Yelled at a moose last night...

[blackbugger]

..three times, he was in the way.

It was a big bull, huge rack, nice shiny points. He'd obviously been working at it.

He was just inside the park on the Madison off 191.
It's about a 3/4 of a mile hike to the river from the highway into an area they call Beaver Meadows.
I had hiked a couple miles upstream and of course stayed until it was getting darker than I would have liked.
As I got close to where the trail breaks off from the river and heads back to the highway and the safety of the truck I saw a big dark animal thing ahead of me. I immediately thought, "Great, a bear..:icon_roll" then I realized it was a moose and felt a little relief so I hiked closer and he turned to look at me and I realized it was a big bull.

So we stared at each other for a few seconds and I weighed my options which were few. I had to stay on that side of the river (river left) to get to the trail out just a hundred yards or so away. It's all bogs and willows on river left before you get to the trail so bushwacking around him wasn't really an option.
Crossing the river right there wasn't much of an option either. I did have bear spray as a last resort before being skewered.

So I waved my arms and yelled lots of inane things at him. Pretty much informed him of my need to get around him and how he was kind of freaking me out etc.
He just stared at me.

So I yelled at him again, pointed out that I was serious and he really needed to move.
He stared at me some more and then turned and did that slow moose walk/lope down the trail about 10 yards and then went behind a big bunch of willows...right next to the trail.

I knew he was most likely right behind the willows that the trail would go within a few feet of.
I thought NOW what do I do?!??

I waded out into the river as far as I could to try and get the angle to see around the willows as I walked downstream. It was getting dark fast.
I got downstream a ways and sure enough there he is behind the willows staring at me, maybe 20 yards away.

So I stood in the river having a stare down with a big bull moose at twilight during the rutting season. I figured I'd try yelling some more and hope that he wouldn't feel the need to charge instead of moving off the trail.
I also pulled out the bear spray and took off the safety...

Once again he just stared at me and I stood in the river thinking "This sucks.."
I debated trying to cross the river and making my way downstream around the channels that are there and then crossing again and hiking back up.
Also hoping he wouldn't move downstream to the trailhead before I could get there, in the dark...in Yellowstone.

While I'm standing there thinking how much I really don't want to try and cross the river twice in the near dark he slowly turns around and ambles off into the bogs to my left.
I was seriously relieved.

Now all I had to do was hike out in the moonlight and not get eaten by a grizzly.

Many a "HEY BEAR!" was yelled on the way out.

 

[GrtLksMarlin]

The Moose isn't the problem, it's that damn flying squirrel Rocky that bugs me....Bullwinkle is just a dope.

B.E.F.

 

[Rip Tide]

I once walked right up within feet of a big bull moose before spotting him
When he charged, I turned and ran as fast as my feet could carry me, screaming like a little girl
...Worked for me

 

[patrick62]

I got scolded by a heron a couple weeks ago.

 

[fly_guy12955]

Out for my daily walk once,,,I use the Appalachian Trail a lot since I live right at it....and walked upon a **** in a straight section of trail. He stopped, I stopped. There had been a couple reports of rabies in the county recently,,and with what all OTHER disease coons carry,,,I just did not want to go hand to hand with him at all. (Paranoia was playing hard on me by now). So,,,I measure him out,,turn and took off running the other way, hoping I could outdistance his short legs.

After a good 50 yards I look over my shoulder to see if he's gaining on me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and I see him running just as hard as me in the other direction.

I figure he thought 'HUMAN,,,,,,,,,,,omg DISEASE !!!!! and ran.

 

[mcnerney]

Glad that situation turned out ok, this time of year bull moose can be a bit ornery and unpredictable.

 

[ditz]

Gratefully the only moose I need to worry about down here are the white albino midget types. They mostly just go baaaaa and are domesticated.

Moose are not to be messed with and I understand that they will go up the trail and hide and them come up behind you. In years past when we went up to the Boundry waters we always watched for fresh moose droppings. The black bears will generally run away if they can. Moose seem to be less fearful of man

 

[blackbugger]

Wi nøt trei a høliday in Sweden this yër ?

See the løveli lakes

The wøndërful telephøne system

And mäni interesting furry animals

Including the majestik møøse

A Møøse once bit my sister...

No realli! She was Karving her initials øn the møøse with the sharpened end
of an interspace tøøthbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law -an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst Nordfink"...

Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti...




Best opening credits of all time.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SII-jhEd-a0]Monty Python and the Holy Grail Credits - YouTube[/ame]

 

[jds108]

Original Poster - how was the fishing?

 

[Ard]

Glad he moved on for you,

I've had some cows make me worry by approaching me, no bulls. Back in 2005 I blundered right into a cow with a very new calf while fishing a small creek. That scared me real good.

 

[fredaevans]

Glad that situation turned out ok, this time of year bull moose can be a bit ornery and unpredictable.

It's a 'Manly Man' thing :secret: ....... 'Come to me my PRETTY!'

 

[cpiercem]

Glad he moved on for you,

I've had some cows make me worry by approaching me, no bulls. Back in 2005 I blundered right into a cow with a very new calf while fishing a small creek. That scared me real good.

I did the exact same thing. It was a very brushy creek that I was quietly wading up. The mama moose and baby were laying in a small opening in the willows. I came within 15 feet of them before we saw each other. She was not happy....She laid her ears back, gave me the evil eye, and I couldn't go back down the creek fast enough. She followed me for a bit. To this day I am not sure how I managed to get back down that creek in one piece.

I always carry bear spray now. I haven't had to use it but I have had several similar things happen on small brushy creeks. More moose, two dogs, and a bad tempered domestic bull. Don't mess with the "wildlife"!

 

[Flyfisher for men]

It was a big bull, huge rack, nice shiny points. He'd obviously been working at it.

He was just inside the park on the Madison off 191.

In my neck of the woods, this would have been two very large horns and standing just inside the barbed wire. Answers to Beevo.

I have had a couple of unnerving encounters where I wandered into a cattle herd while hiking out from fishing. It's really unnerving when a calf spooks and the herd starts getting antsy.

 

[blackbugger]

Original Poster - how was the fishing?

Good.
The big browns and rainbows are definitely on the move up and out of the lake.

I got on the water a little late and marched upstream so I could walk back down all the runs and throw streamers. I hooked 6-7, landed 4 or 5. They were all big.
Everyone else (and there were quite a few) was nymphing and really working over the water. I'm sure I didn't fish anything that hadn't already been pounded that day so I'd say it was fishing pretty well.
Saw a few other people hook up as well.
Beautiful day all around,

---------- Post added at 09:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:18 PM ----------

For everyone else telling moose stories, I've yet to be charged for all the times I've walked up on a moose without seeing it until I was really close.

I've had the ears going back thing happen a few times and it's always been a big "Uh-oh..." moment but they've never charged, thank god.

I've always heard and read that moose can be extremely dangerous especially during the rut or with a calf but so far they haven't gone after me.

I worked with a guy who, along with a friend, got treed by a big bull and it hung around acting crazy for about an hour before leaving.

I remember reading about a guy who was killed by a bull over by Red Lodge maybe 15-20 years ago.
The way I remember it he got one of those front spikes through his eye into his brain killing him, obviously and sadly.
Ouch...

I still enjoy seeing them. Such cool animals.

 

[JoJer]

I've seen a few moose here and a few bears. Happily, we saw them first. I mostly sweat a surprise meeting with a skunk or a badger or snake. If you get stomped by a moose or bit by a bear or breached by a badger, or slashed by a snake (and survive, of course) you can get lots of help and medical attention, a certain amount of sympathy, depending on your level of culpability, and a cool story (probably an impressive scar or two). You don't get any of that with a skunk strike. NOBODY wants to be your friend.

 

[caseywise]

While growing up in Alaska i ran into a lot of moose related problems.
99% involved a cow and her young. The few times I've encountered bulls
was indeed in rut season and quick but scary.
now getting in between cow moose and her calfs is as, if not more, dangerous
than getting between a sow and her cubs.
be safe everyone

casey

 

[scottyb]

been waiting 13 years to get this shot. Took this last week on my way home from work. I've been able to get a few pics of Moose, but never in this setting!

 

[photoguy]

Great story!

Reminded me of an old girlfriend who's parents honeymooned in a tent in Yellowstone. Evidently they were 'interrupted' by a moose going through the campsite one morning. The newlywed husband got out of the tent buck naked to try and shoo the moose away. Instead, the moose turned toward him and started chasing him, bare naked through the woods until the husband ran into a lake at which point the moose left.

Hearing this old guy who was in his 80's at the time tell this story always gave me a laugh.

 

[darkshadow]

Hmm...never had to yell at a moose before.

I yelled at dog once, who then decided to take a leak on my gear.

 

[longbow42]

Love watching moose. I killed a big bull with my longbow and homemade arrow a few years back. Unbelievable experience. They are magnificent creatures.