Snowboarder Fined for Moose Harassment

A pair of Montana snowboarders made a name for themselves after chasing a moose down a mountain and filming the whole thing. After they posted the video to Facebook, it earned them national media coverage—and, for 21-year-old snowboarder Charlie Rush, a $225 fine, Fox News reports. The fine is for breaking a federal rule against harassing wild animals. "It’s one of the tools, especially with the video going viral, that law enforcement has to reinforce the educational message that people should not engage wildlife," a Flathead National Forest spokesman tells the Missoulian.

Rush's companion, who filmed the event, defended the snowboarders' adventure. "The moose was in the middle of the run where it wasn’t supposed to be, and we were where we were supposed to be," he says on Facebook. "We were just trying to have fun, and the moose was not hurt at all in the process." It did, however, turn around to face them at the end of the video; apparently it ran into the forest afterward. (More snowboarding stories.)