I was quietly drinking my morning coffee on a solo trip a couple days ago, when I heard a moose grunt. It was clearly very close by, perhaps only 40 or 50 yards into the thick brush. I'm leary about moose being that close, particularly in October, so quietly looked around for a nearby tree to climb. There were none, particularly for a 66 year old to climb. I decided to kind of "hide out" in a thick clump of cedars. It seemed like my best option.

The grunting continued on and off for 45 minutes, and I then heard the moose raking the brush with his antlers. Great....a bull. I decided to take a another quick look for a climbing tree. The ground was spongy, and I could move really quietly. I got about 20 yards from my hiding spot in the cedars when the bull started crashing through the brush. At that instant, I was standing behind a lone 6" diameter birch. I remember looking at it thinking, dang, this isn't much of a tree.

After just a second or two, it became apparent that the moose was charging past me, not at me. It barreled by about 30 yards away. It was only then that I heard a moose cow calling off in the distance. After putting my heart back in my chest, I sat down to finish my coffee (cold). Quite the start to my day!

So, what would you have done? I mostly enjoyed the experience, but it definitely was a little scary! Any tips from those of you who have more experience with moose?

Here is what worked for my friend and I on Wednesday.

We cranked up the tunes on our little Bluetooth speaker. Sent the bull crashing through the brush in the opposite direction. We were paddling through Allan lake. The west end is all 3 feet deep. In the canoe, we had no place to hide.

Evidently they don’t enjoy Cypress Hill. Millennial moose.

I think it can be a flip of a coin on whether they decide to charge during rut or not. Depends on how much you act or sound like another moose.
I once hiked into Range Line lake (no canoe for an escape). It was late, and I was letting the fire die down to turn in when a pair of bulls decided to rumble just outside of camp. You'd think the whole forest was coming down by all the noise. I was deciding my options as well. All that I could think of was to build up the fire again and hope that would keep them away. They eventually quit but I was awake for a while listening.
Another time on a bushwhack I was crossing a big bog when a big cow came out of the woods. I was dead center on the bog with nowhere to go. I watched for a calf to come out behind her but luckily there wasn't one. She watched me and I watched her until finally her ears went back in disgust and she turned back into the woods to let me by.
Yet another time while paddling down Moose River I came around a bend and there was a cow and two large calves. Her ears laid back right away so I just sat there and waited. I am fairly convinced that she had her ears back because she was trying to shed the calves. They were certainly old enough to 'leave the nest'. She'd probably already kicked the crap out of them several times trying to get them to leave, but you know how kids can be!

Grab your camera.

airmorse: "Grab your camera."

"And this picture shows how I ended up in the hospital". ;)

I'm not sure what I would have done differently. Would making a lot of loud human noise (shouting, singing, etc) scare off a bull moose in autumn? My only close encounters have been in summer. They have been wary of me.

I usually give them wide berth, especially cows with calves.....and bulls in the Fall. I really gave this scenario some thought a few Falls ago while bushwacking from Garret/Matthew to Tuscarora. I was crossing a bog and came across a fairly fresh worked wallow. I looked around and saw nothing and then thought how long it would take me to run to the tree line through the muddy, humpy mess I was struggling through. I kept a sharp eye out on the second trip through in case a sex crazed Moose showed up. All was good, but it makes you stop and think.
Same trip, I was on the north site on Missing Link for my last night. I got rousted awake at 5 a.m. to loud grunting and roaring from a bull in the very north pocket......just above my campsite. peered out quietly to pea soup thick fog. There was a trail past my tent that lead up to that bay and I did not want him to wander down that trail in the fog, 3 feet past my tent. I just sat and listened and he eventually crossed the north end and went crashing down the west side across the bay from me. Needless to say I didnt get back to sleep so I got up, made coffee and got some neat pictures of the morning fog on the lake.

SourisMan: "

airmorse: "Grab your camera."

"And this picture shows how I ended up in the hospital". ;)"

That was funny.

This is why I always take a tripping partner who is slower than me at running :)

yes in October it could become a bad situation , just dont put your canoe on your shoulders he may think your another bull ;)

airmorse: "Grab your camera."

I would have done exactly that. Everyone knows that you are invincible when you are behind your camera lens--it protects you from all wildlife, right? Spartan1 used to say things like, "Remember, this is a WILD animal." as I was asking him to maneuver the canoe closer and closer to a moose that was enjoying its meal in the shallow part of a lake somewhere.

Behind a camera I am fearless. And stupid. ;-)

My wife is a serious moose lover.... Lives with a camera around her neck. When we go to northern Idaho from Wi to visit our son and his family.....the search intensifies. Last year we did Alaska with the old RV. Yep she gets out and gets close. If it looks like something is up I am ready to do some shouting to divert its attention. This is in August when hormones are not raging. They say they have poor eye sight and staying as motionless as possible behind some cover (which she does) helps as lot. Running and other movement is probably not a great idea. She has a lot a great pictures...I have taken some to Walmart to make prints out of and then frame with homemade rough cedar frames. Someone who lives in moose country year round could give us more realistic advice on encounters with moose. I did read in a newspaper or magazine last summer about 2 ladies walking there dogs out there ( near an airport I believe ) that got banged up pretty good by cow moose for no apparent reason ( unless she had junior needby)

dr bob

Google found the story

Crabby Moose

dr bob

We grabbed our camera when a Moose followed us down a portage to the lake. We were both leary of her but excited to be so close to her. She seemed interested in getting a good look at us also.

If you're quiet and polite they might let you watch dinner.

I guess, unless I felt threatened, I'd just keep an eye out for an available escape route, and continue brewing my coffee, haha. The only moose I've seen were from a distance...like across the lake, or just the back half running up into the trees from shore.

SourisMan: "

airmorse: "Grab your camera."

"And this picture shows how I ended up in the hospital". ;)"

After they find your trampled body, at least your camera will have a photo of the perp!!!! :)

There you go....

dr bob

Riveting story and well told!

On Isle Royale 6 years ago and had mom and a yearling out in the open. Took a few pics from about 40 feet away and then mom started to get antsy and folded her ears back. uh oh. I just stepped off the trail into the tree line and didn't move. She calmed down and later walked past our campsite.

I've had two instances of moose in the fall.

First was years ago on a trail to brook trout spot. It was a snowmobile trail and I was walking in. The trail was wide and about 50 yards ahead suddenly a moose appeared - huge rack. We both stood froze staring at each other. I calmly pulled out my camera an snapped a shot and he left. There were climbable trees within reach and that would have been my plan, should he have charged.

Second was camping in the SNF in late september, had just gone down for the night...it was still early, but it gets dark so fast and out of nowhere it sounded like a train went through the woods right behind the tent. We found moose prints about 10 feet from the tent.