Moose are becoming increasingly common in the Adirondacks. An Adirondack Almanack post dated September 2006 stated an estimated population of 200-400. The latest statistics show the population at roughly 500 for the state park. The number of resident moose is growing and, according to some, reaching a stage at which they may increase more prolifically. Whitetail deer and turkey enjoyed the same numeric spike in recent decades.

Some accounts have placed sightings near Copper Kiln Pond and along the Hardy Road in Wilmington. The northern section of the Northville Placid Trail to Duck Hole and beyond harbors moose as well, based on moose droppings spotted along the trail. Reports also placed a moose and calf along Route 73 between Lake Placid and the Cascade Lake area.

It wasn’t until October 18th, that I finally made a sighting of my own, not deep in the woods or along a remote back road, but while driving to church with my wife along Victor Herbert Road near Mirror Lake Drive. Its relaxed demeanor, graceful gait and placid appearance were a relaxing distraction from life’s sometimes fast pace. In contrast to their beauty, however, it’s important to remember to keep a safe distance especially during the autumn rut.

As most residents know, it’s equally important to pay extra attention to the roadsides during early morning and twilight for any member of the deer family especially since eye shine is not usually effective due to their height. If a deer can do substantial damage to a car, a moose can do much more with a weight well surpassing 1000 pounds for a bull.

More information is available at this link on the DEC website.

Ellen Rathbone

Ellen Rathbone is by her own admission a "certified nature nut." She began contributing to the Adirondack Almanack while living in Newcomb, when she was an environmental educator for the Adirondack Park Agency's Visitor Interpretive Centers for nearly ten years.

Ellen graduated from SUNY ESF in 1988 with a BS in forestry and biology and has worked as a naturalist in New York, New Jersey, and Vermont.

In 2010 her work took her to Michigan, where she currently resides and serves as Education Director of the Dahlem Conservancy just outside Jackson, Michigan.

She also writes her own blog about her Michigan adventures.

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