AP and I spooked a herd of Elk on an OP river one misty morning. They trotted along the bank for a while as we floated by and then jumped into the river a short way below us and swam to the other side. It was pretty cool to watch a dozen or so animals powering through a substantial river as if it was standing still. Definitely surreal.

I was enamored with the event just long enough to realize I should have been pissed that they jumped into a pretty juicy looking slot that had to have been holding a fish or two.

I had a close call with a moose about two or three years ago on a skinny section of my home river in AK. Coming through a series of blind corners, a decent sized bull launched off of a high bank and into the river just as I rounded the bend wide open and drifting sideways through the turn. I had just enough time to cut inside and miss him by a few feet, probably less. Not sure who would have made out worse in that ordeal. Glad I didn't have to find out.