Moose stops traffic (updated)
By JESSICA COLLIER, Enterprise Staff WriterTUPPER LAKE - A bull moose was just trying to relax and enjoy his Columbus Day off in scenic Big Tupper Lake, but hundreds of passersby and sightseers were so taken with his presence that they stopped and gawked for hours on Monday.
The moose showed up at around 10 a.m. in the marshy area next to the Lakeview Lanes bowling alley, on state Route 30 on the southern outskirts of the village, and remained there throughout most of the afternoon.
State police, who have a station just a few doors down from the bowling alley, and a state environmental conservation officer were on the scene intermittently from about 10 a.m. to about 6 p.m., directing traffic and making sure the bottleneck didn't get too congested.
Moose-watchers pulled over into the bowling alley parking lot, the scenic observation station next to it or on the side of the road nearby. Reports estimated the amount of people lining the shore at about 75 to 100 people at a time, with hundreds of people shifting in and out throughout the day.
Mid-afternoon, traffic let up as the moose lay down in the marsh for about an hour and couldn't be seen so well.
Throughout Monday, people ventured onto the marsh in kayaks to get a closer look, and later in the day some people were seen parking their kayaks and jumping onto land near the animal. The moose charged at least one person who got too close and threatened to charge others.
One kayaker, David Johns, boated out to watch the animal and take photos. The moose alternated between lying down in the weeds, moving around a bit and eating, Johns said.
"He's kind of hanging out looking at us; we're looking at him," Johns said, describing the scene.
Guy Hurteau was going to do some caretaking work near the Bog River when he saw between 60 and 70 cars lined up in the area.
"I thought there was an accident," Hurteau said. "There must have been hundreds of people that were watching it."
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shipsaint
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10-15-09 7:48 PM
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ive been waitting 44 yrs to see a moose,you people are very privleged,dont blow it for me by frightening him away,stupid humans
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northcountrynell
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10-14-09 6:15 AM
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I was one of the people the Moose charged!!! I got too close and the Moose told me..."hey....you....that will be 12 bucks for the next ten minutes if you wanna stand around and watch" I felt this was outrageous. I then heard the Moose "threaten" another bystander with a $20 charge. Good thing we werent in SL....it woulda been $25. Next time Im just gonna go to PArk Safari in Que. at least they got rides to go along with the carnival atmosphere. LAst I heard...the moose was heading to Pompton Lakes New Jersey....cause he realized all the idiots had moved up here. Would have been nice....the Moose said...if people could have just slowed down a bit....taken a look and said. "wow isnt that a beatiful sight" and then drive away remembering the wonderful sight they were lucky to have just witnessed.
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JohnAndersonnnn
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10-13-09 11:15 PM
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By the way, great photo's Ted, I wish I would have been out there in a kayak too.
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JohnAndersonnnn
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10-13-09 11:14 PM
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I spoke with a few troopers that day near Trails End Bar and was told that the ticket for parking on the side of the highway with no emergency would be...and I quote, "Parking On Pavement." Parking on pavement is a NYS Ticket that can be given out. Rediculous, I think yes but they were just doing there job. Also, they had multiple complaints from residents and travelors about the congestion so not everything was hunky dory. On a brighter note, it was wonderful to see the moose and it was great to see the people out there peacefully watching.
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luvadk
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10-13-09 5:27 PM
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First, did Jessica Collier actually witness the moose charging someone or was this hearsay? I had the privilege of observing the moose from 10 am until 2:30 pm and everyone including the kayakers and canoers were very respectful of the moose. Besides, had anyone harrassed it, one would think that a 400-500 lb. moose would win! The State Police were harrassing motorists much more than boaters with the moose. The Moody Bridge area has a very wide shoulder to accomodate vehicles and there are NO "no parking" signs along the roadway. Yet, the state police decided to drive up and down the road, wasting gas, and "bronking" at parked motorists requesting that their cars be moved. This only created more conjestion as they stopped along the roadway. Their presence at each end of the causeway with their lights flashing was enough warning and everyone I saw drove slowly through. How many days/weeks would they have continued this????
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IMatter2
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10-13-09 4:01 PM
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And I quote "The moose charged at least one person who got too close and threatened to charge others." So what's real, did the moose charge, or did he not? Shane - HAD the moose charged you, what recourse would you have had?? Fast paddler ?? Have an extra pair of Joe Boxers stowed away on your vessel ??
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EsoxSavant
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10-13-09 2:16 PM
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I'm sure we will all sleep better tonight knowing that "no one came within a danger of the Moose".
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ShaneH
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10-13-09 1:40 PM
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I am the man in the Kayak. I was not harassing the moose by any means. The moose was gracefully eating the entire time i was kayaking out front of it. I was also in no danger, since, i was always moving as i passed the moose and at no time did the moose lounge toward me or make any aggressive gestures, sounds, or movements. As far as I know, no one came within a danger of the Moose. The Moose had spent the whole day there movinf around the marsh land of the causeway. He could have moved on at anytime it felt in danger or threatened. It chose not to do so.
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EsoxSavant
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10-13-09 1:04 PM
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It's no wonder Sara Palin prefers to hunt them. There aren't a lot of animals in this world she can outsmart, but apparently even an idiot can paddle or walk right up to them!
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Downtowner
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10-13-09 12:16 PM
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Not all were idiots. 97% watched the Moose from the highway, between ½ & ¾ mile away. Too far to cause any stress for the animal. The Kayakers that chose to get “closer” were still a fair distance. The photos are deceiving. If Mr. Moose had been annoyed he would have just meandered away. However I firmly believe that wildlife should be left alone and not disturbed.
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impartiallyobservant
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10-13-09 10:49 AM
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What a bunch of idiots. Boating out to "get closer"? The poor moose was probably very frightened and would have wandered off sooner had it not been for this harassment. Really, Mr. Johns (and anyone else who did this). What were you thinking? Wasn't it enough just to watch from the road? Did you have to go out and cause the animal such stress? [And I'll bet you and the others consider yourself to be pro-wildlife people. Ha!]
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GaryCanoe
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10-13-09 10:45 AM
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would have been nice if the dec or local police could have stopped "jumping onto land near the animal" pretty stupid behavior
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IMatter2
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10-13-09 10:40 AM
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Why on earth do people have to disturb the animal? Just can't watch from a distance, huh? If someone had been trampled, would the animal have been put down ? Leave wildlife alone, watch from a distance.
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