Scariest Moose Encounters

From Redditoru/schneckle123:

I visited my best friend in Sweden every summer. One night, we sneaked out and crept through the woods behind his house. It was creepy and dumb; we were both sh*tting. Suddenly, we heard footsteps and thought it was his parents. A massive moose stared at us as we pointed our flashlights at it.

The moose stopped, lowered its head, and ran toward us. We screamed. Every house lit its lights. The moose kept running. We ran in opposite directions. The moose dipped. We cried. We walked back to his house. We never went back into those woods.

From Redditoru/donasay:

My dog chased a moose. It stayed out of reach of the antlers while barking. I had to get close to grab my dog and pull him away. We backed up slowly, facing the moose. I stuck one arm up to look big. We moved between trees so it could not charge us directly.

The couple had a very tense couple of minutes.

From Redditoru/HesJustADad:

My sister served in Alaska for years. She and her husband took long snow machine rides. One time, they crossed a bull moose that chased them over three miles. She filmed it on Go-Pro. Every time they stopped thinking they were safe, he charged over a hill or from thick trees. They can and will kill you.

From Redditoru/EVMad:

Back in the 80s, I did field work in Sweden. I walked up a hill with my Sony Walkman blasting Pet Shop Boys. I looked up just as a moose walked out of the trees where I stood. I am now big (6'3"), and this thing towered over me. I stopped and stared; it stared back, then moved off casually. They are huge.

From Redditoru/grimacedreapr:

While doing AmeriCorps work with the US Forest Service, I camped in the Rawah Wildernesses. I was repairing a 50-mile trail. A mama moose and her child charged us for no reason. They came barreling from the tree line. We hid behind trees. They lost interest eventually. Super scary. They are HUGE.

From Redditoru/HelloTeal:

I grew up in a mountain town. Now, I live close enough that we sometimes see moose, bears, deer, and wolverines. I would choose facing a bear over a moose. I survive an encounter with a bear more than a moose.

In elementary school, teachers told us to watch for bears, bobcats, deer, etc., near the playground. If moose or cougars were around, they kept us inside.

From Redditoru/VitaAeterna:

I never thought I'd tell this story on Reddit, but it is more relevant now than ever.

I worked seasonally in Denali Park, Alaska for two summers. Near the end of last summer, we had a large bonfire in the woods near our housing. Around 4 AM, people started leaving for bed. Two friends and I stayed behind to put out the fire.

Around 6 AM, we stumbled out of the woods, completely drunk. We heard a noise in the brush, and a full bull moose walked right in front of us. This animal is probably ten feet tall, not counting its antlers. It stares at us, its eyes showing hatred and evil.

I recall the state troopers lectured us at the start of summer about surviving wildlife. Moose often charge to scare people, and you avoid them by weaving through trees, cars, or buildings. They run fast, but they cannot turn that quickly.

This moose began galloping toward us, picking up speed. The three of us ran. Keep in mind it was pitch black except for our headlamps, and we were all very drunk. We separated. I nearly lost control in fear, running through the woods. I did not know if it was following me, nor did I know I was near a steep hillside.

My foot hit a root or branch in those woods. The next thing I knew, I tumbled head over heels down the hill.

By September, most leaves and greenery had faded. No snow covered the ground yet, but everything was bare. I rolled down this hill for what seemed like forever, hitting every bush, tree limb, and rock on the way down.

I stopped completely when my face smashed into a spruce tree. I lay there for a few seconds. My nose and mouth were busted and bleeding. I was bruised everywhere and unsure if I had caused serious damage.

After drunkenly checking myself, I stood up and shouted for help. My friends found me and helped carry me back to our housing complex, about a mile and a half away. The overnight front desk lady's look when I stumbled in—dirty, torn clothes, scratched arms and legs, and my face covered in dried blood—is something I will never forget.

Redditoru/Bobzyurunkle:

The encounter happens in the bush where we found two bulls with large antlers at the top of a hill, sparring and clacking their antlers.

We watched quietly, maybe fifty feet down the hill, taking photos. Then my friend, who used to hunt, whispered to me to find a tree to jump behind, just in case one of them ran toward us.

When moose fight, the loser usually runs away fast. Finding a tree for safety is best if he bolts toward you. Luckily, I was the only person in our small group not near a tree. I stood right in the path of the biggest bull as he turned toward me to head into a clearing. I kept my head down, trying to turn on my DSLR's video feature, and heard MOVE!!!!! I looked up; this massive animal came straight at me. I dove into the brush by the trail, hoping I didn't feel a five-foot rack hit my keister!

It went right past me. We were lucky enough to watch the same two bulls fight and play in the clearing below us for twenty minutes.

Redditoru/Ifailedmywaytothetop:

Moving from Texas to Washington, I was hiking. A hiker passed me and said he saw a moose down the trail. I said cool and kept walking that way. I never saw the moose. My friend later told me how foolish I was. I was unaware.

From a former Redditor:

While living in Banff, a friend tried to mount a moose like a horse. He climbed the fence and jumped on it. It did not go well; soon, the whole herd ran after my friend.

It was hilarious.