northern bc driving

I was raised to watch for wildlife... mostly this was a tool for hunting - but it is an excellent tool for driving because I see things on the road a few seconds (generally) before I might run into them. I've also been taught that if the road allows it and it's dark out, drive in the middle of the road so if something decides to walk out in front of you you've got an extra second... we spent the afternoon with my parents in nazko, had a yummy moose crumb steak dinner, with basmati rice and mashed carrots and with the damned time change it got dark fast - which is actually fine because I hate driving at dusk.

So we get in the car and I'm watching the road because I'm a trained professional... about 40 km from my parents house the following occurs in less than a few seconds: First let me say that I'm driving in the middle of the road
1) I see something move on my right
2) I see a big dark rear end on the road
3) I realize it is a moose and stay the course hoping it doesn't move
4) I see it is standing in my lane
5) I move a touch more left to give it room
6) I get a blinding light return as it swings its head up
7) I realize I'm now looking at a trophy moose and I see more than 10 points (points are antler points - which means that this is damned big moose) on one side of his head...
8) I see that he is not only looking up now because he's heard me, he is now making for the left of the road - right where I'm trying to go
9) I say "HOLY SHIT!"
10) I pull way over left and now fear that his antlers are going to carve out the ass end of my CRV
11) We pull ahead and it is a miss
12) My heart catches up with my brain and sends in the adrenaline

I've decided that had a been a regular driver I wouldn't be home tonight - I'd have a moose for an ornament on my CRV... or rather I'd be lucky to even have my CRV at all - he'd have landed full into my car - because he didn't see my coming and was likely just as shocked as I was - I'm always looking for my headlights reflecting off of eyes on the sides of the roads - the animals don't usually stand like he was - all ass on the road - eating something in the ditch - I mean come on - he's got the whole ditch to stand in and yet decided tonight to stand on the road to eat... he probably didn't care about the car though - he would have one the battle - I'm sure he out weighed my car....

Good times in Northern BC