A fisherman was hoping to hook a pretty big catch, but I don't think he had a very angry moose in mind. Sadly, the angler was forced to shoot and kill the animal after it charged at him.
The terrifying incident happened on Jun 14 at the North Tongue River in the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. In a press release, Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed that the fisherman fired on the cow moose when it charged him.
"The game wardens interviewed the angler who said he had encountered the moose at close range in thick willows. He fired multiple shots at the moose when she became agitated and charged him," the press release said. "The wardens searched the surrounding area and found two young-of-the-year moose calves that they believed the cow was defending. Due to their inability to survive without their mother, the calves were euthanized."
The area is known for its number of moose. Following the death of the animal, the angler received both support and criticism. Wyoming outdoorsman Paul Ulrich told Cowboy State Daily he had a few close encounters.
Fisherman Shoots Moose
"A few times, I was absolutely petrified," he said. "They (moose) can move through those willows with seemingly zero noise."
As such, he feels that the angler did everything that he could in that moment. "I'm confident he did everything right," Ulrich said. "Inevitably if you fish long enough in Wyoming, you're going to have an encounter like that."
However, Wyoming photographer Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven feels the angler should have sought non-lethal options like bear spray.
"Carrying a gun in a situation in which you put yourself voluntarily and in which you are aware of potential dangers, like hiking or angling - especially during moose calving season when it's best to avoid moose habitat like dense willows - shouldn't be allowed," he said.
"Especially since more effective self-defense methods like bear spray are available which don't result in needless loss of life," he added.
Fish and Wildlife recommends bear spray as a nonlethal deterrent against the animal, bears, and other wildlife. It's unclear if the fisherman had any bear spray on him.
