Community Chat

[J Town Girl]

We were once camping way up in Canada at a brand new campground.  There were only a few other campers there so the owner allowed us to take his rowboat out on the surrounding lake.  He warned us to stay away from the shore as moose were known to suddenly charge a boater.  

We never saw any moose but I can say I was on red alert the whole time we were out on the water.

Another time we were driving through Wyoming very early in the morning just as it had begun to get light and I looked over at an open area and standing there almost beside the highway was a large moose.  I felt so lucky to have seen it. I do have to say that I was glad that I was in a car and not walking along the road. 

They are magnificent looking creatures and it's heartbreaking to hear of them being killed.

I feel as others about the Iditarod.  

[Sooner]

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@phoenixbrd wrote:

Two questions:  Why didn't she have a gun powerful enough to take down the moose, knowing the possible danger.  She unloaded her gun and the moose keep coming, "tramping" her sled dogs for more than an hour.  Secondly, why didn't she call for help earlier rather than allowing this to go on....her friend showed up with a powerful rifle that took down the moose an hour later after she had called.

These were my thoughts as I was reading the article... maybe someone has clarification on these issues.  Horrifying that these four dogs were subjected to this abuse.  Apparently, they are on the mend after "serious" injuries.  It was stated that she was able to release six of the sled dogs before she retreated to the safety of another sled.

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@phoenixbrd Well, I guess because she was just lazy and didn't care?  Really? 

[Sooner]

It amazes me how little sympathy is expressed here for the sled driver.  She did nothing wrong, she was in a race and was attacked by a moose. 

She must have been terrified.  I can't even imagine.  

[Mz iMac]

@phoenixbrd 

I totally agree w/phoenixbrd comments.  Something fishy about that womans story.  Shot the moose 4 times & same was still attacking for an hour???  What was she using, a starter pistol?

[Linmo]

Sleddrivers depend on their dogs for their survival.  I'm sure she is very upset about what happened and did her best to deal with it.  It's very sad what happened to the dogs and I wish them a full and speedy recovery.

[Jacie]

The Iditarod is a grueling race in the best of times. Then add on that you are at nature's mercy. Moose are not to be messed with! She is lucky she and her dogs came out alive, I too am wondering why she wasn't carrying enough fire power in those conditions.. 

[MorningLover]

ABC News...

Watkins said that the attack, first reported by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, happened while she was on a 52-mile (83.7-kilometer) training run for the nearly 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. It starts March 5 in Anchorage.

"As he charged me I emptied my gun into him and he never stopped,” she wrote on Facebook. “I ran for my life and prayed I was fast enough to not be killed in that moment. He trampled the team and then turned for us.”

“It is never a musher's intention to go out and kill an animal,” Watkins told the AP.

She said no musher would ever travel with a rifle or a large caliber gun, instead preferring to scare off animals with a flare gun. And with all the jostling of the sled, the larger guns could easily go off.

“People have a lot of negative comments about what I should or should not have been doing but they’re not the people on the back of that sled,” she said.

“It’s not that I wasn’t prepared. I wasn’t prepared to kill a moose, that’s correct,” Watkins said. “It’s not my intention to go around in February and hunt and kill an animal. This is like worst-case scenario defending my life.”

She did carry a .380 caliber gun because there are few people where she trains, and she keeps it to to deter or scare off animals. She has since upgraded to a larger caliber firearm after it didn't stop the moose.

“That would be asinine to go back out there on the same trail, the same place, and not have a gun where I can’t truly put down an animal if I have to,” she said..

[MorningLover]

Watkins said she and a friend who was trailing her on a snowmobile took refuge next to the snowmobile.

The moose stopped its charge toward them about 2 feet from the snowmobile and she managed to cut free six dogs that were tied to the machine.

But the moose went back to her sled and began stomping the dogs that were still tethered to it — standing over the dogs and trampling them repeatedly for over an hour.

"I have never felt so helpless in my life," Watkins wrote. "He would not leave us alone and he even stood over top of the team refusing to retreat."

Her four badly injured dogs — Flash, Bill, Bronze and Jefe — were taken to a veterinarian in the nearby community of North Pole and are recovering, Watkins posted. "I will love them and every moment I'm blessed to be behind them," she wrote.

Watkins posted.. Friends family supporters- first and foremost THANK YOU. Thank you for showering us with love, prayers and kind words.

Let me start with most importantly our dog update:

Flash- your prayers were poured out and heard as we truly witnessed a miracle. 24 hours ago we had done all that veternary medicine could do and we had to wait- a very long night that I never left his side and literally listened to every breath as I lay beside him. As morning came he began to make more purposeful movements and tried to get up. He is now awake , alert, eating, and walking on his own. He’s wagged his tail and perked his ears as the boys came in room. God is good.

Bill- he is learning to hobble on 3 legs as his repaired injury heals. He is not a fan of all the hoopla and wants to be out with the team. He’s gets excited every time he hears them howl. I keep reminding him we are in for the long haul and he’s gonna have to be patient.

Bronze -she has been the most relaxed and able to rest well. She’s wearing a tee shirt to keep her wounds nice and clean. She’s is eating and moving around surprisingly well.

Jefe -what a big silly goofy boy. He is back out in yard enjoying his house and neighbors. His injuries are not hardly detectable. His leg is healing and he is 110% back to himself. We are still going to give him time off even though he will loudly protest.

We truly believe there were angels among us and Gods hand of protection spared ALL of our lives. I am thankful for this day and age to share the great things that you have all been part of. From every message, note, text call, Venmo, go fund me and personal donations you are all part of this teams success.

I want you all to know I am NOT giving up. I am not throwing in the towel, I will not let this break me. You have all encouraged me, the team-our team and I want you all to be part of the journey. I am getting up tomorrow with my army of supporters and will do what we do-run dogs.

I will love them and every moment I’m blessed to be behind them. We will take this one day at a time, but tomorrow I will face many fears knowing this community is behind a girls dream and a teams journey to run the Iditarod race.

We are 4 weeks away from leaving the start line- I will give it my ALL to get there. Love to all. Sleep well tonight the KOAH dogs have been blessed.

[LindaSal]

Wow, what an incredible story.  I just wonder if it was female moose possibly protecting her calf??   I know the moose is referred to as a "he" but if that's a picture of the actual moose there are no antlers.   Just curious as to what set the moose off, they are generally a docile animal.    There are always dangers out in the wilderness, I'm just happy the dogs and the sledder survived the ordeal. 

[MorningLover]

DENVER (KDVR)  Even though the attack did not happen in Colorado, many have asked, “could this happen in Colorado?”

Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Jason Clay said, “yes, this sort of occurrence can definitely happen in Colorado, and maybe not the same exact scenario, but it has happened.”

Clay said there were four moose attacks involving humans in 2021, and three of those attacks involved dogs as a catalyst in those attacks.

CPW said moose react to all dogs as they would to a wolf, one of their primary predators, by attempting to crush it with their hooves.

Because of this instinctive, aggressive response, CPW officials recommend keeping dogs on a leash and under control when recreating in the backcountry or consider leaving the dog at home.

If you are going to be anywhere in moose country, whether it’s hiking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, whatever it may be, you need to be very alert to your surroundings,” Clay said.

“If you do come across a moose, it is likely not going to back out of your way.”

If a moose charges you, here’s what CPW said you should do:

• Run away as fast as possible
• Get behind a large tree, rock or other object
• If you are knocked down, get up quickly
• If injured, seek immediate medical attention
• Report the incident to CPW as soon as possible
• Clay said moose typically respond to threats by raising their hackles on the back of their neck, licking their snout and pinning their ears back.
•  
• They may bluff-charge at first, then turn back and charge aggressively, kicking and stomping the threat with their sharp hooves and powerful front leg.