Posted on 02/02/2018 7:06:22 AM PST by marktwain
In early 2016, Chauncy G. Goodrich and his family started having problems with a young bull moose on their property near Pinedale, Wyoming.
They were repeatedly chased by the moose. They tried various non lethal methods to haze the moose away. They worked for a short period, but the bull continued to hang around the area.
By July of 2017, the non-lethal methods were exhausted and/or were no longer effective. Chauncy took a 7 mm Magnum with him as a precaution when he attempted to chase the moose off his property and away from his wife and young children.
The bull was in velvet. It started to move away, then charged him. He shot it in the chest, and it died. Chauncy called the game warden and texted him.
“He stated he tried to push the moose away from his house when it charged him and he shot it,” it says. “… On 7/24/2017 he texted me saying he had put that bull down.”
Last Tuesday, July 25, Roundup reporters went to the Schroeder Ranch, near Goodrich’s property, where they observed a dead bull moose lying in tall grass, its antlers in the velvet stage.
Haley’s affidavit states that he, Pinedale supervisor John Lund and Warden Jordan Kraft went to the “kill site” and found the moose with a single gunshot wound to its left chest and a spent 7 mm magnum rifle casing by the tree where Goodrich reported to be when he shot it.
“The wound path indicated the bull was shot as it was facing Goodrich head on,” Haley wrote.
Moose have killed and maimed numerous people with their hoofs.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
I have fired one of these more than a few times... Not something that you would spend a whole afternoon with on the range without a few shot bags. Ouch!
Here in Minneapolis you can shoot an unarmed white woman as long as you are a Muslim cop. I don’t think I could get away with shooting a moose even though one bit my sister.
Chauncy was charged with the illegal take of a moose. The crime is a high misdemeanor with a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. ...I suspect Chancy's legal fees were a couple of thousand dollars. He did not spend time in jail.
I like Washington State's system. If you are prosecuted in a self-defense case, and are found not guilty, the state will reinburse you.
That would be a good law in all of the states.
You won’t believe what a m00se did to mi sister.
Thread winner!
Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretti nasti...
Took a 7mm to a long range shooting course and trust me... never again. Rather get kicked by a mule.
You expect this kind of malicious prosecution in California, not Wyoming.
At the risk of being accused of lack of moral compass I would probably have put the moose in the freezer, dug a hole and buried the rest and planted a few blueberry bushes on top. :-)
What motive would this guy have had to shot the moose, other than self-defense? It was a young moose in velvet, so I doubt it would be harvested for a trophy. He called in the kill, so it appears that he was making no attempts to harvest the meat illegally. Unless the shooter had a history of recklessly killing animals just to kill, it appears that his story is more plausible than any story concocted by the prosecutors in the case.
As to the original question, anything .270 and above is probably adequate for self-defense against a moose, with calibers in the mid-.30s being more preferable for purely self-defense. Obviously in this case, a .284 (7mm) was adequate to deter the attack without even hitting the central nervous system. I'd have no qualms about hunting Shiras moose (with a low likelihood of a charge) with a 7mm.
Avoiding all police/authority interaction is wise, not immoral.
Morally, you owe those people nothing.
Every interaction with them is an opportunity to destroy your life or the lives of your family.
Once while fishing with my small kids I found myself within a few yards of a big bull moose in velvet. He just appeared all the sudden. He was docile and we were able to get out things and leave. He was very impressive that close but I was really glad it was not during the rut.
I agree. That said, it depends on this guy's house/ranch. If the odds of a random discovery are low, shovel and shut up.
I've had a black bear come into the kitchen window, almost making it into the house before my wife ran it off. If one ever does make it inside and I kill it, I will have the same dilemma. If I can just remove the carcass and go about my business I will. If enough attention was attracted it's going to cost me a lot of money for simply defending my home and that disgusts me.
It depends where you are and the local authorities.
In GA its like the end of the world if you kill a bear. Its like killing the last passenger pigeon. Never mind that we are lousy with bears here. If we ever have to kill one its going in a large hole out in the back forty somewhere.
I'd be surprised if you got in trouble anywhere if you shoot a bear that is inside your house. A prosecutor would know that even the dumbest jury ever impaneled would recognize that a bear in a house would reasonably be seen as threat worthy of self-defense actions. While a black bear isn't normally aggressive, one that perceives itself as being cornered is perfectly capable of inflicting lethal wounds.
If it has a tracking collar on be sure to remove it first,nail it to a piece of 2x4 and drop it it in the nearest river. Can't have a crew from the dept of wildlife come nosing around because Yogi hasn't moved for the last 2 weeks.
I do not believe I'd be in legal trouble that would jeopardize my freedom. I do however believe several things would happen because I live in New Jersey.
1. They would seize the gun I shot it with.
2. They would probably seize ALL my guns, you know, for safety. Whose safety is in debate, but you know, for safety.
3. I would need to appear at depositions, hearings, or whatever at least once probably several times. This would require that I take off from work.
4. I would probably need to retain a lawyer to make sure I don't get railroaded for something.
5. The proceedings would probably stretch out over months, complicating and stressing my life.
I could be wrong, but there are enough bear lovers (you killed a dolphin of the woods!!) or some prosecutor trying to earn his bones on my back. It's very risky as far as I'm concerned.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.