Moose encounter

Had a pretty darn interesting hike yesterday. I planned on doing Percival, hiking across the ridge, and descending after tagging Morgan. I didnt have any company on the trails. The only person I saw was a man and his dog at the Percival trailhead and they started their hike after I did.

It was a nice, pleasant, but uneventful trek as I came down off Percival and started walking the ridge towards Morgan when suddenly I heard this great commotion coming up from downhill and just a bit in front of me. I turned my head and immediately saw this very large bull moose bushwacking up the side of the mountain, shaking his head violently from side to side, clearing out the brush with his antlers. And he was really working hard too; grunting and snorting, huffing and puffing. It was a very intimidating sight.

For some reason, the first thought that popped into my head was "rut season", and not knowing how picky a horny bull moose is, I turned tail and ran away like a fat Barney Fife.

I stopped when I was 50 feet away and listened to him tear up the shrubs for lunch as he summitted the ridge. I had no idea what to do. I clacked my poles a few times but he paid no attention. I knew that the man and dog I had met at the trailhead had to be right behind me and I was afraid of what might happen if the dog ran ahead and started barking at the moose.

But there was no way I was turning around. I kept inching forward until I was about 20 feet from the beast and peered at him thru behind a thicket of shrubs and trees as he tore up a patch of long grass and shrubs for lunch. I knelt there for what seemed like a half-hour and saw him become less fearsome to me, as the big lug stuffed his face like Homer Simpson at a smorgesbord.

I was reminded that nature just happens. You never know where or when you're going to see something spectacular, even on the most unspectacular of hikes. And I was reminded why I keep going back.


bob

dentonfabrics said:

I stopped when I was 50 feet away and listened to him tear up the shrubs for lunch as he summitted the ridge. I had no idea what to do. I clacked my poles a few times but he paid no attention.

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Interesting story and an enviable encounter. I'm thinking you might want to be careful about clacking your poles together. I don't know about moose, but deer hunters will rattle antlers together. The clacking sound is supposed to attract big bucks during the rut looking for a fight.

I'm guessing that he might have been scraping the last of the velvet off.

About the only time a bull is a real serious threat is during the rut, or if he's crowded in a tight spot, so your caution was appropriate. It's a little early for the hormones to be ruling him, but he might be feeling some early urges.

SUNY has a great "Moose" page with some info specific to the Adirondacks.

Its that time, they are getting ready for the rut. I am doing a bushwhack in a few weeks and I am expecting something to at least happen. Just dont forget that a rutting moose is very dangerous. Even though I had a very dangerous encounter, I still hike during rutting season, caus it is a beautiful time of year. If you want to see my moose, check out the pics on my website. It was about 5-7 feet away and charging me..-Mattl
http://www.geocities.com/mattlacroix4/great_outdoors.html

Isn't the rut in the Fall?

Moose aren't really aggressive when their antlers are in velvet. Our traditional hunting seasons are timed to coincide with the rut, when bulls/stags lose much of their normal caution.