Central MN Moose on the Loose

Not sure how many may have already heard and been following on Facebook the Central MN Moose on the Loose. Kind of fun to follow along as sightings are reported and pictures taken. It seems to have started in Sept 23 in Alton Iowa and the most recent sightings were this morning NE of Clarissa MN. The facebook post has lots of picture and a map tracking the sightings. Hope the little bull can make it to someplace Safe to the North and find other Moose to be around. Several hunters have spotted it during the season. Boy would that be a surprise to see.

Strange how they started in Iowa and they see him almost daily heading north, but no one saw him heading south to begin with?

ThunderLund78 wrote:

Strange how they started in Iowa and they see him almost daily heading north, but no one saw him heading south to begin with?

Alien abduction.

-J.

Anyone have any idea of how old a young bull like that likely is? I wonder if he possibly could have been born someplace to the south. You got to wonder why and where he’s headed to the North. Just natural instinct I’d guess.

I grew up in the area it is currently located. It is only a few miles from out hunting land. Hoping he shows up on one of the trail cameras. Yeah he has become quiet the celebrity.

I think that would be about a 1.5 year old moose, and his first set of antlers. And if he was first spotted in Alton, Iowa I’d bet he came from out west, Wyoming, Montana or Western South Dakota. Would be extremely odd for him to make it from Northern MN to Iowa without being spotted, then turn around and head back there. It’d be a lot easier to travel through SD or northern Nebraska unnoticed.

fishthumper wrote:

Boy would that be a surprise to see.

Haha. That would definitely get my attention too.

fishthumper wrote:

Anyone have any idea of how old a young bull like that likely is? I wonder if he possibly could have been born someplace to the south. You got to wonder why and where he’s headed to the North. Just natural instinct I’d guess.

Seems like when this happens it’s almost always young males that wander. If he were born there you’d think that there would be even more of a chance a cow and calf would’ve been seen at some point. Actually I kind of like not knowing. Cool nature mystery.

I like your theory, Werm! makes sense.

We used to see hundreds of them while deer hunting up by Mahnomen, and let’s just say you know it is NOT a deer pretty quickly . We would often see trains of them 60-100 at once and all calves and cows head to tail in a line heading somewhere. We’d rarely see bulls and they would almost always be in groups of 3-4 or less.

My phone was kinda blowing up from all the folks sending me pics n vids yesterday morning from the Browerville area.
I nearly went to help him cross the interstate at Sauk Centre when he stayed on the south side for a week.

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Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>ThunderLund78 wrote:</div>
Strange how they started in Iowa and they see him almost daily heading north, but no one saw him heading south to begin with?

Alien abduction.

-J.

Teleportation!

BigWerm wrote:

We used to see hundreds of them while deer hunting up by Mahnomen, and let’s just say you know it is NOT a deer pretty quickly . We would often see trains of them 60-100 at once and all calves and cows head to tail in a line heading somewhere. We’d rarely see bulls and they would almost always be in groups of 3-4 or less.

How long ago was this Werm?

Buddy of mine has a hunting shack north of Colville and the last few years haven’t produced a single deer picture on his cams but multiple cow moose with the young

That is really cool BC. I am glad to hear of some sightings. I dont believe I have ever seen a moose in MN, but did in Idaho when snowmobiling.

CaptainMusky wrote:

That is really cool BC. I am glad to hear of some sightings. I dont believe I have ever seen a moose in MN, but did in Idaho when snowmobiling.

I have never seen one. But we did find tracks one year on a hike in the superior national forest. Which is always a little intimidating when your on a 100 mile hike hoping to not run in to a mama and a baby

CaptainMusky wrote:

How long ago was this Werm?

From the 1990’s until early 2000’s probably. Our last couple years up there we stopped seeing them, and I think our last year up there was around 2006.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/22/rutt-moose-minnesota

“When I was a boy, I saw moose all the time at our cabin on Lake of the Woods [in Ontario]. I haven’t seen any since moving to Florida”
That quote for the article is great.

One time snowmobiling in the arrowhead in the late 90’s, I was leading and doing about 50-60mph on a trail.. suddenly a MASSIVE Bull Moose cuts in front of me running the trail… I had to grab a hand full of brakes to not hit it… it shortly turned off the trail and my buddies got there to see the tree tops of the young pines going back and forth as it ran off. They are HUGE !!! Then shortly later, I could change my shorts out…

big_g wrote:

One time snowmobiling in the arrowhead in the late 90’s, I was leading and doing about 50-60mph on a trail.. suddenly a MASSIVE Bull Moose cuts in front of me running the trail… I had to grab a hand full of brakes to not hit it… it shortly turned off the trail and my buddies got there to see the tree tops of the young pines going back and forth as it ran off. They are HUGE !!! Then shortly later, I could change my shorts out…

I bet that was a little nerve wrecking

In my top 3 of OH poop moments !!!

CaptainMusky wrote:

That is really cool BC. I am glad to hear of some sightings. I dont believe I have ever seen a moose in MN, but did in Idaho when snowmobiling.

I’ve seen moose in Isabella area a few times, in Voyageurs, and see them at least several times a year now around Embarrass. I don’t take pictures anymore and haven’t uploaded recent trail cam stuff but this is still the best one I got: https://youtu.be/Ybd_ELHCeiY?si=3SqTPRqMWwg6PuvX

Theres 2 in particular that stay in area around my cabin and pass through regularly. I get them on cameras, see them on the road sometimes, or out grazing in one swamp spot that’s visible from road.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Buddy of mine has a hunting shack north of Colville and the last few years haven’t produced a single deer picture on his cams but multiple cow moose with the young

Where is colville?

When I went to get one of my cameras a couples months ago I saw moose tracks on the trail and thought oh cool, going to have the moose on cam. Once I got to the camera there was a big crash through the woods off to my side. Checked the cam and I was about 45 seconds behind the moose who’s tracks I was looking at

Most recent sightings and pictures have it in my hometown of Staples. several people I know got a chance to see it. Sadly it’s getting into areas with lots of wolves. To be honest it was probably safer in Southern Minnesota than in Northern Minnesota.

IDK how much wolves take down a full grown moose. I’m sure they will but I’d be more worried about calves.

LabDaddy1 wrote:

Where is colville?

Its an extinct village that lied right on Highway 61 between Grand Marias and Grand Portage.

About 25 years ago, more moose than deer were seen on the land I hunt in NW MN. Haven’t seen one or had one on camera for quite a few years. We do get elk though but we are close to their core area.
DT

Gotcha- thanks Jimmy. The only colville knew about was colvill park in red wing

Now there is an elk by marshall

Nice video reef.