It's the Nature of the Beast!

When you own a singular breed of dogs for over thirty years, you learn to understand the different types of barks, howls, and whines. When your hear barking of a different kind, it obviously means something new.

One late afternoon in the fall, I realized that the three dogs were barking in our woods some distance to the northwest. It was a frantic barking and they were very excited. I dropped what I was doing and headed for the sound, to see what all the fuss was about.

As I drew near to the commotion I started calling out the dog’s names in the hope of bringing them to me. My chief concern was the possibility that they had discovered a porcupine and would be on the losing end of the exchange.

The bush was very dense and it was difficult to see more than ten feet ahead of me. I cautiously approached and continued to call the dogs but no one paid any attention to me. I could hear branches and small trees cracking and then the loud growl of a bear.

I stopped where I was, as I had no intention of walking into the middle of three dogs and a bear fighting.
Slowly backing away I kept calling the dogs and then realized that the commotion seemed to be coming towards me. I learned long ago that Norwegian Elkhounds will instinctively drive game towards the hunter.

Not wishing to have a bear driven into my lap, I began to work my way through the thick woods to the western edge, until I was able to step out onto a plowed field. I could still hear the crashing of branches and the occasional deep growl of the bear trying to warn the dogs off. The commotion continued to follow me.

As I stepped out into the field, the three dogs managed to drive the animal right to me. Suddenly, a large cow moose and her 6 month old calf burst out of the wood almost on top of me. The mother was doing a great job, staying between the dogs and her calf.

No matter how hard the dogs tried to nip at their heels the big moose spun around, to face the attacking dogs, knocking down small trees and branches. She would charge at the closest dog but, as Elkhounds are want to do, it nimbly jumped out of the way, while another dog attacked.

When everyone was out in the open, the three dogs ran over to me with tails wagging, no doubt expecting praise for a job well done.

Once the moose saw me, they turned and headed north across the field, alongside the woods. They both looked in prime condition and showed no signs of injury.

I was able to keep the dogs from following, so the four of us, panting and out of breath, headed for home.

I have never heard of a moose growling before. In fact I cannot ever recall reading or having been told that a moose can growl and sound exactly like a bear. She certainly convinced me a bear was in the woods nearby.