Camper Captures Magical Moment When a Moose Swims By Adirondack Fisherman

The early bird may catch the worm. But the early riser catches a magical moment when a moose swims by a fisherman.

Many have dreams of seeing a moose. One man got up close and personal when a moose swam by his canoe while fishing in the Adirondacks, and another captured it all from his porch.

Lance Cole was enjoying coffee on the back deck of his cabin at Chimney Mountain just south of Indian Lake when he noticed a man in a canoe fishing. "I then saw a black object in a place where there were no stumps," said Cole who grabbed binoculars to see what it was.

The object turned out to be a moose. "The first one I've ever seen," Cole said. "I grabbed my camera and started taking photos. Based on my guess of location and Google Maps, I measure the distance to be about a half-mile, which is the reason for the heavily cropped and blurry photos."

The moose made it to the canoe from the West shore, headed to the East shore, and then turned back. "From the time he started swimming to the last shot I got on the west side was 40 seconds," said Cole. "He was really moving as he swam."

Cole later spoke to the fisherman in the canoe. "He thought it was his cousin fishing and making splashing noise behind him."

He thought wrong. Check out the magical moment Cole captured.

Adirondack Moose

It's not that unusual to see moose in the Adirondacks.

Theresa Mitchell was born and raised in Tupper Lake, where moose are known to roam. But she hadn't been lucky enough to see one. "For the past 10 years, at least, I have wanted to see a moose."

Her wish finally came true when she saw one roaming in the snow off Route 30 in Saranac Lake. "I was so excited, I didn't know if I should grab my camera or my cell phone."

Moose Running in the Road

Eric Newman of Newport spotted a moose running down the road near Farrell.

Face to Face with a Moose

Plattsburgh hiker Sam Perkins was alone walking the trail in the Dix Mountain area when he came face to face with moose. "I slowly backed away and got behind a big rock. I needed to put something between us, in case he became aggressive. He never did. I watched him eat for about ten minutes."

Report Moose

If you see a moose, you're asked to report it to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). They are conducting a multi-year research project to obtain information on the status of New York State's moose population, health of the moose, and the factors that influence moose survival and reproductive rate.

If you see a moose, never approach it. Bull (male) moose can be very aggressive, especially in late Fall during the rut.