Snowmobilers and Bull Moose

This doesn't pertain to photography, but rather to ethics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIgvCUXxh1Y

I think it is clearly harassment. What do you think? They should have backed off long before they did, in my opinion.

Joe

Agree. They should not have followed as closely as they did at that speed. Moose are unlikely to run down a snow covered road in winter unless they are being harassed.

Complete lack of common sense. That moose could have turned him into a puddle.

These things are like ATV's and should be outlawed everywhere but designated locations which are highly monitored! There is always a stupid jackass out there who will abuse it.

Canada in the winter in the countryside---all one hears are snowmobiles. There is no more "silence on the north" anymore.

What did they think the Moose would do...continue to run forever?? If people ever gave to animals the rights and respect they are required to give each other........

Paul

Something similar happened over here in Montana, but replace snowmobile with snowboard. However, in this instance the Forest Service saw the video and fined him $225 for harassing wildlife.

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/loca ... 963f4.html

SantaFeJoe wrote:This doesn't pertain to photography, but rather to ethics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIgvCUXxh1Y

I think it is clearly harassment. What do you think? They should have backed off long before they did, in my opinion.

Joe

No doubt they should have backed off and just observed, but I find that this is common behavior with, far to many snowmobilers.  also it is a good thing he decided
not to shoot the moose with the firearm he had, had he done so he would have been mincemeat

The last snow machine i rode was back in the 60's.    

But over the years, while driving other vehicles, I have encountered many moose on very narrow logging roads in northern Maine.

Typically, they will not get off the road, but rather turn and just look at you and then slowly go about their business, but stay on the road.  Typically, if you follow one with the vehicle at a brisk pace, it will "bale off" the trail and into the woods……..and the encounter is over.  

In this Jackman encounter, there were two machines I believe.  The husband was in the front machine and the wife in the second machine.  I suspect that these older people were quite sensitive to moose (though I do not know) and were expecting that this moose would simply "jump off" the trail and into the woods, except this moose got fed up and turned on the man.  That is not what usually happens.  

To me, this guy is simply trying to get the moose to quickly exit to the side so that he and his wife can pass.

I have several friends who live for snowmobiling.   Now, I am well aware that this snow mobile activity puts considerable (and unnecessary) stress on northern deer and moose, especially considering the energy output during the most difficult season of the year.  That is exactly how I have felt for years. I am on the wildlife's side. 

But, snowmobiles are here to stay and for the most part I think that the snowmobilers do "police" themselves to the end that they treat the wildlife with a fair amount of respect.  You have to know that snowmobiling is commonly a family activity.  Many snowmobilers have women with them, and except in rare instances, women do not tolerate deliberate harassment of wildlife.  Add to that, that these trails are narrow and there is considerable noise, so I can only suspect that you often cannot tell when another snowmobiler is going to be upon you (except at night because of the headlights).  

Yes, many would consider this Jackman incident harassment.  But, many would not.  If it was an Endangered Species there would be no choice but to call it harassment and there would be a stiff penalty.

My question to you would be, what would you do if you knew from your snowmobiling experience that unless pushed, that moose was probably going to stay right on that trail for any length of time, blocking your progress forward?  What would you do?  

It has been my experience that a moose most often is not going to choose moving to the side so you can get by.  It does not even occur to a moose that you want to get by.   

Robert King

Paul, you said:

"There is no more "silence on the north" anymore."

and

"If people ever gave to animals the rights and respect they are required to give each other...….."

I could not agree with you more. As usual Paul, well said.

Well, I come from somewhere in the middle here, as I do snowmobile in the winter up here in northern Maine. But.....I only use the snowmobile to get me around so that I may photograph the beautiful landscapes and wildlife in winter. I don't go fast (the biggest single problem with snowmobiles in general - people fly around on them), I just use it to get me from point A to point B. I don't pack up the miles on it each winter either, maybe only putting less than 500 miles in the entire season. Like I said before, I only use it to get around, and frankly don't understand the "Need for Speed" concept exhibited by 95% of the riders using the trails up here. This past season, I encountered only two moose on the trails and both exited into the woods very quickly, so fast in fact, that I could only identify one as a female. The second disappeared too quickly to identify. 

After viewing that disgusting video, I believe that that act was definitely wildlife harassment and they should be fined for their actions! They definitely chased the poor moose until the moose had enough and turned in defense of itself. Even after stopping, the guy still displayed a threatening posture and body language and still confronted the moose. Snowmobiles have great brakes (you would be amazed how quickly they can stop - even better than your car!), so these two idiots could have stopped and waited the situation out but chose not to. 

And what the hell is up with the pistol????? You're out snowmobiling and you're packing????? Wow, what a world we live in!

So, imagine if the moose stomped the guy and seriously hurt or killed him. First of all, the wife, I guess, would have pumped several rounds into the moose and all over the news would be front page about the crazy moose that probably had Rabies or something and out of the blue attacked this innocent couple while out innocently enjoying a leisurely snowmobile ride. Sometimes life is just not fair, and this is one of them for that poor moose!