“Moose Catches Horse Chased by Elk”

A humorous article appeared in the latest issue of Bearpaw, the quarterly magazine put out by the Great Smoky Mountain Association and I have quoted the title of the article in toto.

It seems that a North Carolina rancher lends two of his horses, Bill and Rocky, to the Mountain Farm at Oconaluftee for demonstrations each year. Twice early this spring handlers found the corrall fence broken and one of the horses out in an adjacent field. Elk tracks were also noted. The second time it happened, quite a struggle was waged to recapture one of the horses and get him back.

Evidently, Elk #22 lost two of his elk friends, one having died and the other wandered off. Elk are gregarious animals and #22 was lonely, having visited with cows earlier in the year before being relocated within the park. This time old #22 jumped the fence into Bill and Rocky’s field and spooked old Rocky who ran through the fence and took off, galloping down US highway 441 toward Cherokee! That’s when a moose got involved…….Ranger Jay Moose, that is. He grabbed some apples and headed off after Rocky. The Ranger found Rocky’s tracks in the snow and #22’s tracks were in hot pursuit! Somewhat farther along, Ranger Moose noted the elk’s tracks veered off, and very soon he caught up with Rocky, still trotting and determined to put distance between himself and the lonely elk.

Finally the apples did their trick and the horse let himself be caught and walked back to the ranch, some 4 miles back down 441. Both horses have been sent to their owner’s ranch for a break and they will be returned later this fall. Good story!