How To Survive A Moose Attack? Do You Know What To Do?
Being a Canadian or North American, you might confront moose numerous times, or usually, hikers see them on their trail. These giant animals are calm and friendly, but sometimes they are not in a good mood. Moose can be dangerous if you do something wrong or have a bad day. Despite their large size, moose are friendly and love to live in loneliness. [acf field=”Schema”]
Today, we will discuss moose attacks and how to survive a moose attack.
Are moose Dangerous For People?
Moose are not dangerous even if they are friendly and will not harm you until you do something wrong or face them when they are aggressive and already have a fight with their fellow, especially in mating season. They are also dangerous if they get nervous with your presence around them. That’s why it’s mostly recommended to change your path if you see a moose on your trail.
Other than this, in Alaska, moose attacks are more common than bear attacks. During these attacks, moose are more deadly than any other wild animals. But this only happens if they are aggressive.
Why Do Moose Attack Humans?
The most common reasons behind moose attacks are as follow;
Barking Dogs
If you have a dog with you and you confront a moose on your trail, leave it and try to back off because dogs mostly start barking when they see a moose. This will make them nervous and aggressive, so it’s better to leave the trail and back off. Sometimes moose flee when dogs start barking, but they would attack you if they are hungry or in rage.
Hungry
Hungry moose is more dangerous than any other animal. If they are eating veggies from your farm, then don’t disturb them; it’s because they are hungry, that’s why they are here and left their forest just for food.
Feeding Habit
It’s illegal to feed a moose in Alaska because if they get used to it, they will come across your farmland continuously, which is not a good thing. If you don’t feed them or feed them closely, they might attack you because they eat a lot of food and you can’t feed them this, so never feed a moose.
Standing Between Mother And Calf
A mother moose will likely attack you if you stand between her and her child. They don’t like anyone else to stand between them as she is more protective and caring for the calf. Mother moose stay with her calf for weeks and protect her until it becomes independent.
Mating
Male moose or bulls attack humans during the mating season because they are aggressive as bulls fight with each other over females and hurt themselves. So, never come near them during the mating season, especially near a bull with huge antlers.
In Which Season did Moose Attack The Most?
Bulls attack in fall or in late September or October during the mating time, while female moose attack humans in spring and summer when they are with calves. They attack during winter too because they find less to eat in winter. Hunger makes them furious during winters.
How Do I Know Moose Will Attack Me?
In some places, like Alaska, it’s common for moose to attack people, especially if you’re hiking or living near the forest. It’s important to know how to tell when a moose might attack you, so you can run away to safety. Here are some signs that a moose might be getting ready to attack you:
- The most evident sign is that they will stop eating and start staring at you.
- Hairs around their neck and back will be raised like they are in rage.
- They will pin their ears backward.
- Its teeth will start shattering and will lick its lips with its tongue.
- Start moving toward you with its head pointing downward.
- It will show the white of its eyes.
How To Survive A Moose Attack In Forests?
Usually, hikers or people living around forests get attacked by moose and are likely to be injured. Moose attacks could be deadly if you don’t know how to confront and survive the attack. Here are a few tips for surviving a moose attack.
Back Off
If you see any of the signs mentioned above in the moose, back off or simply change your path. It’s best to back off and change your path because a moose can run faster at 35 mph, so you can’t outrun a moose.
Run
If a moose starts moving toward you, it’s better to run from the site and try to escape using different tactics. You can run and climb up a tree or puzzle the moose in the forest if you don’t panic because a panicked person couldn’t do anything perfectly, so stay calm and think well to escape from the moose.
Curl Around
If a moose caught you, simply curl on the ground like a ball. Place your hands around the neck, close your legs and be in a ball-shaped position. This will protect the internal organs and prevent moose from kicking you at your spine because moose hooves can break your spine. Never fight back; it will make him angrier.
Play Dead
If moose start kicking you, then be on the ground pretending to be dead. Doing this will leave you after a few kicks, but make sure you won’t move until the moose is away.
How To Survive A Car Collision With Moose?
Moose colliding into small vehicles like cars could be deadly as these 7 feet giant animals can cause a lot of damage to your car. If you live in a state where moose walk on the road freely, don’t speed up as a collision with moose can cause a significant impact.
If you can’t avoid a collision with a moose, apply the brakes slowly, hold the steering firmly, and try to hit him at the back; it will reduce the impact and be less deadly.
Before this, try to avoid hitting him by traveling at a moderate speed in the wildlife territory. If you see a moose on the road, don’t use horns or flashes; it will make him aggressive. And always look around to prevent a collision.
What To Do If Moose Block Your Way While Hiking?
It’s better to stop and wait till the moose leave the trail because they might attack you if you go around them. If you are in a hurry, walk toward them slowly, they will get away, but sometimes it could be dangerous.
Things Not To Do If Moose Attack You?
Sometimes we try to do a different thing to get rid of predators or giant animals like moose, but this does nothing because they are more dangerous than us. Check out the following things you must not do if a moose attacks you.
Never Fight Back
If an aggressive moose attacks you, then never fight back. If you fight back, they will keep attacking you until you stop moving, which means they will kick you until you are dead.
Never Jump In Water
As you know moose is a good swimmer and can swim at 6 mph, faster than humans. So, if you jump into the water, a moose will chase you and get you in the water or will be at the shore before you.
Try To Stay Low
It’s best to lay down and play dead. If you try to stand up, moose will kick you again and again.
Is Feeding A Moose Dangerous?
Yes, feeding a moose is dangerous and illegal as well. It could create a habit in moose and if you don’t feed them regularly, they will attack you, demanding their food.
Summary
There are a lot of moose in North America, which means you might run into one and they can attack you. But there are things you can do to stay safe if this happens. The most important thing is to back away if you see an angry moose. If a moose starts to attack you, it’s best to stay low to the ground and protect your head and neck until it leaves. It’s important for people who are hiking, camping, or living in moose areas to know what to do to stay safe if they see a moose.
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