Dallas Seavey encounters and dispatches moose outside of Skwentna

Iditarod race officials were notified that veteran musher Dallas Seavey was forced to dispatch a moose in self-defense after the moose became entangled with the dogs and the musher on the trail on Monday.

According to a press release from the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC), Seavey and his team were 14 miles outside of the Skwentna checkpoint on their way to the Finger Lake checkpoint when another musher, reported to be Jessie Holmes, had first encountered the cow and subsequently punched the moose in the nose.

Soon after, while navigating through windy terrain, Seavey and his team encountered the moose, prompting a necessary pause for safety, and forcing him to make the tough decision to fell the moose.

The encounter resulted in a setback for him. Iditarod officials swiftly organized assistance to handle the aftermath, contacting the authorities and confirming the preservation of the animal’s meat.

ITC officials say that Seavey continued on the trail, stopping to rest and feed his dogs and pulled into the Finger Lake checkpoint at 8 a.m. Alaska State Troopers were immediately notified by Race Marshal Warren Palfrey.

While at the Finger Lake checkpoint, Seavey had to drop one dog, Faloo, who was injured during the moose encounter. The dog was immediately flown from Finger Lake to Anchorage and is currently being evaluated by veterinarians in Anchorage.

“With help from snowmobile-aided support in the area, we are making sure that every attempt is made to utilize and salvage the moose meat. I will continue to gather information in this incident as it pertains to Rule 34,” says Race Marshal Warren Palfrey.

This is not the first time mushers have encountered moose or other wildlife while on the trail. In 1985, Susan Butcher was forced to withdraw early when two of her dogs were killed by a crazed moose, despite her attempts to ward the animal off, and thirteen others were injured.

More recently, in 2022, an encounter with a large bull moose stomped on the sled dog team of a rookie Iditarod musher, Bridgett Watkins, who was also forced to put the animal down.