Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey was compelled to kill a moose on Monday during the 2024 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race near Skwentna, Alaska. The incident occurred after one of Seavey’s dogs suffered an injury. This prompted him to use a handgun in self-defense. According to race officials, the moose had become entangled with the dogs and the musher.
5-time champion Iditarod dog sled race musher Dallas Seavey forced to defend dogs during moose encounter
Seavey, 37, explained to an Iditarod Insider television crew that the moose had fallen onto his sled. This led him to address the situation as best he could. “I gutted it the best I could, but it was ugly,” he said.
The five-time Iditarod champion encountered the moose 14 miles beyond the Skwentna checkpoint on Monday at 1:43 a.m. At the time, he and his dogs were headed to the next checkpoint in Finger Lake. The checkpoint was approximately 50 miles away. Upon reaching Finger Lake, he promptly dropped off the injured dog. The hurt animal was subsequently flown to Anchorage, Alaska, for veterinary evaluation. Race Marshal Warren Palfrey informed Alaska State Troopers about the moose’s presence on the trail — per PEOPLE.
Palfrey stated in a release, “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.” He confirmed an investigation is underway concerning the incident’s compliance with the race’s regulations regarding the “killing of game animals.”
In the race guidelines, an “edible big game animal” like a moose, caribou, or buffalo can be taken down for defense of life or property. The competitor must then gut the animal and report the incident at the subsequent checkpoint. Teams following are obligated to assist in gutting where possible. Furthermore, if any teams encounter the musher dealing with the animal, they must wait until the situation is resolved before passing.
Paige Drobny, another competitor in the 2024 race, informed Iditarod officials at the Finger Lake checkpoint that the animal’s carcass was still blocking the trail. “Yeah, my team had to maneuver around it; it was right smack in the middle,” Drobny explained.
