Photos: Jim Shockey Finds Moose Wrapped around Tree

How did this happen? That’s the question everyone is asking after famed outdoorsman and hunter Jim Shockey posted these pictures to Facebook earlier this year.

“Nature can be beautiful…and it can be harsh,” he wrote. “This poor moose never had a chance after it got its hoof caught between the tree trunks. Hard to say how it happened, it wasn’t chased by predators or it would have been eaten!”

The moose carcass appeared to be untouched, so it’s anybody’s guess what happened. Some suspect that the animal may have been running in the dark and had gotten twisted up in the tree. Other hunters, who recognized similar scenarios, say the moose may have been trying to reach up to eat some of the fir boughs when its leg slipped and got stuck. Additionally, that may have happened when snow was higher than seen in the picture.

In any case, it looks like a painful—and possibly fatal—mistake.

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