# Do people ride moose in Canada or USA?



## Raven348

Hi!

I've researched the brilliant idea of riding moose. I've found out that there is one guy in Sweden doing it. Apparently he has run in to several problems, all which have either been partially solved or proven non critical problems. 

Problems had been; he didn't know how to train it, he solved that by training it both like a dog and like a horse and noticed which worked for each situation. Moose are sometimes violent, he solved this by showing himself dominant all the time, much the same as elephant trainers do. He got a costume made bridle and horseshoes that needed to be attached by a veterinarian (since moose don't have hoofs). Of course riding the moose was just barely working. Though it did "work" in the sense that he was able to ride and control where the moose was going, without being thrown of.

I also found a town in Russia where they have selectively breed moose since the Soviet era in hopes of one day have a breed of moose that are better suited for riding and other domestic uses. Very little information was to be found about this place, apparently nowadays they financed the whole thing by tourism, since the moose was already calm enough not to be dangerous.

I found nothing in the other two moose countries, USA and Canada. Have anyone of your ever heard of someone trying to ride a moose? Any attempts to train moose or even domesticate them?

(Yes, I have seen the clip of the guy trying to jump on a moose and get thrown off)

(Yes, I know the Swedish army tried to train moose in the 19th century)

(Yes, I know this is a silly topic)

:flower:


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## NaeKid

Umm ... I haven't heard of it before, so if anyone has been ridin' moose, they haven't shared it with me ..


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## gypsysue

Well, they're cracking down on keeping Elk domestically on "elk farms" and it isn't legal to keep deer domestically in the USA. I'm guessing it probably isn't legal to capture or keep a moose here, so I don't know if anyone has had a chance to try. 

Moose MEAT is pretty tasty, I know that! lol


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## The_Blob

gypsysue said:


> Well, they're cracking down on keeping Elk domestically on "elk farms" and it *isn't legal to keep deer domestically in the USA*. I'm guessing it probably isn't legal to capture or keep a moose here, so I don't know if anyone has had a chance to try.
> 
> Moose MEAT is pretty tasty, I know that! lol


better tell THESE guys that...  

Ohio Deer Farms

Deer Directory Featured Listing - Blackhawk Farm

TOWCOW Deer Farm


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## *Andi

I want to know what kind of fence you use to keep a moose in with. 

One of our friends from "up North" said they were 'heck' on the fence they had around their dairy farm???


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## Tirediron

A Logger in Either Alaska or Northern BC had one that he skidded logs with, until breeding season and the moose would disappear for a while . I will see if I can find a link.

I don't think they would be the best choice, moose tend to not consider consequences at all:dunno:


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## gypsysue

There's one elk farm still here in NW Montana but the government has shut most of them down out of fear of "bruselosis" (however it's spelled) possibly starting and spreading to cattle, which is the livelihood of a lot of people here.

In the article about shutting down the farms, it stated that deer farms or keeping deer domestically had been outlawed in the US because of the concern over Cronic wasting disease. Maybe they only meant Whitetail deer? dunno. I don't have time to click on the links above, but thanks for posting the information. It's good to know, even if I'm the one who's wrong!

Based on what I've heard/read, I assumed moose probably haven't been domesticated and probably wouldn't be allowed to be. 

Tirediron, that's interesting about one being used to skid logs. They certainly look strong enough! We have a lot of them around here and have been challenged by and almost run over by a few.


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## HarleyRider

Tirediron said:


> A Logger in Either Alaska or Northern BC had one that he skidded logs with, until breeding season and the moose would disappear for a while .


He should have known that the moose was at his weekly meeting at the Moose Lodge!


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## horseman09

Gypsysue, the reporter who wrote that article needed to research a little better. There are lots -- and I do mean lots -- of whitetail deer farms here in PA. Kinda funny because we also have a very healthy wt wild population. In fact, there are more deer in the county where I live than people. Suits me just fine. 

As to chronic wasting disease, according to the PA Game Commission, chronic wasting disease does not occur in PA. Ahhh, consider the source, though.


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## The_Blob

horseman09 said:


> Ahhh, consider the source, though.


*TRUTH* :gaah:


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## bstickler92

i saw this and i immediately thought of i picture that my TA in my history 153 class showed us in one of our lessons, there was a river too deep for teddy roosevelt to cross so he rode a moose across it. so i do know teddy did it a long time ago
edit: found picture:


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## The_Blob

bstickler92 said:


> i saw this and i immediately thought of i picture that my TA in my history 153 class showed us in one of our lessons, there was a river too deep for teddy roosevelt to cross so he rode a moose across it. so i do know teddy did it a long time ago
> edit: found picture:


OR the Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen?


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## Catastrophy

I visited a zoo in Finland, and didn't recognise the moose as they were youngsters with no antlers ... turns out the previous moose had had enough of captivity and escaped one night! 

Perhaps riding reindeer would be better, after all it works for Santa!


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## gypsysue

Catastrophy said:


> Perhaps riding reindeer would be better, after all it works for Santa!


Santa rides reindeer? :scratch I thought he rode behind them! :dunno::ignore:
But I get your point!


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## Tirediron

A bunch of moose use images moose logging - Google Search AND a bunch of other crap


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## Calebra

I don't know if you ever seen one upclose but I don't think I'd have testicular fortitude to even climb one.I was cutting firewood a few months ago and saw one about 40 feet off. Just standing there and completly ignoring me or my chainsaw.So I bravely turned around, took out my lunch and my vallet,set em on the ground and drove away . But seriously--I'd rather kick a tiger in the testes.


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## Tirediron

They definately have an attitude, one you would expect from a large carnivour
I am pretty sure the ones people ride are raised from a calf


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## lotsoflead

they're to unpredictable like a holstein bull, one second they're standing beside you, they next second, they're standing over you with a horn thru your kidney.


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## efbjr

Raven348 said:


> Hi!
> 
> I've researched the brilliant idea of riding moose. I've found out that there is one guy in Sweden doing it. Apparently he has run in to several problems, all which have either been partially solved or proven non critical problems.
> 
> Problems had been; he didn't know how to train it, he solved that by training it both like a dog and like a horse and noticed which worked for each situation. Moose are sometimes violent, he solved this by showing himself dominant all the time, much the same as elephant trainers do. He got a costume made bridle and horseshoes that needed to be attached by a veterinarian (since moose don't have hoofs). Of course riding the moose was just barely working. Though it did "work" in the sense that he was able to ride and control where the moose was going, without being thrown of.
> 
> I also found a town in Russia where they have selectively breed moose since the Soviet era in hopes of one day have a breed of moose that are better suited for riding and other domestic uses. Very little information was to be found about this place, apparently nowadays they financed the whole thing by tourism, since the moose was already calm enough not to be dangerous.
> 
> I found nothing in the other two moose countries, USA and Canada. Have anyone of your ever heard of someone trying to ride a moose? Any attempts to train moose or even domesticate them?
> 
> (Yes, I have seen the clip of the guy trying to jump on a moose and get thrown off)
> 
> (Yes, I know the Swedish army tried to train moose in the 19th century)
> 
> (Yes, I know this is a silly topic)
> 
> :flower:


Moose and squirell! They'll show you how to do it!


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## dunappy

Moose have been used for pulling, but for the most part they are unstable and unpredictable for serious use. Additionally you would need to raise one from a baby because once they are actually big enough to ride, if you haven't trained them before hand are way to dangerous to get near. Any "wild" animal is not going to make it as good for transportation as a domestic raised animal. The only exceptions to that are "wild" horses and domestic Caribou. You would have better luck training and raising a steer or horse to ride and pull then you would a moose.


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## mmszbi

When I lived in Alaska, there was a very old restuarant, can't remember the name that had hundreds of old photos all over the walls, one was of a saddled and bridled moose.
I know it has been tried, but never seen it with my own peepers.


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## Jerseyzuks

A Møøse once bit my sister ...

No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse
with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given
her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and
star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo
Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst
Nordfink".

Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti...


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## lovetogrow

I really got a chuckle when I first read the topic of this thread. I was raised in Moose country, and have eaten a lot of delicious moose in my day. 

Never heard tell of anybody trying to ride one in these parts though :lolsmash:


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## MrSfstk8d

Jerseyzuks said:


> A Møøse once bit my sister ...
> 
> No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse
> with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given
> her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and
> star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo
> Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst
> Nordfink".
> 
> Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti...


The persons responsible for the previous quote have just been sacked.


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## BasecampUSA

http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2011/02/can-moose-be-used-as-beast-of-burden.html

http://tinyurl.com/4upefza

Sweden:









and Finland...
Mies ratsasti uivalla hirvellä - Ilta-Sanomat
Video has an ad before it comes on...









(Actual roadsign in Sweden, no photoshop) 

The Swedish Army tried to use them for the cavalry back in the 1700's... failed... ate them instead!


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## desertrider479

Riding Moose! Think about it!

Pros.---You cover a lot of ground in a short time.

Cons.---It may not be the ground you intended to cover!

Overall---You may find out that it's easier to get a hold of the moose than it is to get shed of it!!! Why would you not just use a horse or a good mule since they are already set up for that kind of work?


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## TechAdmin

I would ride a moose. Never rode a horse, seems a moose and I have more in common.


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## *Andi

Austin said:


> I would ride a moose. Never rode a horse, seems a moose and I have more in common.


I'll take the horse!


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## Alaskaorbust

As I understand it Moose love the sound of a chainsaw... They think they will get to eat the leaves of the tree being cut down.

I know they can be very dangerous and often attack people especialy if they have dog with them. They also attack dogs because they resemble wolves.

My impression is that they are big goofy and often dangerous creatures that would make a better dinner than a ride.

My wife loves them and thinks they are cute. (what does that say about me?)

I think I would like to try hunt for moose to use for meat.


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## The_Blob

Alaskaorbust said:


> As I understand it Moose love the sound of a chainsaw... They think they will get to eat the leaves of the tree being cut down.


:hmmm: maybe I'll get the chance to test out my new *STIHL MOOSE LURE*!










:2thumb: :2thumb: :2thumb: :2thumb: :2thumb:


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## lucaspm98

I would rather eat it. :2thumb:


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## Alaskalady

Stihl moose lure! lol. 

People talking about riding moose have not seen them. They are not only unpredictably mean, they are very strong and enormous. It would require a ladder to get up on one to ride it. They have a stuffed one here in town that they bring out for tourists to sit on and get pics. That is probably responsible for most of these crazy ideas about riding them.

You don't get old without a healthy respect for moose and giving them a LOT of space. People get killed by moose once in a while in Alaska. A moose cow went berserk in a parking lot after her calf was killed in traffic. She trashed a lot of cars by kicking them. Just think what one of those could do to people.


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## chelsea258

turns out the previous moose had had enough of captivity and escaped one night!


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