OMG I almost hit a moose!

[nuxvomica]

I was driving home down a local road, residential area, when I saw long, knobby legs silhouetted against the light from an oncoming car. The other driver was honking his horn and I slammed on my brakes, just stopping short of hitting the gigantic animal in front of me. It ran to the side and started galloping alongside as I gingerly tried to pass it. There was a lot of other traffic and I hope the animal made it back to the watershed ok. I have never seen a moose on the loose before in my life. I didn't even think they were that common around here.
:wow:

[sarge43]

1. Where are you?

Here in NH if you haven't had a close encounter of the crunchy kind with a moose, you aren't trying hard enough.

And yes, it does take the sunshine out of your day. Glad nothing worse than a fright happened to you.

[nuxvomica]

4. Queensbury, NY

The encounter occurred at these coordinates: 43°19'02.48"N 73°40'28.07"W. This is a very well-populated area so I was surprised.

[sarge43]

13. Well, romance is in the air.

In the best circumstances moose aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer and it is mating season.
They aren't thinking{sic} clearly right now, so not surprising they'd wander into areas they normally avoid.

You be careful.

[Sanity Claws]

2. Moose on the loose

I'm glad to hear you're okay but I'll keep the phrase Moose on the Loose in the back of my mind.

Moose in a noose on the loose!

[nuxvomica]

6. I hope the moose is ok

I'll have to check the local newspaper tomorrow.

[ThomCat]

3. I didn't realize there were any moose in your area.

:wow:

I didn't think there was anything bigger than deer.

[nuxvomica]

5. Neither did I

I've had plenty of close encounters with deer but this was my first moose and they are awesome creatures.

[jonnyblitz]

7. I am in a moose laden area right now in Maine at my parents

house near Baxter State park. It's chilly up here! :hi: they worried the whole drive from the bus station to my hometown about moose running out in the road. it's a big and valid concern up here it seems.

I am way the fuck up there, an hour northwest of Bangor and about 8 hours away from where i live in CT (i think, i'm not calculating in my head too well tonight).

[Maine-ah]

11. 8 hours sounds correct

I'm 2 hours south of your current location :hi:

[jonnyblitz]

32. I haven't seen any moose yet but then all i do is sit in my

parents house and read and play on my laptop. :hi:

[nuxvomica]

8. Link to story in local paper, already

http://www.poststar.com/articles/2009/10/12/news/local/doc4ad3d68220a70045764105.txt

[nuxvomica]

29. That story was moved to here:

http://www.poststar.com/news/local/article_d162ec4c-b796-11de-8d39-001cc4c002e0.html

[Danger Mouse]

9. I hit a black bear with my car once.

[nuxvomica]

10. And how did that turn out?

Earlier in the same trip I had braked for three squirrels in a row. I hit one once many years ago during an ice storm and it still bothers me to think about it.

[Danger Mouse]

12. Big dent in the car. Small dent in the bear.

:P

[NJmaverick]

14. Wow, I didn't even know there were moose in NY

I probably would have ended up hitting it, as I wouldn't have believed what I was seeing.

[nuxvomica]

15. There are about 500 or so according to the link I posted

"The DEC does not have a firm number for the state’s moose population but has estimated it at about 500."

I didn't believe it at first. There were a lot of cars stopping and starting but the moose seemed to know to run along the side of the road in all the confusion after our near encounter. No antlers that I could see.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

22. yeah there are around 500 right now

mostly in the Adirondacks. i've seen three in my lifetime.

[1gobluedem]

16. Glad you're okay

I just returned from a weeklong trip to New England and really wanted to see a moose in the wild...but didn't. I don't think I would have wanted it to be that close though.

[SoxFan]

17. Your heart will stop pounding, eventually

I had a close encounter with Bullwinkle on the Kancamagus Highway in Albany, NH a few years ago. It almost looked like I was going to give my life for the sake of speaking at a Carroll County Democrats fundraiser!

[nuxvomica]

33. You just made me realize something

I also had three close encounters in a row with street-crossing squirrels earlier that day but no encounters with any Pottsylvanian spies.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

18. OMG I almost hit a dear

I asked my BF if he wanted to go window-shopping.

He said, "If I want to look at stuff I can't buy I'll go to a strip club"

I said, "I ought to hit you."

He said, "Yes, dear."

:P

[Blue_In_AK]

19. That's happened to me so many times.

Those guys can really do some damage if you hit them, even kill you, so be careful out there.


Here's a fun fact: The average number of moose killed in Anchorage as a result of being hit by a vehicle is 156 per year. http://www.greatlandofalaska.com/reference/facts.html The charities are always happy for the meat.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

20. Where?

i want to make sure i'm on the lookout. several years ago we had a moose living in my neighborhood and someone hit him :(


ps. is this your first moose sighting? i've seen a few. :)

[nuxvomica]

24. This is my first such encounter

It was on Dixon Rd. heading toward the intersection with Old Forge just before the Northway overpass. Plug these coordinates -- 43°19'02.48"N 73°40'28.07"W -- into Google Earth and you'll see exactly.
:hi:

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

30. wow!

I wonder what was he doing so close to the Northway?! they're not usually that dumb. sounds like he got lost.

[LoveMyCali]

34. Yikes

I suppose I'd better be on the lookout when I leave work tonight.

I'm glad you didn't hit it but I probably would have had a heart attack anyway.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

36. you're from HF?

my dad taught in HF schools for many many years. :)

[LoveMyCali]

37. Yes. I'm from HF

but it's been many many years since I was in school. :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

21. Glad you are ok. Moose-car encounters rarely end well.

[redwitch]

23. Glad you are OK

I saw a bobcat today on the Taconic. He or she was cruising along the treeline near Chatham. I was thrilled to see it. When I posted about it on facebook my brother commented about the moose you saw today. Apparently we live near each other nux so Howdy neighbor! I hope I get to see a moose someday. Just not in the middle of the road!

[nuxvomica]

27. I didn't pick the best way to see my first moose

Next time I hope it's just in my backyard in the woods and I'm standing there at my kitchen window with a nice cup of coffee and a camera. And it's daytime.
I say "it" but I think the one I encountered was a cow because I didn't see any antlers. It was evening but with all the car lights I think I would've caught a glimpse of antlers.

:hi:

[redwitch]

28. That would be better.

I'm thinking the moose would agree!

[amerikat]

25. Howdy from another Washington County DU'er

Eyes on the road hands on the wheel. Somebody hit a moose in Argyle last fall.
Glad you did so well and the moose too.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

26. I heard about that.

Somebody hit a moose here on the east side of Lake George (Cleverdale area) a few years back. Sad :(

[dugaresa]

31. We had to stop for a herd of Elk outside the Grand Tetons once

but in your neck of the woods, Moose are rare.

edit: i must add that we had just had dinner in Jackson Hole, WY and were quite full from dinner and relaxing when said incident occurred, woke us all up.

[XemaSab]

35. Well, thankfully you didn't hit it

:)

[whistler162]

38. And you would have except for that pesky squirrel!

[nuxvomica]

39. And here's how things turned out for the moose...

http://www.poststar.com/news/local/article_0c0dfc48-b863-11de-b6df-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story

QUEENSBURY -- Police spent much of Tuesday monitoring the movement of a moose that was meandering through the parking lots of Aviation Mall and nearby shopping centers.

The young female is believed to be the same one spotted in Glens Falls and Queensbury in recent days. It has an ear tag placed there by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, and it may be the same cow that caused a ruckus when it showed up in June at Saratoga Race Course.

State Conservation Officer Ben Bramlage, who was among a contingent of police officers trying, on Tuesday afternoon, to get the animal to leave the area near Tractor Supply Co., said it appeared the moose wanted to head east.

...

Bramlage said officers were trying to get the moose to go into Cole's Woods and hopefully change its course. By mid afternoon, they had successfully pushed it into the woods.

Whew! I'm glad the moose is safe.