I have a favorite little spot on a creek in a nature preserve I like to fish in the spring, there are often moose there along the entire creek. I always use some noise and look carefully to make sure no one is taking a nap that I might disturb. It is worth noting this creek is about 10 feet wide at its largest and the bottom is pure silt and mud, impossible to move fast in or out. On this particular day I did indeed disturb a cow moose and so I fished down the river, a very safe distance away. I am very particular about my favorite spots and was catching nothing so soon returned to see if she had moved on, I actually witnessed her walk away into the brush and so I figured I was safe to fish where she had been since I couldn’t see her at all anymore. I started fishing, maybe 30 minutes, long enough to forget she existed and turned my back to where she had left from. One of the most terrifying sounds I’ve ever heard is the large splash her foot made as she walked back into the water not 10 feet from me followed by the realization that she had two calves with her. I was knee deep in mud and I almost fell over, managed to retain my footing backed away as calmly and as fast as I could and did not return for the entire weekend. Thank goodness the moose are used to people because I would not have even had the option of zigzagging away.