Moose - post by Caleb

Adrenaline Rush

written by Caleb (14 yrs old)

I had been sick most of the week and I was ready to get out of the house.

So, Bandit, Oakley and I headed up the Cottonwood Canyon on our property. We saw five porcupines. One of them was so big I thought it was a black bear. I didn't know whether to run or get a closer look. I went closer and it ended up being a grand-daddy of a porcupine!! We also saw a lot of coyote, rabbit, deer and moose tracks. It was obvious a moose inhabited this canyon. There was lots of scat and tracks and she was also shedding lots of hair in the trees and all the other places she had been. Me and the dogs fought our way through a brushy part of the canyon. I was thankful when we finally got in the open. We were rounding this corner when... 50 yd ahead of us was a cow (female) moose . I told the dogs to sit. We watched her for awhile. She watched us. Then she suddenly started slowly walking straight at us. I slowly started backing up. Then .... she put her ears and her head down and rushed at me. It all happened very fast. The next thing i knew I was running at top speeds with the dogs by my side. It felt as if she was breathing down my neck. The shaking of the earth caused by this massive (at least 500 lb) moose got my adrenaline pumping !! I looked over my shoulder and the picture (from Google images) at the top of the page is pretty much what I saw!! I ran across a creek and jumped into a bush. I peeked out of the bush and saw that she had stopped on the opposite side of the creek. It looked as though she was trying to decide whether to cross the steep creek bank on the other side. I was sitting in that bush hoping and praying that she would turn around. But nope. She put her ears and head down again and headed at me one more time. I had no running left in me. There was no way I could stay ahead of that long legged moose for very long. I thought for sure this was the end of the road for me and that my work on earth was done. I was about to pray my last prayer when I had an idea. I said to Bandit, "Go get 'em boy!" . He, with Oakley at his heels went straight at the moose. The moose stopped in her tracks and shook her head and hooves at the dogs. While they were distracting her, I gathered up the energy I had remaining and ran. Ran for my life! The dogs caught up with me later with their tongues hanging out. I looked around and was grateful to be alive!!

I have learned to always bring my dogs when I go up into the mountains. They, especially Bandit, have saved me numerous times from harms gate. This was not the first time I have been charged by a moose . But, it is the closest I have been to my grave.

I just hope I won't have to experience too many more of these kind of encounters.

by Caleb

FYI - This is a true story written by Caleb. The picture, however, is something he found on Google images. I proofed his work but only the grammar part - periods, capitals etc. I did suggest he change one sentence and he did. But other than that, the credit for this writing goes to him.