Looking for suggestions of smaller water bodies to paddle and hopefully see dawn or dusk moose in the Umbagog region of NH. Despite reading and hearing of good moose ops, several past at dawn paddles on the Androscoggin and Magalloway Rivers into Lake Umbagog never offered us a moose along the way. This time, my wife and I are pondering some of the smaller ponds and wetlands, less visited, that might raise our chances. I have the NFCT map which shows some ponds but does not indicate if publically accessible.
Moose happen and never on schedule. I am sure you have heard they are active at dusk and at dawn for a couple of hours. Well they do come out at other times. Sometimes inconveniently -like at might. I have had a couple of encounters at noon or one or two.. all over the clock
Sometimes they are not on the rivers but deep in the woods. One made an unscheduled visit to my neighbors door yesterday. Not a regular visitor.
Last year I took a trip in the Moose River in Maine. Saw no moose. Another paddler took the same trip the next day. Two dozen.
agree a co-worker spent 6 days on the Allagash River last summer and saw not one moose. Later that month, I saw 5 at once on a small pond in Vermont not far from Rutland . . .not far from home.
It really is a roll of the dice You are as likely to see a moose from the water in one area as you are another north of Franconia Notch. Sometimes I get lucky. Most of the time not so much.
I would love to offer up a suggestion for a specific body of water but the truth is if you are planning to see a moose you probably wont. It is just something that happens with time spent in moose country. I would plan on enjoying a nice day paddling on some beautiful northern water instead of planning on seeing wildlife. I mean be realistic with your expectations.
If your heart is set on watching moose, spend some time around 8pm just north of the Pontook reservoir on route 16. They travel through there every day. You might have to make multiple passes but there are almost always dozens of moose hanging out near the road at that time of day. Another almost sure bet is up around the Second Conn. Lake on route 3. A bit out of the way but pretty much the same habitual daily moose visits.
Other places to view moose include an island in the Androscoggin where it runs next to the bike path along Route 1 between Bath and Topsham.
There is one stuck there …it may well stay there with high waters till the current slackens.
another one at a mall in Lewiston was shot in a Bull Moose Music store…It had been around downtown for several days and had a busted leg and was cut up.
mooses I have a friend who’s a park ranger and he says that one of the most frequestly asked questions that he get is “what time does the wildlife go the the wild life viewing stations?”
He actually has a note book full of similar questions:
“I’m comming up to stay in three weeks, will the weather be good?”
Maybe Flagstaff Lake around Stratton, ME. Heck if you don't see a moose from there, you can simply drive Rt 16 between Stratton and Rangeley, we saw 3 moose in the 4 days we were in that area doing some hiking. 2 different days... Very common.
Moose hair reflects VERY little light so when driving at night near woodlands...need to take it easy and watch for either their outline or any lighter brown patches on lower part of hind legs.
They run all around at night and can get blinded by headlights, thus often follow their shadow when tailed by headlights and will then blindly run close to, if not into, approaching cars...often mistaken as "charging into autos" by inexperienced woods motorists.
mister123..LOL, LOL, LOL