Remember the signs of a moose about to attack and the main thing that sets hoofed animals apart: you can and should run from them to cover.
The most underrated animal in the forest
Moose
A moose isn't a predator — and that's exactly why the rules for it are the opposite of the “bear” rules. It doesn't want your flesh; it wants you gone. Yet moose injure people more often than bears do: there are more of them, they wander into towns, and they let you get closer than seems safe.
Dangerous seasons: September–October is the rut, when bulls are aggressive and almost fearless; in May–June, cow moose with calves attack anything that comes near. Signs of an imminent attack: ears pinned back, the hair on its hump raised, the moose licks its lips, tosses its head, and walks toward you.
What to do: increase the distance as soon as the moose stops feeding and stares at you. You CAN and SHOULD run from a moose: it doesn't hunt and won't chase you far. Put trees, cars, and boulders between you and it — a moose has trouble maneuvering around obstacles.
If it knocks you down: curl up, cover your head and neck with your arms, and do NOT get up until the moose has moved far away. To the moose, trying to stand while it's close means the threat is still there: it will strike again.
Lesson notes
Moose
A moose isn't a predator — and that's exactly why the rules for it are the opposite of the “bear” rules. It doesn't want your flesh; it wants you gone. Yet moose injure people more often than bears do: there are more of them, they wander into towns, and they let you get closer than seems safe.
Dangerous seasons: September–October is the rut, when bulls are aggressive and almost fearless; in May–June, cow moose with calves attack anything that comes near. Signs of an imminent attack: ears pinned back, the hair on its hump raised, the moose licks its lips, tosses its head, and walks toward you.
What to do: increase the distance as soon as the moose stops feeding and stares at you. You CAN and SHOULD run from a moose: it doesn't hunt and won't chase you far. Put trees, cars, and boulders between you and it — a moose has trouble maneuvering around obstacles.
If it knocks you down: curl up, cover your head and neck with your arms, and do NOT get up until the moose has moved far away. To the moose, trying to stand while it's close means the threat is still there: it will strike again.