Had a couple close calls this evening

[NH2112]

Out hiking on some overgrown logging roads, I stopped to filter some water and shoot a selfie video of me whining about how I wished it was winter. All of a sudden, 25 paces away (measured afterward) she appeared. I still had the phone in front of my face so I got a quick pic then started backing away. Her hackles were up, and right about this time her calf came out of the woods. I continued backing until they went back into the trees, then waited another 10 minutes.

Not even 1/4 mile down the trail I saw her again. It may have been a different one. More importantly, she saw me. All of a sudden her head popped up over the tall plants she’d been grazing in, the hackles came back up, and she was like “oh, YOU again!” I backed away again, this time about 200m until I went around a slight bend in the trail and she gave me side-eye the whole time. I waited about 20 minutes this time and was sneaking down the trail, stopping to look and listen every 6-8 paces. No more incidents, but I swear every shadow and darker patch of vegetation looked like a moose to me.

So I think I’ll find another area to hike for a while. Yeah, there might be cows with their calves in the new spot, but I KNOW there’s at least one where I’ve been going.

 

[viewnathan]

What an incredible wildlife encounter, with a photo to back it up! Glad you stayed calm and backed away slowly. Good call on finding a new hiking area for a while.

 

[NH2112]

My favorite so far was seeing what I thought was a bobcat but was later told was most likely a lynx as they’re pushing bobcat out of the area. I’d just come around a bend in a trail, the wind was in my face and I’d just registered the cat in the trail when it disappeared into the vegetation. It made no sound and I don’t think any branches or plants were disturbed. No pics for that one.

 

[JoshandBaron]

My favorite so far was seeing what I thought was a bobcat but was later told was most likely a lynx as they’re pushing bobcat out of the area. I’d just come around a bend in a trail, the wind was in my face and I’d just registered the cat in the trail when it disappeared into the vegetation. It made no sound and I don’t think any branches or plants were disturbed. No pics for that one.

A few weeks back I was at home on the North Shore having my morning cacao and cone, checking out the back hay field, when I saw something moving through the grass. I assume it's a coyote because they are always around but as it broke out by the fenceline it turned out to be a huge bobcat. Calmly walks up the fenceline and down the access path, ignoring the sheep and goats and chickens. Never seen one before and I don't think I've ever been so excited to see an animal in the "wild."

 

[sierra]

Years ago, I was coming off Osceola with my first Aussie Bud. He was tied to my pack with a 26 ft retractable leash as always. All of a sudden he went nuts and peeled off all his lead almost yanking me off my feet. I look up and out of the thick brush comes a bull moose and he is pissed off. I drop my poles and I'm using both hands to reel my dog in. At this point, I have my dog at my side, but he's going berserk and the Moose is still coming. I duck behind a tree and pull my pistol, I aim at the Moose, raise it higher and fire two shots, this stops the moose cold and I fire two more shots. The Moose turns and high tails it through the brush. I drop down and sit on the ground, my dog takes 5 minutes to calm down, than we cautiously walk out to the road. I'll take a bear encounter over a Moose anyway, they are not to be trifled with. Damn Aussie

 

[hikeritz]

I did a fall hike to the now-former Desolation Shelter via Nancy Pond with a friend back in 1988. As we were walking along the Nancy Pond trail, my friend stopped us and pointed up ahead. I didn't know what he was indicating at first, but then I saw it. A head. A moose head. With the moose still attached. It was standing on the side of the trail perhaps 100 yards up ahead, much of its body still on the woods off the trail. Then I noticed another head above it. Two moose! I couldn't believe it. Then I realized there was yet another head there also, above the two others. Three moose, a bull and two cows, I would say. They were only there an instant before they turned and went off into the woods. We rushed to the spot, but saw no sign of them. Amazing how such large animals could disappear so easily.