Unexpected Encounter with an Ungulate

Have you ever been cross country skiing, come around a corner and been face-to face with a full grown bull moose just metres away coming towards you on the trail?
G and I have. Both awesome and terrifying! Now, moose can be aggressive and move very quickly if angered or startled. This one was as surprised to see us as we were to see it – all three of us stopped dead in our tracks and stared at each other. After a few moments, the moose turned off the trail and headed down to the lake on our property. We continued skiing after taking a few relieved, deep breaths.
We’ve had lots of encounters with moose, bears and other wildlife. Moose is a staple in the diet of the people where we used to live in northern BC. G hunted them and we butchered them ourselves. We enjoyed many a meal of moose meat, and very tasty it was. The last moose that he shot was in our garden, so it was relatively easy to get out the tractor, haul the body down to the barn, hoist it up and dress it. G shot it right through the eye – he was a deadly shot. But this was the last animal he ever shot and he likely will never shoot another. We haven’t eaten meat for over 25 years.
I was almost as surprised to go around a corner and see this moose on a fence here on Salt Spring. This is the only kind of moose to be seen here. Not nearly as exciting as the real thing.