What should I do if I encounter a moose while /out/? Earlier this year I was walking on a trail in Little Cottonwood Canyon just after sunset and I saw a moose on the trail maybe 30 meters away. A small moose, probably young, but still many times my size and easily able to harm me if I was perceived as a threat. We looked at each other, I pretty much stayed where I was, then the moose casually left the trail back into the forest and I walked back to my car.

I am concerned about what would happen had I been much closer when the moose had seen me, or if I had been running and therefore perceived as a threat, or if there was a mom and baby together, or whatever. How should I react to seeing a moose? Stand still? Back away slowly? Run away? Would the best course of action vary based on how close I am to the moose? How easily do they feel threatened? If I just kept walking towards the moose non-threateningly would I be perceived as a threat? Would the moose attack me or just walk away?

Also, what about bears? I think there are bears around here too. I'm new to the area and not used to being in an area where there are non-human animals big enough to potentially be a threat to me.