Are Moose Dangerous on my Homestead?

Moose are one of the coolest animals alive and having them on your homestead could seem very awesome. But, are moose dangerous?

Yes, moose can be very dangerous animals. In fact, moose attack more people than bears and wolves combined. While Moose can be dangerous any time of year research shows that they tend to most aggressive in the spring when cows are protecting their calves and in the fall when bulls are in the rut. There are ways to limit your risk of being attacked if you have moose roaming your homestead.

How dangerous are moose?

While moose attack more people than bears and wolves combined, their attacks are rarely fatal. Still, I don’t know about you, but I don’t even want to be “just hospitalized” by a moose. Below is a short list from Wikipedia of recent moose attacks to give you an idea of how dangerous and unpredictable they can be.

2006 – a man from Grand Lake, Colorado was killed by a moose.

2006 – a man was attacked in Grand Lake, Colorado.

2008 – a Swedish woman was killed by a moose during an evening walk.

2011 – a six-year-old boy was attacked and became unconscious after the attack.

2011 – an Alaskan girl was attacked while riding her bike.

2011 – An Alaskan woman was attacked while clearing brush on her property.

2012 – a Vermont man woke to find a moose walking on his car.

2012 – a Canadian man ended up in the intensive care unit after being attacked.

2014 – in the city of Black Hawk, Colorado two women were walking their dogs and were injured from an attacking moose.

2014 – two hikers were attacked in Colorado.

2014 – a woman walking down a sidewalk in Smithers, British Columbia was attacked from behind by a moose.

2017 – Utah hikers, backpackers, and skiers were attacked multiple times.

2017 – snowboarders near Aspen, Colorado were attacked shortly after being caught in an avalanche. They were able to escape the avalanche with some injuries but then were attacked by a moose.

When are moose most dangerous?

Don’t be mistaken, moose can get aggressive at any time of year, but there are certain times when they’re more likely to be aggressive. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife says that moose typically become more aggressive during the following seasons:

In late spring, when a cow (mama moose) feels protective her young calf. This usually includes the months of May through June. If you happen to see a calf and not a cow, be extremely careful while moving out of the area; you may have walked between mother and baby, which is probably the most dangerous place to be.

In the fall, during breeding season when a bull is competitive and agitated. This time is called the “rut” and its peak is generally in late September and early October, but it can extend from early September through late November. Stay far away from them during this time of year to avoid being mistaken for intrusive competition.

In the winter, when their bodies are depleted from reduced food availability, traversing deep snow, and possibly heavy tick loads.

Anytime time of year, when dogs chase or bark at them or when people approach them too closely.

How to know if a moose is about to attack you.

You can often tell if a moose will become aggressive by its body language. Here are 7 signs to look for:

1. The moose may stop eating and stare at you.
2. Lower its head while looking in your direction.
3. Lay back its ears and raise the hair on its shoulder hump.
4. Smack or lick its lips, and click its teeth.
5. Stomp or paw at the ground.
6. Bulls may use their antlers on trees or bushes.
7. Breeding bulls may dig up the ground and urinate on it.

How many of these warning signs can you find in the following video from CNN?

Whiles these are all signs that a moose may be ready to attack you, sometimes it may not even show these signs at all. They may just charge without warning like one did to this bicyclist who was just passing by.

What to do if a moose attacks you.

If you recognize the signs of “moose aggression” (or it just starts charging at you), there are some things you can do to keep yourself safe.

• Back up. Make sure you get behind the nearest tree, fence, or building that can act as a strong barrier between you and the moose.
  Run. If the moose charges you, run! Unlike with cougars, bears, or even dogs, it’s usually a good idea to run from a moose because usually, it won’t chase you very far.
• Curl up in a ball. If a moose knocks you to the ground, curl up into a ball and cover your head with your arms. This will protect your head and vital organs when the moose starts kicking and stomping on you.
• Don’t get up. Once the moose has gotten tired of kicking the snot out of you, don’t get up until it moves a good distance away. If you try to get up while it’s still close by, it could attack you again.

How to keep moose off your homestead.

First of all, don’t unnecessarily attract them to your homestead because it can be very difficult to get them to leave once they have become comfortable there. Moose are attracted to many of the landscape features most homesteaders want on their property. Some of these include:

• Ponds, pools, and other large water features.
• Cool freshly watered lawns.
• Fruit trees, dogwood, willow, aspen, birch, fir, and pine trees.

Therefore, the best way to keep moose off your property would be to eliminate the things that attract them. As homesteaders, we probably wouldn’t do this. So consider reducing their access to these “moose magnets” with quality moose-proof fencing.

You might also want to consider altering hot summer sprinkler usage to keep them off your unfenced lawn. During hot summer days, moose are likely to look for cool and wet locations. Don’t give them what they want, and try to water lawns at night instead of the day.

Never feed moose on your homestead. Moose that are fed by people often become aggressive when they are not fed as expected. If they happen to be hungry when friends or neighbors visit they may attack them if they have no food to offer.

How to get rid of moose on your property.

If moose are already on your homestead and fencing is not an option, you could try to drive them away. There are many ways to do this that seem to work for some with limited success.

• Having a guard dog to drive them away may work if they are not attacked by the moose.
• Some gardeners claim to have success repelling moose by spraying their plants with a concoction made of dish soap, water, and cayenne pepper.
• Others claim Irish Spring soap works best. Just cut it up into chunks and sprinkle it around the perimeter of your garden.
• Still, others prefer to go the more professional route and use a product called Plantskydd Deer, Elk and Moose Repellent around their gardens.

How to limit your risk of moose attack, if you cant get rid of them on your homestead.

The best way to avoid a moose attack is not to put yourself in a situation where a moose may become aggressive. In order to avoid such situations follow the following tips:

• Watch moose from a safe distance—give them their space. If you come across one on your homestead, consider changing directions or backing off. Moose are somewhat nervous creatures. If they’re approached too much or too closely by people, they can become stressed and may become aggressive.
• Don’t walk between a cow moose and her calf. If you do happen to walk between them, back away immediately.
• If a moose crosses your path while you’re driving, let it cross. If you try to move or rush the moose, it may attack your car, tractor or ATV. Drive slower at night so you don’t hit one (a crash could be fatal to you both.)
• Keep your dog close or on a leash. Moose often confuse dogs for wolves, a natural predator.
• If you come across a moose, show respect. Don’t make loud noises, chase, or harass it.

I truly hope this article has been helpful to you! If you have enjoyed it, why not consider sharing on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter? That would be totally awesome and I’ll give you a virtual hi-five for it!!

Hope you have a really great day and keeps:)ing!