Maine Travel Articles >
Can you find the moose? The dot near the dark part of the trees is
supposed to be a moose, or so Beth Gilbert was told.
Searching for the Moose of Maine
By Beth Hooe Gilbert
Published: September 29, 2007
I love the state of Maine. I love the climate, even in the winter.
It reminds me a little of my home in West Virginia except for our hot
summers. The similarities in the scenery may be why I love to
visit Maine, and why one day I would love to retire to Maine with my
husband and boys.
My family and I have been traveling to Maine for vacations for over 8
years now. Maine is a beautiful state with many chances all over
the state to see wildlife in their natural habitat. We spend most
of our time at Moosehead Lake. It's a beautiful, large lake in
northern Maine, and the name would indicate that there are indeed many
moose to be seen. However, in all of my years visiting, my family
and I have not seen one moose!
We decided that we would try a moose cruise. It seemed like the
easiest way to get close to a moose. On the moose cruise we were
fortunate enough to see bald eagles, Green-winged Teal ducks, Canadian
geese nesting, and deer. We, however, did not see one moose.
We took the early morning cruise, and the guide said he had been doing
the cruises for many years now. Ours, he shared with us, was the
first outing where no moose, not even a cow or female moose, had been
spotted! He was very apologetic after being out a couple of hours.
When dawn turned into morning, we came back. The cruise had been
incredibly fun and extremely picturesque. The part of the lake
that he took us to was crystal clear. It looked like a mirror when
the trees reflected off of it.
I love all of the signs as you drive in to Maine. I have seen them
in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York as well. They have a
picture of a bull, or male moose with antlers and read "Beware."
They then state that the next several miles are populous moose spots and
to beware while driving at night. I learned that moose have no
fear. They have no predators and are not afraid of anything.
It is my understanding that they can total a car if you hit one, and I
am told they do not move out of your way! Of course, I do not know
this from personal experience, just from all of the brochures they have
in the Moosehead Lake region.
Later we talked to the local resident of Moosehead Lake. He sent
us to a marshy bog far away from the town of Greenville and assured us
that if we went in early evening we could not help but see a moose.
We went for 5 evenings in a row. We went early evening and we went
late evening. We generally stayed until it got dark, and only once
did a large creature wonder out from the trees in the marshy area far,
far from where we were standing. It was big and my husband swears
it was a moose and not one of the many deer that we had already seen.
I took a picture, but it was so far away, I was not convinced (see photo
above).
Next we decided to do a whale watch cruise out of the stunning town of
Bar Harbor. We figured if nature from the forest would not
cooperate, perhaps the creatures from the sea would. It's a couple
of hours from Moosehead Lake, but well worth the drive every year that
we go. To our delight, we saw many, many whales and a few
dolphins. It was almost a spiritual experience watching these
magnificent creatures swim next to the ship that we were on. It
was as if we could reach over board and almost touch them they were so
close to us. Except for the fact that in the middle of summer, it
was freezing on the ocean (when the cruise companies tell you to dress
warmly for the whale watch, I learned it is best to heed their warning),
I would have stayed for days watching the whales in awe of their grace
and beauty. The cruise lasted for a little more than 4 hours, and
I was excited that we had gotten to see what we came to see! I
could now check whales off of my list of must sees, though I am sure it
will not be the last time we seek a whale watch adventure.
On our way back to Moosehead Lake, we stopped at some of the gift shops
for souvenirs to remember our amazing experience. In the first
shop that we went in to all of the sales people were gathered at the
window. It seems we had just missed a bull moose crossing the
road. Just our luck, I thought. It was a near miss again!
I will not be discouraged. I very much enjoy hearing the loon sing
on the lake as we watch them bob in and out of the water. I know
that moose exist. I have actually seen one in the zoo, and I have
seen pictures. We will continue to travel to the gorgeous state of
Maine until we see at least one moose and I am sure we will continue to
go long after!
_____
Copyright 2007. Beth Gilbert is a freelance writer. She loves the the outdoors and a good ghost story. She has been published in Ghost! Magazine, FATE Magazine, and is a 'Friendship Author' for Lifesgift. Ms. Gilbert is also currently writing a novel for young adults. She lives in West Virginia with her husband and two sons.