I don’t live near any moose and I have no interest in any form of wildlife or outdoor activity. The internet hypes them up a lot, so I’m just curious if what they say is true?
I don’t live near any moose and I have no interest in any form of wildlife or outdoor activity. The internet hypes them up a lot, so I’m just curious if what they say is true?
Comments
They’re dangerous if you hit one with your car
A bull moose in rut or a cow moose with young are more dangerous than pretty much any other animal in the US.
How dangerous do people say they are?
If you hit one with a car, your car is going to be destroyed.
A bull is about 7 feet tall and weighs around 1000 pounds and is ill-tempered. They’re not tame or timid, they can run faster than you, they can kill you.
Is this “common”? Of course not. But don’t mess with moose unless you want to have a real bad day.
YES!!!!
Google moose videos, compare the size to the nearby vehicles. Those aren’t CGI, that’s really how big that animal is. A bull (male moose) in rutting season (eg when it’s trying to get those sweet sweet lady mooses to raise their tails and make cute little baby mooses) are even more dangerous. And as almost always in nature, mamma protecting her young is the most deadly.
Yes. They mind their own business most of the time, but imagine pissing off an SUV.
Moose are generally not aggressive. But if one sees you and for some reason *wants* to hurt you, you are already dead.
Yes
I’ve been around them but I don’t live with or near them.
They are huge but not dangerous unless threatened or you tease one and make it angry at you — then it might charge at you.
(Any wild animal can be territorial especially if it has babies nearby. But mostly they will avoid us and we should do likewise.)
Yes. Very. They look docile which is why people approach them. I have been charged by a bull moose. I peed my pants as I ran up the mountain.
Yeah. It’s not likely to come across one in most places, but if you (be it with your car or with your person) you best watch out.
They’re not super aggressive, but they’re so massive that even a slightly cranky one can wreck your shit. And hitting them with a car is super dangerous, because they’re so tall that the car strikes their legs and causes them to fall right on the windshield.
I have a friend in Anchorage. He says if he’s walking his dog in a park near his house, he has to look out for moose and stay away if they see one. He’s even tried to train his dog not to bark at them to avoid spooking them.
Bull moose are very territorial and will go out of their way to fuck you up if you catch them in a bad mood. Being the size of a large SUV, it’s not something you want to roll the dice on.
I’ve only seen them out of the way though, you’re not going to be ambushed by a moose or caught off guard. The worst I ran into was being stuck inside my house for a few hours while one chilled out in my yard, we lived next to a forest.
Yes! I don’t live by them now but they’re gigantic and cranky.
I only lived a few years in moose country but if anything they’re more dangerous than you think. They don’t actually attack people very often, around 10 attacks occur in all of Alaska per year. However, if a moose decides it wants to revoke your birth certificate there isn’t anything you can do to stop it without a high powered rifle and impeccable aim.
So unnecessarily big and for what 😭😭😭
As with all wild animals, they were not put on the earth for the entertainment of humans. Never get between a wild mother and her baby. This applies to moose and almost all other animals. Always keep a respectful distance and move further away if you happen to come across one. I doubt they are just going to charge you unless they feel threatened. But don’t take any chances. They are huge animals compared to us and fortunately they are not interested in eating us. Just leave them alone, don’t approach one and you should be fine.
Yes. I was on a month long canoe trip in Canada, and we were walking our canoe through a shallow part. Mom and two babies ran out of the woods, and we all froze. They were about two feet from us. It was terrifying, you do not want to seem like a threat to her babies. Luckily they just stared at us, and all ran back into the woods.
In Vermont, they generally stay deep within the forests, so they aren’t seen very often. The few times I’ve seen moose, they generally seem uninterested and unfazed by our presence, although we didn’t approach them.
They’re dangerous when you strike them at 35mph on the freeway
I don’t live near them but I visit family that do. It’s not like an 100% – “if you see one, it’s going to kill you” type thing. They can be in a chill mood occasionally. But on the 50/50 chance you scare it or it’s mating or baby season – that thing can crush you like a bug and I’d rather not take chances suffering a violent death. They are very big and very strong and any hoofed animal’s kick is dangerous to begin with. My family has absolutely seen them around many times and lived, but they also aren’t trying to go near or make friends with them. You see one hangin out outside, you typically go back inside.
Edit: Hooved? Idk that word doesn’t like right now but I’m not googling for spell check
I was stationed in Alaska, and they are not to be trifled with. Especially, a cow with her calf. They can become giant death machines very quickly.
YES. As dangerous and then more dangerous than that.
I almost hit one standing in the middle of the road in Canada. Stopped for a minute to marvel at how big it was next to my car.
Moose are like Bears but scarier for humans. They know they are top dog but are also prey animals. Prey animals are cautious and prone to spooking and wariness. When frightened or startled and falling to fight or flight smaller prey run, moose are big enough they can jump to the attack first and regularly win. They are also usually bigger than any animal you will see out there.
Don’t live near them, but on a trip to Alaska, driving late on a pitch black icy road from Chana to Fairbanks, in a way too small rental car, the most massive animal I’ve ever seen outside of a zoo or dinosaur museum bolted out of the woods and jumped. It cleared the hood of the car, I was looking up at its belly. The thing was freaking huge!!
So my husband and I both almost died of heart attacks. I’d call that dangerous. 🤣
Moose are not dangerous unless you are dumb enough to get too close to one or you hit it with your car.
People dumb enough to try to get close to take a selfie may win a Darwin award.
I live near moose. They’re not dangerous in that they attack humans often.
They’re dangerous because of their height – if you hit one with a car its body will come through the windshield and crush everyone to death.
In NH and ME there used to be signs all over the place that said “Brake for Moose. It Could Save Your Life.” That’s what it was referring to and maybe why people think they’re dangerous.
I’m guessing most stats related to human fatalities caused by moose are hugely skewed by vehicle accidents. But I’ve seen plenty of moose in the wild – while their space should be respected like all wild animals, I’ve never seen an altercation with a human.
I’d be a lot more worried about bears smelling & coming after your food.
Yes! We have moose, bear, and mountain lions here. Moose are considered the most aggressive and dangerous in my neighborhood.
Yes. We lived in Alaska on an Air Force base. My mom was taking out the trash when a moose was nearby. She was almost killed. Had to run and jump into the dumpster and the neighbors had to call the MPs. No provocation at all just somebody walking to the dumpster with trash.
Mack trucks need to be reinforced with collision bars so they don’t get wrecked when they hit them.
Think about that.
No. They’re more dangerous than people realize.
Honestly- it’s the only animal in my area that scares me. Black bear run off at sound. I backpack with my dogs- moose will stomp on dogs rather than run. The only scary moose encounter I’ve ever had was on a snow mobile. He was on the trail and not moving. It was really deep snow to either side of the trail so turning around wasn’t an option. We sat for a bit hoping he didn’t close the 100 feet or so between us. He eventually went down the trail away from us and we waited. Next trail junction we went the way he didn’t go.
Until you see how big a moose is up close you really can’t understand hope big they are.
“I have in interest in any form of wildlife”, yet you’re asking questions about a form of wildlife?
A lot of animals have their place in the food chain and their purpose in the circle of life but moose are a sign of a higher being with a sense of humor.
Those things have no business being that big, that mad, and that photogenic. I believe they’re here specifically to challenge and feed the wolf population. So their temperament matches an animal that has been chased by wolf packs for all of time.
Enjoy from a distance and preferably at elevation.
I didn’t live near them but I’ve seen them up close in person.
However big you think they are, they are much much much larger.
Moody, territorial tanks on long legs
I live in Alaska. Mama moose can be VERY dangerous if you accidentally get between her and her calf. The scariest attacks occur in urban environments when people are going about their daily lives (ie walking out of a building) unaware that mama and baby are on opposite sides. However, Mamas want to avoid confrontation, so if they see you coming on a hike, they will take their baby in the other direction. I have hit one before – in a Subaru going 55 mph down the highway – fast enough that the momentum took him up and over, ripped the roof like a sardine can – and I was very, very lucky. Had I been going slower, he would have fallen onto the windshield and on top of me.
How dangerous is a moose with a squirrel?
I ran sled dogs for seven years. People think cougars and bears are the biggest threat to a dog team but it’s actually moose. Prehistoric megafauna doesn’t play around, stomp multiple dogs to death in seconds and the musher too.
Another time I was canoe guiding in Minnesota and got chased by a moose in the water. They swim scary fast too.
I was hiking one day and I pointed at a moose. He killed me because he said pointing was rude.
Seriously though. A momma moose with her baby on the other side of a bridge aggressively charged me once and I backed way off. I’ve come close to black bears twice and they were never aggressive like that.
I worked in Glacier National Park for two summers and then worked at a ski resort outside of Yellowstone for another 6 years. Moose are by far the scariest animal that I have encountered while there. I am more scared of moose than a Grizzly. They have no fear. On the plus side, they do make good burgers.
You know how in driver’s ed they say it’s better to just hit a deer than to swerve? With a moose it’s the opposite, they’re so big you’re better off ending up in the ditch.
They are strong as hell, fast as hell and dumb as hell.
If a moose is rutting, protecting a baby or just in a bad mood they will not hesitate to stomp you to death or yeet you like a rag doll.
At my work we installed a new garbage can at a popular trail head. Set into a concrete pad with 6 inch steel anchors. A young bull moose decided he didn’t like it there and knocked it over.
In car vs moose, moose wins hands down. People are not as strong as cars, as demonstrated in that in car vs person, car wins. However at the same time they don’t really go out looking for people. So you’re usually ok regardless.
Yes. They are the most dangerous animal in North America.
> I have no interest in any form of wildlife or outdoor activity
Such a sad sentence.
YES!!! They will kill you.
It is a lot like working with cattle. The bulls are easy going until they feel threatened. Even if there is a fence between you and a bull you still have to be watchful. When angry they aren’t afraid to slam their full one ton weight into a fence.
Moose have the same temperaments but are a wilder tougher animal.
You should give all kinds of wildlife space and not antagonize them. Elk and bighorn sheep will attack people who get too close too, even though they’re herbivores.
They are Megafauna and if they get pissed they can reduce you to a greasy spot on the ground.
Yes.
I’d literally rather deal with black bears.
And don’t think they NEED to be in antler season to hurt you. They can also just stomp you to death… the best place for one is over there, the hell away from you. Do not pet. Do not feed. Do not ATTEMPT to pet. Do not go say hi. Don’t try and get a selfie. If you see one, stay inside and leave it the fuck alone…
You won’t see them often in most of their range, and they mostly aren’t bothered by your presence, unless you approach… (Caveat: if it’s mom, you don’t know where babies are hiding.) So leave it the fuck alone.
My family only knows one person who managed to walk away from colliding with one, and that’s only because he was on a motorcycle, not in a car, so he ducked and went under it and then gunned it as fast as the bike would go to get away…
And they are much.bigger than you are even imagining. Go bigger. Bigger.
Yes. I encountered one on the trail in front of me. Looked at it for a moment and thought holy crap that thing is huge and slowly backed away and hiked back the way I came.
A regular deer will fuck you up. They basically cows with big racks
Yes. They will not hesitate to kill you. They do not gaf.
Source: I have one in my front yard right now. (Alaskan)
I encountered a few while living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The thing that is lost when you see them in photos and in film is how massive they are. They’re the size of an SUV. And they are strong and fast as hell. I once was driving through the UP next to a train track during winter and there was probably 3-4 feet of snow on the ground. I saw this huge plume of snow coming toward me on the rails and assumed it was a train – not an uncommon sight. But no, it was a moose running full speed through 4 foot tall snow.
I’ve never seen them angry but even non-angry, they are terrifying.
Absolutely, yes. They’re fast (35 mph) they are huge (bigger ones are 7 feet at the shoulder) and they are unpredictable. They’re aggressive during mating season, mothers are aggressively protective of their babies, they are aggressive when startled, or when hungry… but other than that, they’re pretty peaceful.
In driver ed classes we were taught what to do if you’re about to hit a moose – we learned to time hitting the brakes just right so that the nose of the car dips down and takes it out as low as possible so it will hopefully fall OVER and not ONTO the roof of the car.
They kind of remind me of hippos. Nobody really thinks of them as dangerous. You’ll most likely never get attacked by one. But if you do, you’re super fucked.
I grew up in Maine and lived in Louisiana.
I’ve been with in six feet of unrestrained wild alligators and never was concerned.
I’d be very concerned if I was six feet from an unrestrained wild moose. I had a high school friend that was out in the woods with his grandfather and they accidentally got between a cow moose and her calf and spent a good part of the afternoon in a tree waiting for a pissed off momma moose to get tired of waiting for them to come down.
A moose once bit my sister
Absolutely dangerous if they want to be. It’s hard to gauge how BIG they are until you see one in person, not to mention how FAST they can go. Thankfully, at least here in the Rockies, most large animals you see near trails seem aware of people and aren’t aggressive unless you mess with them.
I encountered a bull, cow, and their calf near Rocky Mountain National Park on a trail a few years ago. Blurry pic, the calf is on the trail, the cow to the left, and the bull in the brush. They hardly budged when they noticed me, but I backed up and waited for them to move on regardless.
Seeing people go right up to them to take pictures scares me.
I was backcountry camping once, in the greatest place in the world, Moose River Plains. Making breakfast, pancakes on that gorgeous early fall morning. I saw a bull moose maybe about 30’ away off in the woods, kept an eye on it but wasn’t too worried. In gently sauntered up towards the road, stopped, turned around, stared at me, and started walking onto our site. There I am, holding nothing but a plastic spatula, terrified that even if it doesn’t charge me, it’s going to get its antlers twisted in the rope holding my tarp up.
To this day, that’s the most scared I’ve ever been. A bull moose in mating season will stomp you and throw you with its antlers without thinking twice. There is no outrunning a bull moose, it’s the size of a racehorse. There is really no attacking a bull moose, unless it’s fatal you’ll really only piss it off more, which doesn’t typically help your fight for survival.
Pancakes were pretty dope afterward though.
They are horrendous if you slam into them with your car.
Other than that just don’t get too close. They’re vegetarians.
The first time I saw a big bull moose in the wild it was at night. I surprised it with a flashlight. Then I immediately saw a cow and a calf nearby. My heart skipped a beat, my hands started to shake, and I knew without thinking that I had never been closer to death than at that moment.
They are SO MUCH unbelievably bigger than you imagine. Or maybe they just look like it 😉
Yes
this vid shows how big they can be, relative to the full sized cars driving in North America
https://youtu.be/HNfetnUwOUo?si=
For the most part you’re good as long as you keep your distance. But if you give them any reason to be aggressive you’re fucked. I’ve only ever seen one in the wild, and it’s honestly hard to to explain just how big they actually are.
I’m more afraid of moose than an elk or a deer or a mountain lion or coyotes. And Black Bears are kind of weenies…
Moose are much much larger than you think! My big dog dissuades the above animals. Moose go out of their way to stomp canines.
I live in the wilderness and carry a 9mm handgun at all times. Ending up close to a moose was the first time I ever thought “I need a bigger gun.”
https://youtu.be/39-9A2fnQyY
They are big and dumb, which makes them VERY dangerous. Can be aggressive and unpredictable.
They usually don’t do much. But they could.
When I visited Alaska a few years ago, I learned that apparently, moose kill more people than bears.
I definitely already knew that they could be dangerous, but I wasn’t expecting that. Makes me think that if I was forced to be stuck in a room with any animal found in NA, I would choose any animal over a moose with the exception of a polar bear.
I camp and hike near where some are, I don’t live right next to any. But, yes: they are huge. They are fast when they want to be. They’re heavy. And they’re not smart. This is a dangerous combination and you are better off avoiding them, if you can.
Yes. They are VERY huge and very aggressive during certain times of the year. No. Check that. They are very huge and very aggressive, pretty much ALL the time. They have no problem at all chasing a bear. People are just irritating things to squash.
If I see a moose, I’m going to go the other direction very quickly and as quietly as possible.
I moved to the Adirondacks for college (very near the Canadian border) and I desperately hoped in one of the long winding trips through the mountains to and from school that I would spot one of these beautiful creatures- but in four years of college (and many other trips to the Adirondacks later in life) I never saw one. Bears, yes- moose, no. People I know who have seen one describe them as stunning and larger and more powerful than you can even imagine.
Be respectful and stay a good distance away. If they have a baby, stay away and move away. The mamas are the most dangerous! I have been camping and been around moose. Nothing too up close. People who lived in areas with them know to have a healthy respect for them.
We have them near where I live. I’ve seen a few and they have never gotten aggressive with me but they are so huge if they did get mad it would be super scary. People generally know the deal and give them space. I don’t know of anyone who has been attacked. I think maybe a dog got hurt a while back but it’s not a big problem. They really hate dogs because their natural predators are wolves.
They’re dangerous if they feel threatened, but they wouldn’t just attack you unprovoked like a bear or a gator would.
The ones in Maine are mostly non threatening, except when you hit them with your car.
Alaska moose tend to be more agressive.
Yes. I’ve seen moose straight up kill a dog that got too close, gouge the crap out of a parked car, and stomp the ever loving hell out of things that mildly annoyed them. My husband is an avid snowmachine rider and has seen moose trample a sled on trails because the rider abandoned it to save themselves.
Now granted, these were all Alaskan moose. Much bigger and less fucks given than other North American moose. I remember the first time I saw a moose in Idaho I said to my dad “watch out for that baby moose” and then the actual baby stumbled out into the roadway. I thought the mom was the baby because that’s how big the babies are in Alaska.
I will also say, just stay safe around wild life. Wild animals care about survival, they rarely attack first. Except big cats. Cougars will screw you up for funnies.
I mean, I’ve seen moose within city limits where I live. I immediately went back in the house and very firmly closed the door. Do I think I would necessarily get trampled? No, not really, I wouldn’t go near it personally. But I don’t believe in fucking with wild animals when it can be avoided. The fact that they are the size of cars helps make me not want to pet them.
Absolutely. 100% I have come across an angry mama moose with baby and it was one of the scariest moments of my life.
Yes
I grew up and live in the South and have seen deer all the time. They can be big, and they will do damage to your car if you hit one. But I went bike riding in Alaska and a moose came across the trail ahead of us and it’s like running into a horse if there were a part of the horse population that could play horse NBA. HUGE.
You mess with a moose, you have a really dam bad time. If I see someone fucking around with a moose, I’m going to assume they’re suicidal
My bro-in-law grew up in the northern NE. he said, you know how you’re told with most animals do not swerve or try to stop? That doesn’t work with moose. They are not deer. Hitting them with your car will destroy your car, and annoy the moose.
Imagine a tank made of flesh, with a 6-10ft klingon bat’leth.
We took a trip to Isle Royale and we were walking along the trail when a giant Moose came walking down the opposite way. We jumped off the trail and hid somewhere. We really did not want to fuck with a Moose…
My dad’s village had successfully domesticated a moose. No shit.
Not for the faint of heart though
Yes. They are dangerous. I have moose walking through my property regularly. A mama moose and her baby like to rest in the grass beside our driveway and they absolutely are not to be messed with. I wish I could attach images in this sub to show how big they are. I have a 5’ high deck and the moose will walk right beside it with their head over the top. Before we walk outside and especially before we take the dog out we have to do a visual “sweep” from every window to make sure we don’t get surprised. They will hide behind our vehicle, hang out on the sides of the house, and walk down from the adjacent forest (can’t see them until they are right there because they blend in to the trees). More than once we forgot to check and walked out of our door only to come face to face with a moose.
When I first moved onto this property my 90lb dog was getting used to her new boundaries. She saw a moose on our neighbor’s property and ran up to it barking. That moose stepped right over the barbed wire fence like it was nothing more than twigs on the ground and tried to trample her. The whole time I’m standing on the deck screaming at her to “come! Right now! Leave it!” Of course I didn’t go retrieve the dog because it would have trampled me too. It was so freaking scary. We learned our lesson quickly.
Rage on stilts.
Yes, they are very dangerous. Best just to admire them from a safe distance…and inside something.
Moose are in the northern part of my state, and my biggest fear is hitting one.
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Additionally to what everyone else is saying about moose. They are also really good swimmers. So an alligator can’t really chase you much on land…. But a moose can follow you into the water….apparently the only place you are safe from a moose is in the air.
Wait, this gives me an idea for a movie starring Samuel L Jackson….
Just think they are double to triple the height of a regular vehicle.
Actually about as tall as a ceiling in a house. Maybe 7-11 feet so that’s like 2-3.3 meters.
They are often passive but when they aren’t they could kill just about anything they choose with no effort.
I’ll say – the town I grew up in upstate NY had a moose on the loose for a few months. It was literal news, and considered dangerous and people were actively looking for it.
Where I live now in Florida there’s probably 1000 gators within 10 miles of me and it is not scary at all.
Moose.
My friend from Alaska told me “There’s a moose by my car,” is a legit excuse to call your boss to tell them you’ll be late.
Only Alaskan answers should count
In addition to rutting males & protective moms, they are taller than you think with a big body on spindly legs. If you hit one with your car you and your car are toast.
After seeing one in the wild I will say they are HUGE
Yes
I rented a cabin for 5 days to write a long paper in grad school. At 2 am a moose tried to get in the door at night. It rammed the door and outer wall of the cabin. It probably would have broke the door if it was shorter. Instead it dented the solid hardwood door and splintered the frame and part of the wall. I was worried I was going to have to pay a significant amount of money to fix it but the owners said ‘it happens 2-3 times a year, insurance covers it and we have a guy that fixes it in a few hours. It’s too big to get in’. My initial thoughts were ‘probably should be on the listing’.
Also…I was once in the same area on a hike. There were a couple of moose on one side of a small lake and a grizzly (rare near me). The lake had a beach for swimming. The rangers kept an eye on the grizzly but were far more concerned about the male moose.
They seem docile enough but you can tell the destructive potential. They hang out on our campus in the spring and security always make sure you keep your distance
I choose the bear over a moose.
Moose bites can be pretty nasty.
Seriously though, moose are pretty chill, until they’re not. Then they will absolutely wreck your shit.