Snowboarders chase moose down ski run

An online video of two local snowboarders chasing a moose down a slope at Whitefish Mountain Resort has gone viral and caused wildlife officials to investigate possible wildlife harassment charges.

The video posted on Facebook Dec. 19 by Whitefish High School sophomore Hunter Lamoureux shows snowboarder Charlie Rush following a moose down a run on Big Mountain.

Lamoureux is heard laughing while Rush cruises down the narrow slope behind the animal. The video cuts off when the moose stops in the middle of the run and attempts to charge.

The video was picked up by Yahoo Sports and Deadspin and had more than 200 shares on Facebook.

Rush says they were not tormenting the moose.

“We ourselves also hid for a second,” Rush explained in a Facebook post. “Then [we] realized the only way to get past the moose was to go at it. There were people hiding in the trees that also thanked us for herding the moose away. The moose pretty much trapped people on the runs.”

Lamoureux said they were just trying to slip past the animal.

“The moose kept running,” he explained. We were just trying to have fun, and the moose was not hurt at all in the process. Even though we should’ve left it alone due to the danger of the animal.”

John Fraley of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said the warden captain looked at the video and decided wildlife harassment charges weren’t appropriate.

“We looked into it, but our statutes on harassing wildlife don’t cover snowboarding,” he said. “There will be no citation.”

Fraley says it’s not the first time there has been a run-in with wildlife on the ski slopes.

“In the past, moose have chased people around,” he said. “This is the first video I’ve seen of people chasing the moose.”

Fraley said Fish, Wildlife and Parks will work with the ski resort to educate skiers about ways to avoid wildlife conflicts.

“Wildlife is stressed in the winter,” Fraley said. “With the snow depths, they’re struggling already.”

He said an encounter with a moose could be dangerous.

“Try to avoid an encounter,” he said. “It’s good for the animal and it’s good for you.”

Baldwin is the editor of the Whitefish Pilot.