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Thread: Moose behavior?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Sep 2015
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    Idaho Falls.
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    Moose behavior?

    So, I think I may have won a small jackpot as far as wildlife spotting in Wooorshington state. At least it feels that way to me. But first let me build a scene for you.

    My Wife an I purchased a small chunk of land outside of the town of Twisp Washington. 3.7 acre of raw land on the Twisp river, last tract on the road, three sides(ish) are National Forest land, it’s fantastic. This story has nothing to do with that land, BUT I was up there this weekend doing a little light clearing. Saturday I had had enough of working and decided to head up to the end of the road to see the sights and what the damage was from the recent wild fire (Cresent Mountain fire if your interested), so down the road we (dog) go. Im roughly (guessing) ten miles out when I come to a barrier across the road, with a sign on it telling of the fire, the closure yadda yadda. Many people clearly had driven around the sign....eh...better not, so, I throw the truck in reverse look to the left and my eyes say “MOOSE”...and my brain says “your a moron, no it isnt, that just an old stump in the dark of the woods”. So I sit for maybe 30 seconds and this dark spot that was so obviously a stump, moves his ear, then turns his head towards me. WHOA. This is only the second time I’ve seen a moose in real life so I’m pretty stoked. Well he finally gets tired of me and putters off. Now he was far enough away from me that I felt like I could hop out and have a looksee to try to catch him at a different angle. So I walk slowly forward of my truck maybe 30’. Then again, my lying eyes say “hey, theres another BIG moose right there” again, clearly a stump or.....Holy cow thats another Moose! This time being a BIG cow with a calf in tow. ****! I briskly and quietly as possible hustled back to the safety of my truck as I didnt want to test her patience of me while her calf was around.

    Wow.

    Probably just another day for you Canadians etc but what a sight!

    So this story brings about a question in my mind. The proximity of the bull seens oddly close to a cow with a still very dependant calf. Is this in fact odd? Was the bull after the cow for mating attempts? Or perhaps he was the cow earlier rearing?

  2. #2
    Boolit Mold
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    Sep 2017
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    Ontario, canada
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    I have seen lots of cow-calves but never with a bull around.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
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    I lived in Alaska for 22 years, and had a lot of interactions with moose, it is not too uncommon to see cows with calves and a bull hanging around, one explanation is that the cow was his mother. Moose are really neat animals, there are examples of them being domesticated, there was a farmer in Delta, AK that had a pair he used as a team to do some work around the farm ,, some log skidding, that sort of thing.

    I have a small population of moose here in NE Oregon, but have only got one on my trail cameras so far.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    Feb 2010
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    Woodbury, Tn
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    Moose are more dangerous than bear. Moose are as unpredictable as bear. As you noted momma’s are protective. Those moose may have been forced into your area due to the fire destroying their usual habitat. Glad you had the interaction, they are COOL creatures. In the winter time, Anchorage, Ak is a large moose pasture!
    Luvtn

  5. #5
    USMC 77, USRA 79


    Markopolo's Avatar
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    Jul 2017
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    i have had a moose nearly destroy a vehicle i was in, and it was not by being Hit by the said vehicle, it literally kicked holes in the panneling of metal of the door and side of a mini van I was in. they kick and stomp from the rear, and from the front. i have been attacked multiple times here in Alaska by those purty little moose. I was once trapped for 3 hours in a low tree by a forky young bull with an attitude at my own house less then 50 feet from my front door. i have had my dog bring a pissy one right to me in Hot pursuit. i am not all that scared of bears, just a healthy respect. but a adult moose, i am a bit scared of unless I am packing a short barreled pump shotgun, buckshot, slug, buckshot, slug, Buckshot!

    as Luvtn stated, Moose are far more dangerous then any bear at ANY time of the year. i never get within thier circle of what they consider thiers. and that circle varys day to day. only moose I trust is one that has been through my meat grinder... i have had bears false charge me a couple times, but I have never seen a moose FALSE charge anything. when they come, they come for blood and if you go down, your done.

    another problem is, moose are tolerated in citys and rural environments here in Alaska, where bears are not. moose become habituated to being in town, and that is why there are far more deaths due to moose then any other animal here. while they are a member of the deer family, they are not timid little deer. they stomp to death folks every single year. some are over 1000 lbs. a bull has spears on his head he knows how to use, and hooves that can fend off or even kill a Brown bear.

    Heed my advise. keep clear. you might get away with it, and you might not.

    marko
    Last edited by Markopolo; 07-13-2019 at 12:56 PM.
    Any technology not understood, can seem like Magic!!!

    I will love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind.

  6. #6
    Banned
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    I don't think there is moose in AZ

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
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    One evening on the outskirts of Anchorage, there was a cow with a calf hanging around a busy road during the evening rush. I pulled up next to her with my patrol car and gave her a short blast from the siren, this had almost no effect, I got out and yelled and waved my arms at her, a which point she charged me. Back in my car I went through my brief case and dug out a M-80. I lit the fuse and threw it at her, when it went off, she seemed pretty unconcerned, but when the wind shifted and she smelled the smoke she gathered up her calf and headed back into the brush.

  8. #8
    Banned
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    i was once hunting with several native americans on the n.dak canadian border. we woke up a huge bull moose. not the season for him. we all scattered. he looked like a work horse with horns. he walked off and left us alone. way too big to mess with or stick around. he walked off into canada.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master


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    Oct 2009
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    NH
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    Moose in NH are nuts! Keep away from cows with calves they will stomp you in a second.
    Big bulls in rut you cannot trust as the are rut crazed and again will stomp on you.

    However some moose like a smaller bull is docile, I have been followed multiple time by one when hunting deer. They stop when you do and think they are hiding behind a 2 inch birch tree. Here's one taken at 6 feet with a 35/270 mm zoom lens.Attachment 271022

    And I was very nervous at the time.

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