Photograher trapped by young bull Elk...Great Smokey Mountains...

MotorSeven · Mar 15, 2014

Drain Bamage. Heck it's only a 600 pound juvenile delinquent armed with two bayonets...nothing to take seriously eh?

His nonchalant attitude will get him killed someday....kinda like the guy that thought he could talk to Grizzlys and took his girlfriend to meet them in Alaska...it didn't end well.

jrwalkerpa1 · Mar 17, 2014

MotorSeven said:
Drain Bamage. Heck it's only a 600 pound juvenile delinquent armed with two bayonets...nothing to take seriously eh?

His nonchalant attitude will get him killed someday....kinda like the guy that thought he could talk to Grizzlys and took his girlfriend to meet them in Alaska...it didn't end well.

It doesn't surprise me...I have been to the Cataloochee area several times over the past year and every time I have witnessed very stupid actions on the part of many who are watching the elk. The only thing that surprises me is that there
are not far more incidents. Some people feed them by hand, some pet them.

I even saw someone sitting in a van, and feeding a small bull thru the open sliding door...The elk actually had about 1/2 of his body inside the van. Most of the time I mind my own business and let stupid people be stupid people if it doesn't impact me. But in that case, I couldn't stay quiet..especially when I saw children in the van...

TCJatko · Mar 18, 2014

While walking through some scrub on our hillside property a few years back, I happened upon a juvenile moose about four feet at the shoulder. As I stood about 15 feet away, my first thought was: "I hope mom isn't around". She wasn't, and the youngster just sauntered off.

MotorSeven · Mar 18, 2014

TCJatko said:
While walking through some scrub on our hillside property a few years back, I happened upon a juvenile moose about four feet at the shoulder. As I stood about 15 feet away, my first thought was: "I hope mom isn't around". She wasn't, and the youngster just sauntered off.

I had the same thing happen in the early 80's while backpacking in the Weminuche wilderness outside of Durango Colorado. I was off the trail down in a draw with fishing pole in hand headed for a creek. Stepped out into an opening through some thich brush and a juvenile that size was staring at me from 20' away. Very slowly I backed up into the bushes then tiptoed a wide circle back to camp....no fishing that evening. I got harassed by my buddys who said it had to have been an Elk....I didn't think there were any moose in Co either...but it was darn sure a moose. Later we ran into a Ranger that said they were released in 78-79 & had been making a comeback....I was vindicated:thumbsup:

joshuabardwell · Mar 18, 2014

I haven't got any experience with moose, but I have a ram that sometimes gets uppity, so I feel like I at least have some sense of what might be going on here. I don't feel too critical of the guy's response to the situation. The moose was spoiling for a fight. He's looking for another animal to butt heads with. The photographer did the right thing, IMO, by making himself as small and un-threatening a target as possible. The second he gets up and starts moving, the moose gets more excited. The moose is working himself up to start butting and kicking, but the photographer doesn't play that game. IMO, by lowering his head, the photographer is just protecting his face and eyes.

Where MotorSeven saw a "nonchalant attitude," I saw a guy keeping his cool and not panicking under a stressful situation.

I have no idea why the folks in vehicles didn't move in to help the guy, though.

/pine · Mar 18, 2014

I think there was a thread about this same video a while back...

As far as I remember the elk was euthanized after this idiot photographer disobeyed the rules...

Elk Euthanized after Encounter with Photographer Goes Viral | TIME.com

HIDDENHFARM · Mar 18, 2014

The wildlife people came in the next week and destroyed the young elk after the video went out. I believe there is a rule in the park that people are supposed to stay at least 100 feet from the animals. Hated the result for the young fellow.

J_J · Mar 18, 2014

What I saw was one dumb idiot, having no value for his eyes.

Under ten sec, that elk could have impaled him on his antlers and gouged his eyes out and maybe what little brain the dipstick had.

He was showing off, and it could have gone real bad.

Would you stick your face on any elks antlers?

Would you stick your face in a rattlesnakes face.

You might say this is different. I say stupid is stupid.

cqaigy2 · Mar 18, 2014

That was an elk right? I see reference to a moose but didn't see that video, just the elk one. I'd not try to get that close to either one, unless it was in a squeeze chute, then i might pet it.

I saw a show on tv where they put a camera in an armored container that was mount onto a rc car of some sort, they took pictures of a pride of lions i think it was. That's the way to take closeups like that.