Zealand Trail Moose Attack Warning

[Brambor]

@

We're talking about a moose on a trail. I'm not happy if we had to 'deal' with the moose but if anything had to be done to move the moose away, scare it away, avoid the moose and even in the most extreme circumstance to shoot the moose in the process of self defense (attacking children is severe enough for my standard) ... then so what? I have respect for the species but it's not an endangered species. In fact it is a managed species. No big deal either way.

In my case I would just get off the trail and avoid the animal and keep on going. Use trees to create a gap between you and the animal.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Thank you to New Hampshire Fish & Game Department's "Liza P." for your apparently official communication. I appreciate your work on our behalf and for the moose & other wildlife.

Speaking for myself only, I agree with posting a notice in the affected area and otherwise taking a minimalist approach.

If I should see something that I think deserves your attention, I'll let you know; thanks again for posting.

--Mike

Everything Mike said.

In addition...knowing about this particular moose is VERY helpful, IMO. Especially for me and others with young (or short!) kids. If I were planning on hiking this trail and saw that sign at the trailhead, I would be very thankful and Alex and I would get right back in the car.

She hikes ahead of me sometimes, never THAT far, but still....I can see a situation with us occuring that is exactly like the one that actually happened....kid turns a corner slightly ahead of the parent...moose thinks he's between a group and just a kid...decides the short person is the path of least resistance...then runs over the kid. All that can happen in a split second, I imagine.

I know every time we go out we are going off into nature...but normally the risk of something like that happening is extremely low. However, right now the liklihood of that happening on this particular trail is not as "extremely low" as I'd prefer...and I appreciate the heads-up (and I'm sure other parents do too).

 

[una_dogger]

Thanks, FishandGame. Nice to know that you are here and a part of this community.

 

[Jazzbo]

My 2 cents!

Like Mattl says all conditions are there to make this area prime moose habitat. On most trails probability of hikers meeting coming from other directions is not so great, but Zealand Hut is popular winter destination that makes it highly likely you get this situation of hikers coming in both directions and cornering a moose. Coupled with deep snow makes this pretty likely scenario. The cautonary sign should suffice provided it's big enough to get people's attention. Needs to be "in people's face" like nailed to a tree along the trail. Red is good color choice like the one for bears.

Problem is the sign makes no suggestions as to what to do if you encounter a the moose. Skilled winter outdoors persons will likely know enough to be wearing snowshoes and to step 10-15 yards off the trail until the moose passes by and then proceed on your way. Problem is Zealand Hut attracts many winter novices without the experience or know-how of how to deal with this situation. "Suggestions" of any kind for how to deal with moose encounters WOULD probably makes authorities liable to lawsuits for any bad outcomes. Bad luck for the leader of the scout troop who has been planning the trip to Zealand for 6 weeks and just driven 4 hours and arrives with group of 12 scouts in tow. Unfortunately I have no suggestions.

Something like this happened to us in January. We encountered a cow moose and calf on Berlin Fish Hatchery road coming off Weeks Range at midnight. The cow and calf who would not get off the road to let us by. Every time we tried to drive by the pair, they responded by attempting to flee from our vehicle. They'd break into a gallop and would not let us pass. So we just creeped along hoping to reach a turn out that would permit them to step aside. After 10 mins or so they finally did jump over snow bank and we proceeded on our way.

 

[Waumbek]

It was bound to happen:

http://theunionleader.com/article.a...rticleId=54c599bd-6b2c-447c-801d-d65d81c7e453

Stay tuned for the NYT travel section article this weekend on budget safaris for the recession..."Destination Mooseland."

 

[TJ aka Teej]

It was bound to happen:

http://theunionleader.com/article.a...rticleId=54c599bd-6b2c-447c-801d-d65d81c7e453

Stay tuned for the NYT travel section article this weekend on budget safaris for the recession..."Destination Mooseland."

The Union Leader has the pic from VFTT. MSNBC has picked up the story too, so Keith Olbermann will probably soon name the moose 'worst person in the woods'...

 

[rocket21]

MSNBC has picked up the story too, so Keith Olbermann will probably soon name the moose 'worst person in the woods'...

Seriously (the first part re: MSNBC having the story, I know the second part is a joke)?

 

[forestgnome]

Congrats, Rocket!

The signage is a good idea, IMO, because of the legal CYA. Sad, but true. Our culture now equates getting injured with hitting the lottery.

We really don't even notice signage, but we are not the target audience. The signs are for newbies and for CYA. I don't see any problem with one additional notice at a trailhead/kioske.

When I first heard this story I immedately thought there was cow, and it was a mating pair. When I hiked in, the first party coming out said they saw a cow on the trail. I made sure that they knew a cow from a bull in winter. They seemed to know the difference.

The main mating activity happens in late autumn, but not all. Some mating couples stay with each other through winter, even after mating. Just my own non-expert opinion, but I think this had more to do with the situation than the packed down trail.

Being close to a bull's mate is similar to being near a cow's calf. Just because the hikers did not see a another moose does not mean there wasn't one just behind a tree. It is simply amazing how such a large animal can go undetected at a close distance, but moose can.

Whenever I encounter a moose I immediately look and listen for others.

happy trails

 

[rocket21]

Seriously (the first part re: MSNBC having the story, I know the second part is a joke)?

Jeez, you weren't kidding! MSNBC picked it up (without the photo)!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29420777/

 

[The Feathered Hat]

(Late edit: whoops, I see the U-L story has already been noted and linked, so sorry for the duplication)

The Zealand moose makes this morning's Union-Leader, with prominent comment from rocket21:

http://www.unionleader.com/article....rticleId=54c599bd-6b2c-447c-801d-d65d81c7e453

Way to go, Jeremy!

 

[BobC]

What's interesting about this is that, if it's true that the moose is having a tough time with the deep snow, then the fact that hikers have packed down the trails means that hikers have in essence helped this moose to survive. Without the packed trails, who knows what a tough time he'd have floundering around in the deep snow? Just a silly thought....

Here's hoping this moose (and the hikers) make it through the rest of the winter ok!

 

[sardog1]

I can see it now:

Rocket talking with Dr. Phil about his feelings as the moose charged.

Rocket talking with Oprah about her selection of his memoir as her book club pick.

Rocket receiving federal stimulus money to study "Behavioral Responses by Alces alces to Extreme Niveal Conditions."

Rocket becomes a survival consultant for Discovery Channel and nobody on VFTT (or RoT) hears from him again, until he and Atticus and whatshisname cross paths in the green room at Animal Planet.

 

[rocket21]

I can see it now:

Rocket talking with Dr. Phil about his feelings as the moose charged.

Rocket talking with Oprah about her selection of his memoir as her book club pick.

Rocket receiving federal stimulus money to study "Behavioral Responses by Alces alces to Extreme Niveal Conditions."

Rocket becomes a survival consultant for Discovery Channel and nobody on VFTT (or RoT) hears from him again, until he and Atticus and whatshisname cross paths in the green room at Animal Planet.

One lie in that quote - I will not be accepting any porkulus money. Everything else is true. I'm particularly looking forward to being on the View next week.

 

[MadRiver]

I suppose you will not be hiking with us common folks anymore. Say hello to Brad and Angelina for me.

 

[rocket21]

I suppose you will not be hiking with us common folks anymore.

Nope, but my butler will. Also, I will now hike with a stunt double, in the event I have a future moose-charging-issue.

 

[Mansfield]

In my 5 years of hiking in the Whites, I have encountered moose on two occasions. The first was a benign cow/bull viewing from a trail by Lonesome Lake, (1st photo) the second a surprise encounter on Cabot. My wife called out something like "look at that steaming pile of...." when she was interrupted by a loud snort and crashing noise directly in front of us. Thankfully, the large bull decided to run away from us, crashed through the brush and was gone. It was amazing to us that he literally disappeared (sight and sound) in mere seconds... we continued on and never saw him again.
The scariest encounter I have had, though uneventful, was in Anchorage in September. I was on the coastal trail on a road bike, descending a slight grade, probably going 15-20 mph, when I rolled past a cow and her calf walking on the side of the trail. Although I was not more than 4 feet from the pair, the cow barely raised her head. I think the frequency of bikers and hikers on this trail had something to do with it, but it still put my heart in my throat. The 2nd photo is from a good 30 feet away.

 

[carla]

Anchorage moose....

Back in 2000 I ran the Midnight Sun Marathon, in June, in Alaska. The course ended by running a few miles through a city park in Anchorage. Round about mile 22, a female moose was just hanging out, maybe 20 feet from the running route. Totally nonplussed and peaceful--probably wondering why people were expending all that energy! A good way for us runners to get a final boost of energy....

In my 5 years of hiking in the Whites, I have encountered moose on two occasions. The first was a benign cow/bull viewing from a trail by Lonesome Lake, (1st photo) the second a surprise encounter on Cabot. My wife called out something like "look at that steaming pile of...." when she was interrupted by a loud snort and crashing noise directly in front of us. Thankfully, the large bull decided to run away from us, crashed through the brush and was gone. It was amazing to us that he literally disappeared (sight and sound) in mere seconds... we continued on and never saw him again.
The scariest encounter I have had, though uneventful, was in Anchorage in September. I was on the coastal trail on a road bike, descending a slight grade, probably going 15-20 mph, when I rolled past a cow and her calf walking on the side of the trail. Although I was not more than 4 feet from the pair, the cow barely raised her head. I think the frequency of bikers and hikers on this trail had something to do with it, but it still put my heart in my throat. The 2nd photo is from a good 30 feet away.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Bad luck for the leader of the scout troop who has been planning the trip to Zealand for 6 weeks and just driven 4 hours and arrives with group of 12 scouts in tow.

We saw a scout troop on their way out from Zool hut on our Pemi ski-through on Saturday, February 28th, but not any moose. So, although we did not make any detours for moose, we made lots of detours for flooded stream crossings, with one quite the epic south of Shoal Pond (details to follow).

 

[AndyF]

I had an encounter with the moose yesterday. We were walking along Zealand Trail when I notice moose tracks and scat just below the pond. With fresh snow from last night the scat must have been recent, but it was not steaming fresh. We were talking about the moose. I clanged my poles together to announce I was coming, not thinking that it would really do any good.

Then as we were walking Jeff calmly calls out "Andy, moose". I look but see no moose. Thinking it must be a ways off and Jeff either has better vision than me or is seeing things. Jeff says he is standing just off the trail. Still I don't see it. Jeff insists he is right there. We are both frozen in our steps at this point. Myself about 30 feet ahead of Jeff. I finally lean to one side and see the moose standing about 20 feet off the trail. A near tree between us was blocking my view. For me the moose is back and to my right. For Jeff it is ahead and to the right. So essentially the moose is in between us but off the trail.

The moose is just standing there watching us. We agree it is best to move on calmly as the moose hasn't acted out yet and we should not give it reason to. First I move ahead. Moose stands still. Then Jeff followed seriptiously snapping a picture as he moved. Moose stands still. Ahead came a group of three heading down from the hut. We warn them and wait within earshot for them to make it pass. Again moose kept to himself.

So either the moose felt less threatened, it was a different moose, or he has calmed down.

 

[MichaelJ]

Sounds like this moose is getting remarkably used to a human presence. Hopefully not too much so.