followed was a panicked few minutes as Sadie and I were both trying to flee from the moose and it divided its attention between the two of us. We both survived but not without heavy damage.
Alan
I have encountered them on each backpacking trip to Isle Royale NP. On one trip my brother was determined to get some close in photos but the moose convinced him to hurriedly look for a tree to climb. At a safe distance I thought it looked quite humorous. His camera lying on the ground where it was dropped as a disturbed moose stomped around the tree he had climbed. The camera survived undamaged. Other times we encountered moose we were on the same trail they were and they were definitely coming through so we gave them a generous right-of-way.
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I've only seen them on one trip (5 of them on the Marshall Lake loop) and all but one headed for the bush ASAP. The exception was my closest encounter:
The Kap river, at that point was probably 40-50 meters wide and she was grazing along river right. When she spotted me, she started staring and then took a step toward me. I stood up, waving my paddle, lying to her about having a gun and looking around for an exit (nothing but marsh in any direction). After what seemed like a long time, she walked slowly up onto the bank, turned toward me in belly-high brush and watched intently as I paddled past hugging the opposite bank.
I assume that she had a calf near where she stopped. I certainly wasn't up to looking.
The Kap river, at that point was probably 40-50 meters wide and she was grazing along river right. When she spotted me, she started staring and then took a step toward me. I stood up, waving my paddle, lying to her about having a gun and looking around for an exit (nothing but marsh in any direction). After what seemed like a long time, she walked slowly up onto the bank, turned toward me in belly-high brush and watched intently as I paddled past hugging the opposite bank.
I assume that she had a calf near where she stopped. I certainly wasn't up to looking.
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This was the far more common reaction:
I think I’ve posted this photo before, but I think it fits this topic.
I don’t know the moose’s story, but this is my story. When I first got to Ak I took this photo of a moose in my backyard. When I went to take it I had no idea he was in a state of arousal. That was a surprise, and I’ve been told it’s a rare photo.
The amazing thing is, years later when I was looking through a box of picture frames, I found this one.
I don’t know the moose’s story, but this is my story. When I first got to Ak I took this photo of a moose in my backyard. When I went to take it I had no idea he was in a state of arousal. That was a surprise, and I’ve been told it’s a rare photo.
The amazing thing is, years later when I was looking through a box of picture frames, I found this one.
This was me last year on the St. John at Nine mile.
Several years ago a good friend was killed in Franconia Notch, NH when his car struck a moose.
Several years ago a good friend was killed in Franconia Notch, NH when his car struck a moose.
I've seen them in Maine, New Hampshire, NY (Adks), and Algonquin -- hiking & paddling. Years ago a hike along the Carter range in the Whites was stalled by a cow with calf right by the trail. I tried making noises and moving around, but every time I got too insistent she lowered her head and stared at me, which made me back off fast. Eventually she moved away enough that I could pass around on the other side in the woods. But the longest delay was on the Tim River in Algonquin, unfortunately on a long leg of my trip (I ended up camping short of my planned lake). It was worth it for a dramatic encounter. I was closer than I liked, but backed upstream enough that he didn't seem to mind much. [per Gamma suggestion, here's a link to a Facebook post, which might work, at least by copy & pasting]
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Looks like a cool encounter but I don't think this website supports video directly. You have to post it to a secondary site (like YouTube) and then embed the link. [Edit by Admin: Gamma is correct on both counts.]
edit: nice! I didn't realize (but probably should have) that FB / Instagram shorts would work.
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I have been fortunate to have many sightings of moose in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maine, and New Hampshire through the years. Many of these occurred while tripping with a canoe, but my most interesting ones have been sans canoe.
One of my most memorable encounters was hunting grouse in northern New Hampshire with my springer spaniel. While working a grouse cover, we surprised a large bull during the peak of the rut that stood its ground. My faithful dog defended me by growling and barking while making false charges towards the bull, as I slowly backed away pleading with him to retreat with me. He finally did, but only after the bull raised its guard hairs, pulled its ears back, lowered its head, swayed its massive rack, and began walking at the dog.
I had another unforgettable experience with a cow and her calf while deer hunting. At dawn, while sitting in my tree stand on the opending day of deer season in Massachusetts, a cow and calf burst out of the brush and halted beneath the tree I was perched in, standing motionless to assess the situation. They lingered below me for at least half an hour, constantly twitching their ears, nostrils, and lips to decipher the source of the danger that had startled them. I could hear their every breath as steam from their bodies and exhalations rose toward me in the cold. The air was very still, so they could not smell me. Eventually, they turned and quietly retreated in the direction from which they had come. Observing them at such a close distance for so long was truly unforgettable.
I had an interesting encounter with a young bull moose 10 days ago. After hiking on a cold, windy day at the Quabbin Reservoir and walking toward my car at the trailhead, I thought I heard a moose grunt but assumed my mind was playing tricks on me. However, I heard it again, and when I turned around, I saw a young bull moose softly grunting among the hemlock trees at the edge of the parking lot. As I took pictures and videos of him, he walked over the snowbank into the parking lot and began to walk toward me, so I got into my car. After several minutes, he hadn’t left, so I drove away. I wondered why my presence didn’t spook him. He showed no signs of stress from winter tick or malnourishment. He had recently dropped his antlers, and his pedicles looked healthy. Perhaps he hadn’t caught my scent, or maybe the trekking poles I was using, combined with my bulky tan anorak and large fur hat with ear flaps that covered everything but my eyes, confused him.
Below is a link to my Google photo album of some of my non-professional moose pictures and video, including a viideo of the encounter I described above.
Young bull I encountered 10 days ago after a hike. I spotted him after I heard him softly gruting at me.
One of my most memorable encounters was hunting grouse in northern New Hampshire with my springer spaniel. While working a grouse cover, we surprised a large bull during the peak of the rut that stood its ground. My faithful dog defended me by growling and barking while making false charges towards the bull, as I slowly backed away pleading with him to retreat with me. He finally did, but only after the bull raised its guard hairs, pulled its ears back, lowered its head, swayed its massive rack, and began walking at the dog.
I had another unforgettable experience with a cow and her calf while deer hunting. At dawn, while sitting in my tree stand on the opending day of deer season in Massachusetts, a cow and calf burst out of the brush and halted beneath the tree I was perched in, standing motionless to assess the situation. They lingered below me for at least half an hour, constantly twitching their ears, nostrils, and lips to decipher the source of the danger that had startled them. I could hear their every breath as steam from their bodies and exhalations rose toward me in the cold. The air was very still, so they could not smell me. Eventually, they turned and quietly retreated in the direction from which they had come. Observing them at such a close distance for so long was truly unforgettable.
I had an interesting encounter with a young bull moose 10 days ago. After hiking on a cold, windy day at the Quabbin Reservoir and walking toward my car at the trailhead, I thought I heard a moose grunt but assumed my mind was playing tricks on me. However, I heard it again, and when I turned around, I saw a young bull moose softly grunting among the hemlock trees at the edge of the parking lot. As I took pictures and videos of him, he walked over the snowbank into the parking lot and began to walk toward me, so I got into my car. After several minutes, he hadn’t left, so I drove away. I wondered why my presence didn’t spook him. He showed no signs of stress from winter tick or malnourishment. He had recently dropped his antlers, and his pedicles looked healthy. Perhaps he hadn’t caught my scent, or maybe the trekking poles I was using, combined with my bulky tan anorak and large fur hat with ear flaps that covered everything but my eyes, confused him.
Below is a link to my Google photo album of some of my non-professional moose pictures and video, including a viideo of the encounter I described above.
Young bull I encountered 10 days ago after a hike. I spotted him after I heard him softly gruting at me.
The first moose in "modern times" to appear in the Adirondacks were first seen in Lewis County NY in the early 1970's, almost all the way to Lake Ontario. Lewis County has a very extensive dairy cow industry, (the population of dairy cows is twice that of people) with a local massive Kraft foods plant buying most of the milk produced to manufacture virtually all of the Philadelphia Cream Cheese sold.
Anyway, it was thought that bull moose were traversing The Adirondacks from neighboring Vermont and New Hampshire during the rut, heading with their nose pointed upwind toward the west, looking for "love", until they emerged from the woods into dairy country. It was quite the sight to see a giant moose standing on a hillside, overlooking a dairy herd in the pasture. They would walk right through and destroy barbed wire fences, as if they were nothing more that blackberry brambles. You could almost see the expression on his face thinking: "well they sure do smell good, but something is not quite right here". They were often sighted as such for a few years until the ladies of their dreams started appearing in their more natural habitats in the Adirondacks.
Anyway, it was thought that bull moose were traversing The Adirondacks from neighboring Vermont and New Hampshire during the rut, heading with their nose pointed upwind toward the west, looking for "love", until they emerged from the woods into dairy country. It was quite the sight to see a giant moose standing on a hillside, overlooking a dairy herd in the pasture. They would walk right through and destroy barbed wire fences, as if they were nothing more that blackberry brambles. You could almost see the expression on his face thinking: "well they sure do smell good, but something is not quite right here". They were often sighted as such for a few years until the ladies of their dreams started appearing in their more natural habitats in the Adirondacks.
It sounds far fetched but there is now a herd of around 50 moose in NE Nevada in Elko County. There is a large elk herd there now and the wolved have followed the ungulates. It is exciting to see wildlife species expand their ranges back into their historic zones. Until around 1900 there were no game laws in American, but the people have always owned the rights to hunting. That is very different than the system in Europe where only the over lords were allowed to hunt. American fish and game departments have done a great job for the most part in re-establishing wildlife species.
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