Why do moose make gun shot sounds?
 

Did you ever hear a moose make a sound that sounds like somebody fired a gun? I've heard gun shots in the woods out of hunting season before, the latest being in early August while trout fishing, and an old timer tells me that moose sometimes point their snout to the ground and make a "bang" sound with their lips that sounds just like a .22, and even leaves a ring clearing in the dirt if they do it on a dirt road.
Has anyone else ever heard tell of this? I've heard tell of this on three different occaisions over the years by three different people. If you have, can you tell me WHY they do this?

never heard of it...

Well, I found the answer to my question. Bull moose will do a sound with their lips that sounds just like a .22 when they are annoyed. When I heard it those times, I would have been in relative close proximity to a bull moose, and he was letting me know he was rather aggrivated with my presence.

Moose make a sound like a 22 shot with their mouth?
That's a new one !!

Yep. It's even on a moose calling video a guy told me about.

Is it popping their teeth like a bear will do or some kind of noise made by forcing air out?

No joke.

Lived my whole life around moose and never heard a noise like that.

Iv never heard such a thing either

Well, now you know. I've heard it three times over the last thirty years. (we have a lot of mose in these parts). I'm not sure how they DO it as I've never seen them do it (just heard it while the moose would theoretically be maybe twenty - thirty yards away or closer?), but I'm told they just puff air out their lips with their snout down to the ground, kind of like you would hold your lips closed tightly, then all of a sudden let the air out to make a popping sound.

These moose need to knock it off with the firecrackers in the back woods.

Don't they know about the fire danger?

Maybe there was no fire ban on at the time?i hope he knew his target and beyond.