Moose, the largest member of the deer family, are probably most closely associated in popular culture with the diminutive but benevolent cartoon character Bullwinkle.
But that light-hearted image took a darker turn last week after an Iditarod sled dog runner in Alaska made headlines for shooting and killing a moose to protect himself and his dogs, one of which was injured in the encounter. (He was also punished for badly eviscerating the carcass.)
Moose attacks on humans are uncommon, but do occur in states with large moose populations. In Alaska, for example, as many as 10 are reported each year. And in Colorado, The Colorado Sun reported in October that at least four people were injured in encounters with moose in 2023.
Ironclad statistics on fatal moose attacks on humans are not available, but wildlife experts agree that they are extremely rare, as human deaths involving moose are almost exclusively the result of vehicular accidents. (One case of a fatal moose attack in Sweden was initially thought to be a homicide, according to a 2017 Journal of Forensic Sciences report.)
Rick Libbey has been taking photos and videos of moose in the wild for 45 years. He said displays of aggression toward humans are abnormal and that about 90 percent of the time, moose are docile, peaceful creatures.
“The problem is the other 10 percent of the time,” he said.
So if you find yourself in one of these 1 in 10 situations, what do you do?
Read body language.
Mr. Libbey said a moose that feels threatened or is thinking of charging will show telltale signs of agitation.
If a moose’s ears are high, straight and hooded, all is well. But if his ears are set low on the back of his head, “that’s the first sign of ‘I don’t like this,'” Mr. Libbey said.
The hair on the back of the moose’s neck and shoulders may be raised, and its eyeballs may be bulging.
However, the clearest sign of impending trouble — in the form of an animal weighing 1,000 pounds or more — is if a moose’s tongue is out and it’s licking its mouth, he said.
In this case, Mr. Libbey said, it’s no longer a question of whether the moose will charge. “It will happen,” he said.
Lee Kantar, an elk biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, explained that the tongue is a way for an elk to pick up scent in its receptors to gauge what it’s encountering.
Be informed.
For nearly a decade, Mr. Libbey has divided his time in the forest between New England and Alaska, capturing images that he shares on several online platforms under the name MooseMan Nature Photos.
Mr. Libbey and his wife, Libby (yes, that’s Libby Libbey), post videos of immense bulls fighting for supremacy, often during mating season, that attract millions of views.
The bulls, or male moose, put their heads down and lock the racks as they advance and then retreat and then charge again, the crack and crackle of their interlocking antlers echoing through the forest like a couple of discordant castanets.
The pair give their beaten giants names, such as Left Hook, Swagger or Grumpy, based on physical or personality traits.
A cow, a female moose, is just as likely to charge as a bull, especially if she senses her offspring are in danger. “Mum will go into protection mode,” Mr Libby said.
Mr. Libbey said that in his decades of documenting moose, he has been “called for bluffing” a few times. A cow once charged Mrs. Libby, who said she was hiding behind a weak “Charlie Brown tree,” but it was big enough to work.
If you are in the woods and facing an aggressive moose, try to get behind a tree, rock, or other obstacle. The moose mostly wants you to get away and is unlikely to chase you very far, Mr. Libby said.
Henry Jones, New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game moose project manager, advised against turning a moose. Make sure there’s a way out, he said.
If you fall to the ground, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game advises, “Curl into a ball, protect your head with your hands, and stay still. Do not move or attempt to get up until the moose has moved to a safe distance or can renew its attack.”
Although its horns, four to five feet wide, can be formidable, its legs pose the greatest danger. A moose will rear up like a horse and charge forward with its powerful front legs, Mr. Libbey said.
How powerful? Mr. Kantar said he saw footage of a moose smashing a snowmobile to pieces.
Keep your dogs close.
If you are hiking with your dog where moose are known to roam, keep your pet on a leash because moose perceive dogs as wolves and therefore threats.
In general, moose aren’t afraid, Mr. Libbey said, but he added, “Man, a wolf is the only thing that’s going to scare them.”
By late winter, moose have burned through their fat reserves and don’t want to expend any more energy in the deep snow. As moose seek the path of least resistance by pulling on cut or groomed trails, skiers, snowmobilers and sledders are more likely to encounter one, Mr. Kantar said.
Generally things go wrong when a person “is stupid” and gets too close to a moose, Mr. Kantar said.
“The safest distance,” he said, “is to use a pair of binoculars.”
