How/where do they hide the moose?

[quilteresq]

Actually, it has to do with their habitat. While they can be found in deep woods, they like grasses, pond vegetation, and definitely browse the branches of seedling trees, especially in winter. Not a lot of food for them in the woods, but there is shelter. So, they're not all that common on the ridges that make up the trail. We have property on a small mountain in NH. I've never seen moose poop on the trail going up the mountain, but it's all over our property, which was logged 2005-ish. They bed down at the top of the property, so lots of them up there. From our critter cam: 47173_10151248317426550_1134117513_n.jpg

[rickb]

They turn off their cloaking devices at

[rickb]

They turn off thier cloaking devices at Sandy Stream Pond.

Not a bad reason to brave the Knife Edge and end one's hike at Roaring Brook CG in Baxter State Park.

[Odd Man Out]

A friend of mine was a wildlife biologist for the MI DNR. Back in the 1980's when they relocated moose from Ontario to the UP of MI, he was the "moose catcher". They used helicopters to chase the moose on the frozen lakes and then dart them. They would then air lift them to a place with road access for transport by truck. My friend got to stand under the helicopter, in -20 deg weather as they lowered the moose onto him. Now THAT'S a moose encounter.

[Rasty]

Arlo...interest singer...my favorite...I don't want a pickle, just want to ride on my motor cicle.

A five foot cop with a six foot gun!

[Don H]

if you were up there last august i believe this is the moose. someone told me shed been around the area for quiite a while

That's her! I'd recognize that big fat nose anywhere
Yes I was there on August 7th last year. I just reread my TJ for that day and I noted I was within 10' of the moose before I saw it. I heard later that people at the hut were trying to feed it by hand and take pictures of it up close. Not too smart.

[hikerboy57]

I figured 50 ft was as close as i wanted to get.didnt see anyone trying to feed her.

[LIhikers]

Here's my photo of the moose at Madison Springs Hut

NH 2011 088.jpg

[Highway Man]

A hiker told me that he saw a moose in northern MA. I noticed plenty of evidences along the trail in southern VT and ME. I saw much moose tracks, and heard rutting calls at midnight in ME a few times, but never encoutered one till the last two days of my thru hike.

Less than 10 minutes into Katahdin State Park boundary from the register box, in a heavy thunderstorm.

[1azarus]

half seriously, their legs are long enough so that you can mistake them (their legs...) for saplings and not notice their bodies nestled up in the tree branches and leaves. well, i take that half part back. i am serious. oh, and all the pictures everyone else posted are of relatively short-legged young moose. the older ones are taller. (half serious, again...)

[SCRUB HIKER]

The Madison Springs Moose is named Lola. It too was the only moose I saw on the whole Trail. I was very disappointed, especially because the trail maintainer who writes the awesome Q&A for the Poplar Ridge shelter in the Saddlebacks made it sound like you couldn't sneeze without hitting a moose in Maine. Bill Bryson even saw one (although he "couldn't pull his camera out in time" ... make of that what you will). Friends hiking the same places on the same days as me saw up to four. I feel your pain, OP.

[walknrow]

I had to smile at Baxter S.P., hearing the shouts of "moose," here and "moose" there with every siting. Usually, they were in a creek and too far away to catch even much of a glimpse.

And then, on my hike to Chimney Pond, just wandering along, marveling at it all, and looking at the ground alot to keep my footing, well, I look up, and right in front of me, I'll be generous, and say oh about 40 maybe 50 feet, was mama moose and calf.

There wasn't much I could do, with a steep wooded bank to the left of me and drop-off to the right...I ended up bracing myself against a sturdy tree on the drop-off side...and waited for her to pass. (In writing this, I kind of wonder why I didn't just walk back down the trail a piece...?? On the other hand, I know what effort it took getting up it!) Pass she did, walked right by and I could have reached out and petted her. She stopped not too far down trail, and waited for her calf. Left behind, it called and called, but mama stayed put. Eventually the little one walked up the bank into the wooded area, keeping a wide bearth around me, and then the two went on their way.

I stayed put, and never said a word. Took a few pics, but it looks like ghost-moose. I didn't have "steady-shot" on, (didn't even know how to put it on), and admit, I even have shots of some signs that are blurred.

After the whole adventure, there were a couple hikers who had been up-trail and saw the whole thing, amazed. Still makes me smile.

Same trip a day or so later, on the road to BSP a young buck was crossing the road. With no traffic, I slowed and stopped, keeping an eye on the young 'en. He had entered the woods and stopped, and stood watching me. I did get a shot of him, titled "Watching you, watching me." My favorite pic of the whole trip. And then a car came, and he turned and was quickly out of sight.

[G-FOURce]

Arlo...interest singer...my favorite...I don't want a pickle, just want to ride on my motor cicle.

A five foot cop with a six foot gun!

I was goin' 150 miles an hour sideways and 500 feet down
at the same time.

(i love that song! my father was a big fan and every thanksgiving we listen to Alice's Restaurant during breakfast.)

[Prime Time]

People shoot moose, and they have figured that out. The only place they will run into people while in the woods is along a trail and they have figured that out too. You can figure out the rest.

[LIhikers]

My wife and I camped along the trail a short distance northbound from Zealand Falls hut. The next morning, as we were packing up, our dog alerts to something and my wife looks up to see a good sized male slowly meandering along the trail munching on trees. It was only a few feet away and was more concerned about eatting than the threat we might pose. By the time I got my camera I would have had to scurry around to get a good shot. Instead I just stood and enjoyed the beauty of it all.

[wcgornto]

Good thing you weren't here in Alaska. You would have been stomped. Cows with calves don't take too kindly to sharing the trail in Alaska.

http://www.adn.com/search_results?q=moose%20stomp

I had to smile at Baxter S.P., hearing the shouts of "moose," here and "moose" there with every siting. Usually, they were in a creek and too far away to catch even much of a glimpse.

And then, on my hike to Chimney Pond, just wandering along, marveling at it all, and looking at the ground alot to keep my footing, well, I look up, and right in front of me, I'll be generous, and say oh about 40 maybe 50 feet, was mama moose and calf.

There wasn't much I could do, with a steep wooded bank to the left of me and drop-off to the right...I ended up bracing myself against a sturdy tree on the drop-off side...and waited for her to pass. (In writing this, I kind of wonder why I didn't just walk back down the trail a piece...?? On the other hand, I know what effort it took getting up it!) Pass she did, walked right by and I could have reached out and petted her. She stopped not too far down trail, and waited for her calf. Left behind, it called and called, but mama stayed put. Eventually the little one walked up the bank into the wooded area, keeping a wide bearth around me, and then the two went on their way.

I stayed put, and never said a word. Took a few pics, but it looks like ghost-moose. I didn't have "steady-shot" on, (didn't even know how to put it on), and admit, I even have shots of some signs that are blurred.

After the whole adventure, there were a couple hikers who had been up-trail and saw the whole thing, amazed. Still makes me smile.

Same trip a day or so later, on the road to BSP a young buck was crossing the road. With no traffic, I slowed and stopped, keeping an eye on the young 'en. He had entered the woods and stopped, and stood watching me. I did get a shot of him, titled "Watching you, watching me." My favorite pic of the whole trip. And then a car came, and he turned and was quickly out of sight.

[LIhikers]

Good thing you weren't here in Alaska. You would have been stomped. Cows with calves don't take too kindly to sharing the trail in Alaska.

http://www.adn.com/search_results?q=moose%20stomp

My wife and I had an uneventful, Alaskan, moose encounter when we were there in 2006.
We spent the day riding bicycles around Anchorage and then rode the length of the Tony Knoles (spelling?) trail. The end of it was in a residential neighborhood and we watched as a mother, and 2 calves, wondered through that neighborhood eatting everyone's shrubery. They didn't seem concerened about us at all.

[fiddlehead]

Moose brains are not so big, so, it's amazing that they have survived this long.
Of course the hunters like them because they look big on the wall. (and the meat tastes pretty good)
So, they are protected for a reason.
If you have not seen one in Maine, it's probably because you have not spent enough time there.
I have hit one with my van, saw them from my kayak while running rapids, tracked one on a thru-hike until it was only 30 feet away, been pursued by one chasing me for over 10 minutes, eaten their meat, and had to wait for them to cross the road in front of me numerous times. While hiking, Baxter state park and anywhere north of Saddleback is where I've seen most of them.
Although I've seen them in NH and southern Maine (near Waterboro) also.
Plenty of them in WY and MT and ID too.

[PD230SOI]

Having grown up with moose in Maine I never thought too highly of their intellect....

However one trick you might use is to stop looking for a moose, a whole moose that is. Start looking for moose parts and you might see them. You are not going to see them in full profile too often, but you will see an ear twitch or a leg shift, or some other body part if you look carefully.

[wiel]

Did you try the moose lodge?