September 5, 2011: Moose!

This morning I had a great encounter will a good size bull moose!  I was running near the edge of the lake when I noticed waves on the water, but it was calm and there were no boats around.  Then I heard splashing like waves breaking on the shore.  That was followed shortly by crashes in the woods, and then a soaking wet moose climbed up out of Lake Wicwas right in front of me.  The red dot on the tree is five and half feet above the trail;  with its head up, the moose must be seven feet tall!

Moose, complete with antlers

He detected my presence, but after scoping me out for a minute or two, he walked along the trail in front of me. 

Wet from the lake

He went off the trail in a bit, and I continued running along the trail, expecting the moose to continue west toward the marsh where Chemung Road passes between Lake Wicwas and the swamp south of the lake, where I waited.  And sure enough, it came out of the woods and crossed the road right in front of me.

He clearly saw me, as we watched each other, but it wasn't spooked until a car came along and scared it back into the woods.  He has a small set of antlers, but I expect they will grow larger in the coming weeks, and will be good size by the start of the fall rut.

Knowing it would continue on its intended journey, I waited, and soon it came back down into the lake and waded across the cove, munching on the lake vegetation as it went.

It swam and waded up along the eastern shore of Loon Point, climbing up onto land just before the first house, and probably walked right along Loon Point road.  I went on my way, figuring I had bothered it enough.

It was my best moose sighting at Lake Wicwas ever - they really are majestic animals.