Moose attacks snowmobile rider and gets shot

#51
#51
burntorangeVOLffle said:
I spent a summer in Yellowstone. Hiked close to 300 miles. One thing you learn out there is Bison and Moose have the right of way. If you cant detour, you wait.
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Absolutely correct. The last time I visited the Tetons, the Moose Visitor Center still had an old film which illustrated the dangers of approaching bison too closely. A bison had wandered near a campground and a couple was photographing it. The woman appeared to be urging the guy to get closer. Finally, when they were within, perhaps, 15-20 feet, the bison charged, hooked with one horn and lifted the man in the air like a rag doll, flipping him as easily as if you were spiking a football over your shoulder. He was fortunate that the bison was content with not inflicting more bodily harm.

With respect to this moose, the odds are that it was using the snowmobile trail as a game trail. Moose are, anatomically, better equipped to plow through deep powder than horses or elk. Nevertheless, it still requires far more exertion than walking on the packed snow of a snowmobile trail. If the rider had exercised patience and not approached the moose, thus potentially challenging it, it is highly probable that there would have been no attack and the man and moose would have both gone their separate ways . . . without fatal repercussions.

Incidentally, this film clip (Bison Attacks California Tourist at Yellowstone National Park | The Wildlife News) is clearly not the one referenced above, but the results are the same, i.e. tourist is flipped "high and deep," end-over-end by the hooking horn of a bull bison. For some reason, the video feed of this clip (lowermost of the two linked) is visible only by activating the "full screen" icon.
 
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#54
#54
Toevol said:
There are A LOT more people killed in Alaska by Moose as opposed to Bears. And it is not even close!
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Are you talking exclusively about fatalities that occurred as a result of moose attacks upon humans or including deaths that also occurred as a result of moose-vehicle collisions? If your intention is the former, I would agree but the numbers are somewhat predictable, given the species' respective populations:

"Although moose aren't more dangerous than bears in terms of behavior, they pose a greater threat of injuring you simply because of their population size. Moose outnumber bears nearly three to one in Alaska, wounding around five to 10 people in the state annually. That's more than grizzly bear and black bear attacks combined [source: Smith]. . . . [During the winter, when moose have limited access to their preferred food sources,] Anchorage watches the trash-seeking moose population balloon to around 1,000" (see Why are moose more dangerous than bears in Alaska?: Animal Planet).

It should also be noted that, overall, incidents of moose-human contact are far more common than bear encounters due, in part, to the fact that moose do not hibernate. Incidentally, note the distance at which this photographer has positioned himself from the big bull illustrated in this photo. 'tis a classic illustration of how not to interact with wildlife.
 
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#56
#56
It very much looked to me like the guy legitimately tried to avoid shooting the animal. Clearly that was not the first or even second option if he could help it. We can Monday Morning QB all we want (it's wonderfully easy after all) but from the footage I very much doubt this guy would, or should, face actual charges.*

*I do wonder if this incident was actually reported to the State's wildlife agency. If he simply shot the animal and left, even if he could make a case for self defense at the time, he could still face some kind of trouble.
 
#57
#57
Volosaurus rex said:
Absolutely correct. The last time I visited the Tetons, the Moose Visitor Center still had an old film which illustrated the dangers of approaching bison too closely. A bison had wandered near a campground and a couple was photographing it. The woman appeared to be urging the guy to get closer. Finally, when they were within, perhaps, 15-20 feet, the bison charged, hooked with one horn and lifted the man in the air like a rag doll, flipping him as easily as if you were spiking a football over your shoulder. He was fortunate that the bison was content with not inflicting more bodily harm.

With respect to this moose, the odds are that it was using the snowmobile trail as a game trail. Moose are, anatomically, better equipped to plow through deep powder than horses or elk. Nevertheless, it still requires far more exertion than walking on the packed snow of a snowmobile trail. If the rider had exercised patience and not approached the moose, thus potentially challenging it, it is highly probable that there would have been no attack and the man and moose would have both gone their separate ways . . . without fatal repercussions.
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Tourists lose all sense of reality in the parks. Bison herds frequently blocked traffic we woild alasys see tourons get out of their cars to get closer for pictures. I always wondered how the bikers passing through for Sturgis felt being exposed.
 
#58
#58
Yes, you can almost visibly see brain tissue ooze out of their ears or, at the very least, the "off" switch being flipped.
 
#59
#59
Smithers, Canada

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khJ4J4Vcuf8[/youtube]

Apparently moose don't like to be ignored when you walk by them either.
 
#60
#60
coug said:
Smithers, Canada

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khJ4J4Vcuf8[/youtube]

Apparently moose don't like to be ignored when you walk by them either.
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They are very territorial animals.
 
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