Homer man killed in moose attack tried to photograph calves, cops say

Updated: 18 Seconds ago Published: 42 Some minutes ago

A Homer man who died Sunday after being injured by a cow moose was trying to photograph the moose and two newborn calves, Alaska State Troopers say.

Dale Chorman, 70, was walking with a friend through the brush about 100 yards from his home when they were attacked just before noon Sunday, police spokesman Austin McDaniel said Monday. The men were looking for the moose to take photos, he said.

When the men saw the animal, they both turned and started running, McDaniel said. The other man turned and saw Chorman lying on the ground, over which the moose was standing, he said. Troopers said Sunday that the moose charged at both men and kicked Chorman. McDaniel said Monday that Chorman was injured in the attack, but the state medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

The elk and calves left the area after the attack. Paramedics pronounced Chorman dead at the scene, cops said.

Chorman, a carpenter/builder who was also a naturalist and bear guide, lived in Homer for decades.

His son Nathan Spence-Chorman wrote on social media:

“Dale died on his property as he trudged through the woods with a dear friend looking for a great photo. That was his favorite activity. …Dale was very experienced in dealing with wildlife. He was intimately familiar with nature and was not naive about its dangers. This wasn’t a hapless idiot stumbling into danger – this was a person setting out to take a great photo, knowing the risks, and walking into a dangerous moment.

“The moose is obviously not to blame,” his son wrote. “The mother ungulate does not have to die. She was just protecting her offspring. Dale had noted the day before that the brush was particularly dense this year – thick enough to get closer than intended and accidentally surprise a wild animal.”

In late spring and summer, when they have young calves, cow elk are more likely to become aggressive toward humans.

“Cow elk tirelessly defend their calves from any perceived threat,” McDaniel said. “That’s what we believe happened in this case. We would definitely encourage people to give elk cows, especially those with calves, lots of extra space.”

Wildlife troopers from Anchor Point responded to the scene. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is working with troopers to investigate the incident and determine whether the cow moose poses a risk to public safety, McDaniel said.

Deep snow over the winter also likely played a role in several collisions with elk in the last six months, wildlife officials said. Two people in Mat-Su were injured in separate collisions earlier this year, one in Butte and one in Willow. A man walking his dog on the Kenai Peninsula was injured in late December when a moose attacked him on a popular trail system in Soldotna.

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