I Moose be dreamin'

Whether we humans like to admit it or not, here in the Moosehead Lake Region, moose pretty much rule the roost. Outnumbering us 3 to 1, any local you speak to should have a pocket full of moose stories. If not, they so obviously haven’t embraced the outdoor culture embraced by most locals in the region. If you’ve never been in the presence of one of these majestic creatures, you are missing out. It truly is a humbling experience. They are so massive, yet pensive, in a sense.

Many people will venture out on their own moose hunt, so to speak, wandering around the area aimlessly in hopes to see one of these beautiful beings.  As a local, this makes a whole lot of sense for me, not so much for our visitor’s for a number of reasons. First of all, as a visitor, you don’t know the area very well. Traveling down unmarked dirt roads can certainly put you in a pickle in the North Maine Woods. It doesn’t take long to get turned around, and lose your way. A lot of these roads offer spotty cell phone reception, at best, so getting lost while traveling down these back roads could turn into a long trek which could quickly make you feel like Dorthy, lost in the land of Oz. Another reason is that a lot of visitors don’t understand that, though moose seem fairly docile, they are wild animals, and should be treated as such. Something as simple as a fly could spook them enough to send them charging. Averaging around 7 feet tall, and around 1000 pounds, this is not an animal you would stand a chance with if you were to get trampled. I remember seeing a picture of a woman kissing a moose not long ago. Though this woman lived to tell the tale, you would have a better chance seeing me kiss my own rear end, than kissing a moose. That could have very quickly turned into a tragic situation, as opposed to a cute picture. Another reason is just simply that our local guides know the local moose hangouts, and the best times to see a moose, our visitors don’t!  

Moose facts? To us locals, this may seem like redundancy, but ask us about some facts on the polar bear, and I bet the people of Alaska could tell us a thing or two that would blow our minds, so don’t worry about the locals giving you a hard time about asking “silly” moose questions. Afterall, I was always taught that there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. So, to ward off some of these locals heckling you, here are a few facts about these gentle giants.

• ·       The Moose is the official Maine state animal
•     A male moose is called a Bull, a female moose is called a cow, and a baby moose is called a           calf.
• ·      Bull moose antlers can be up to 6 feet wide, and weigh up to 90 pounds.
• ·      Bull moose shed their antlers every winter, and grow a new set back in the spring.
• ·      Moose have the highest rate of bone formation growth, growing up to an inch per day!
• ·      The average life expectancy of a moose is 25 years
• ·      Moose can weigh up to 1500 pounds!
• ·      The average moose stands 7 feet tall, and 8.5 feet in length
• ·      Moose can swim as fast as 6 miles per hour
• ·      Moose can run up to 35 miles per hour
• ·      Moose have no upper teeth
• ·      Moose have very poor eyesight
• ·      The Maine moose population hovers right around 30,000

Please, however, don’t ask us when the white tail deer turn into moose, then you’re just asking us to direct you up the golden road, when you ask us where the best restaurant in town is.

As you can tell, moose are fairly impressive creatures. Most people don’t realize just how fast these guys can run, which is why you end up seeing people kissing moose and thinking it isn’t dangerous. Your best bet is to have someone who knows a bit about these animals take you out to see them, for safety sake, but also to increase your chances of seeing a moose!

Our guides head out at 6am, and 5pm everyday, with a group of people, wide eyed, anxious to catch a picture of one of these amazing creatures. The great thing is that they almost always see at least one, usually many more. With local commentary from our guides, usually involving stories from past moose tours, our visitor’s not only enjoy the scenery, but also the company.

Last Monday and Tuesday evenings were particularly successful tours, as our guide came back with news that they saw 18 moose on Monday, and15 moose on their adventure Tuesday! On top of dodging moose left and right, there were deer, hare, loons, osprey, eagles, and so much more to be seen! There aren’t many sounds that are as soothing to me as a loon call, so this was a real treat for our visitors. Though you are on a moose tour, here in the north Maine woods, it’s hard to venture out without coming across at least a few other critters.

I hope I helped clear up some questions about our favorite animal up here in northern Maine, and I hope I’ve enticed you to venture out with one of our guides to check out the wildlife.

Ending August with a Bang!

It's been a busy 10 days in the Moose community, we almost did not have time to tell you all about how successful our Maine Moose watching tours have been!  We've had some really exciting moose safaris with some special encounters.  On August 19th we saw a total of five Maine moose, two of which were HUGE bulls!  The next day, our group tour spotted yet another big bull moose, causing a frenzy of excitement from some of our younger guests.  The big moose stuck around for a few days, giving several of our group moose watching tours and private moose safaris plenty of opportunities for picture taking- who knew moose were so photogenic!  One family traveled all the way to visit the Moosehead Lake Region from Scotland.  They had such a great time on their moose watching tour that Al drew up a fantastic sketch of one of the moose he saw!  

In addition to all of the big bull moose we've seen, we've also gotten the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the littlest moose out there- the little baby calves!  Normally, Mama Moose is so protective of her baby that it can be dangerous to get too close.  On August 17th, one cow left her calf to venture to the other side of the pond to eat.  It was a very rare opportunity to observe a little calf playing on his own while Mama Moose gets some dinner.  Just two days before, we watched as a cow called to her calf and the calf ran to her to have his dinner!  It's always interesting to be able to watch the interactions between mother and calf in a truly natural setting.  

Other than lots of moose, we've also been seeing a bunch of loons, deer, beavers, even an occasional blue heron!  One of our trips, on August 15th, was a fun filled FULL day trip with a family of four from the United Kingdom!  We don't always have full day trips, but this family could not get enough of Maine moose and we were more than happy to have them!  We paddled out on two different ponds, went swimming at Mount Kineo, and journeyed through the Maine outdoors to see moose, deer, loons, and a blue heron.  

It has been a great August and although we're sad to see the summer come to an end, we all know that September brings some of the finest moose watching of the year.  In the past 10 days, we've seen a grand total of over 45 moose.  In September, we enter that time of year when a bull moose starts looking for someone to spend the winter with- that's right, a bull moose in the rut will travel hundreds of miles to find the right lucky lady, and we'll be there to take his picture when he does!  The bulls will be strutting their stuff and the cows will be all dolled up and ready to pose when we paddle out in our canoes to see them, you can count on that!  

Maine Moose Watching in August

One of the main Maine Moose watching questions we get is "Am I guaranteed to see a moose?"  The answer to that question, in a nutshell, is of course no, we cannot guarantee a moose.  Our Registered Maine Guides work very hard to give us the very best opportunities of seeing moose, and we adjust our tour times to the dinner clock of a Maine Moose, but nothing in life is ever guaranteed!  The month of August, with all of its heat and sunshine, does a good job to drive most of us either to the shade of an umbrella on a windy beach, to the ice cream store, or really just anywhere that has air conditioning.  The same is true for our furry moose friends!  Even though it has been less than desirable weather, we have been successful in moose sightings 85% of the time so far this August, and just in the past week, that success rate has jumped up to 95%!  In 3 out of 4 trips, we see at least 2 or more Maine Moose.

Part of what makes a Maine moose watching tour so special with Northeast Guide Service is the atmosphere here in nature.  Our group moose safaris head to remote woods ponds where the water is peaceful and the calm in the air compliments the majestic Maine wildlife around us.  In addition to moose, we also see many other creatures such as deer, loons, eagles, owls, blue herons, otters, beavers, raccoons, and even an occasional bear.  We do our best to observe, and not intrude upon, the wildlife around us.  Observing a moose in his or her daily routine, a playful calf toying with his mother, a young bull putting on a show for a nearby cow- we see it all!  It is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the great New England outdoors.

As we continue into the end of August and further into September, all of our moose watching tours will be enhanced by the immaculate foliage as summer fades to fall.  The moose and other creatures are more plentiful as it starts to cool off, and we have the hands-down BEST opportunities to take pictures of our beautiful area.  The time to go see some Maine moose is upon us!

Come One, Come All...The Moose Are Out in Greenville!

Our last fewMoose watching tours have been packed with visitors from all over the East Coast and even Holland!  The Maine moose didn't disappoint- they were out on the pond and grazing by the roads, everywhere!  I'm sure they were just as excited to meet our visitors as we were.  While we were paddling out for a nice easy stroll on the pond in the beautiful sunshine, we got to see beavers, loons, turkeys and hare.  One of the moose we saw was an old friend we've been getting used to- a BIG bull moose!  On the other side of the spectrum, we also saw a little yearling bull.  Soon enough, this little fellow will be just as big as the Mega-Moose, he just has to keep eating his veggies!


On both of our past two tours, our Registered Maine Guides have both come back talking about the beautiful weather we've been having here in Greenville Maine.  We always knew we had a beautiful area, full of wildlife and a real escape from reality out in nature, but the sunshine really highlights our best qualities.  Summer in Maine is an experience that can only be topped by a Moose watching tour with Northeast Guide Service!  So if you are looking for things to do around Moosehead Lake, come on a Moose Safari and see for yourself!

Celebrate the 4th of July with some Maine Moose!

While animal specialists may tell you that Maine moose and wildlife are "spooked" by the fireworks that we all love for Independence Day, but they would be wrong!  Our 4th of July Moose Tour got to see four moose altogether, three cooling off in a nearby stream with a bald eagle friend, and one right on the road.  Our other recent moose safaris have had similar luck; We had a private Moose Safari for a family of eleven join us on July 3rd and also got to see four moose, including a little baby calf!  It was a lot of fun going out with such a nice big family, and the kids had a blast!  We also had a couple from Singapore join us- they had been looking all week for a moose along the roads, doing some safari-ing of their own and trying to find the best place to see a moose.  With no luck, they decided to join one of our evening canoe tours and low and behold, they finally saw a moose!  That same day, one of our early morning tours had a very close encounter with a confused yearling looking for mom.  Seeing a yearling is special because they are often the most nervous of all moose...after a year of having the comfort of Mom at all times, yearlings are fresh out on their own learning to fend for themselves.  Of the five other moose we saw that day, one was a mother and her calf, possibly relatives of the scared little yearling we had seen earlier!  Overall, it has been a wonderful holiday with beautiful weather and of course, many sightings of the majestic Maine moose!

It's Raining, It's Pouring...But the Moose Aren't Snoring!

Even with all of this rain, our Maine Moose friends are still out and about waiting for our daily moose watching tours to stop in and see what's happening.  In fact, on Saturday, we saw the most moose out of any other day of the week, and it was starting to thunderstorm out!  In other words, there's no need to  fear the thunder, our Registered Maine Guides have you in good hands, and the moose themselves don't seem to mind- dinner time is dinner time no matter what the sky looks like!  Lucky for our tour guests, as soon as the rain started to clear later in the evening, there was a fantastic rainbow overhead to cap off a great moose watching expedition.  The next day, it was the same story...after a day full of rain the sun finally poked its head out and we got to observe another rainbow, not to mention the bear and baby moose!
On the first day of July, one of our Private Moose Safaris was lucky enough to see some moose in a stream which is always an interesting sight.  They also saw some deer and even a spotted turtle!  Our group tour of the day didn't have as much luck seeing swimming moose, but they made up for it with sightings of beavers, a mother turkey and her babies, a partridge, loons, eagles, and hare!  If you're having troubling thinking of things to do in Greenville, no worries- our Greenville wildlife is out for July!

FUN for Families This Summer

Looking for something fun to do with your family this summer?  Why not try a moose tour!  The past few tours we've had have been just that- lots of kids eager to see some Maine Moose and other Northern Maine wildlife.  For a few days it seemed as though the moose were hiding from the rain and chilly weather, but as soon as we had a group of visiting Boy Scouts from Connecticut on a Private Moose Safari, six big Maine moose came out to play.  We were able to see a variety of other wildlife, including a bear and some playful loons, even some baby turkeys!  The weather wasn't the most cooperative, but all of our guests were troopers and stuck it out in the rain to see the moose- who were surprisingly not bothered by the weather.  As it turns out, the moose don't mind the rain so we get to see them no matter what the weather man is saying!  

It was a delight to have our Boy Scouts along with us to learn a thing or two from our Registered Maine guides, but you don't have to be a Boy Scout to have a great learning experience out in the wild- our guides provide all the info and are glad to answer any questions you may have as you continue your moose watching tour!

Moose and Deer and Eagles, Oh My!

Over the past few days our Maine Moose Tours have had the opportunity to see not only a ton of Maine moose, but also all kinds of other wildlife including lots of deer, hare, fox, loons, and even a bald eagle hanging out around the pond.  Over three days, we saw a grand total of 14 moose, and one even came within twenty feet of our group!  On Thursday morning, we were lucky enough to see a bald eagle hanging around a large bull (male moose!) on the pond, which was extra exciting because our group had traveled all the way from South Africa to explore all we have to offer here in the beautiful Northern Maine.  We were so happy to talk with our South African comrades and see how our beautiful Greenville scenery and wildlife compares to their backyard.  What an awesome few days to see all the Maine wildlife and critters out on the pond!

Our South African guests on their way to becoming Moose Safari pros!

Another Great Moose Tour!

On the very muggy but sunny day we had yesterday here in Northern Maine a group of 3 joined us on a Maine Moose Tour. they were great company and very talkative when it came down to seeing the wildlife. The trip certainly didn't lack excitement! We got to see a grand total of 7 moose! 3 were cooling off in the pond and the 4 others were walking around in the roads, so be very careful drivers! We also saw 2 cow and 2 yearling and they were just so adorable! The last animals we came across were loons and hare and they are both too cute! Our group had a wonderful time and so did we! We encourage more people to come book moose tours with Northeast Guide Service because they truly are one of a kind! You just can't see this beautiful wildlife anywhere else!

I knew It...You Were Checking Me Out!

The Moose Are Coming! The Moose Are Coming!

What A Moose!

The other day on one of our evening Moose Tours here at Northeast Guide service a group of friends joined us in seeing the beauty of Northern Maine. The weather was a little rainy but it didn't stop the moose from coming out of hiding! We saw a total of 8 moose and our guests were stoked! We also saw 3 deer and 2 loons. It was a great tour and we had a lot of splashing around looking for wildlife! Another group we took on a one of our moose tours consisted of 8 people, one party of 2 combined with a family of 6. We saw 9 moose, 7 of which were all hanging around in the pond together. The other 2 were pretty decent sized bulls standing within five feet of each other. Everyone was happy to be able to experience canoeing while exploring nature in Maine!

Our Good Luck Charms!

On Yesterdays awesome Maine Moose Tour we brought along some good luck charms! A fantastic group of 10! Just floating along in our canoe we saw 11 Moose! It was such an amazing Moose Tour! We thought the guests were very friendly and apparently the moose did to! They got some awesome shots of the Moose along with 5 bull, 3 cow, 3 yearling, a couple deer and the always proud eagle! something we really love about our job at Northeast Guide Service is seeing how excited people get on the Moose Tours when they see all the wildlife, it's just the best! Bottom line, It was a great time and we encourage more people to come take pictures, have a ball, and create wonderful memories like this group did! Thanks good luck charms!

A Moose Canoe Tour: No Joke

Bull moose on Maine pond after our guided canoe tour

When we say, you will be going on a moose canoe tour, it's no joke!  Wildlife watching is a favorite past time for many to enjoy.  Our Maine moose watching tours by canoe are an experience in nature with the best guides.  You will enjoy canoeing on a pond where moose come for feeding.  We center the tours around moose habitat.
On this particular day, the first week of October, this bull moose meandered along the shores of the pond, grazing on vegetation.  It was decided that it was time for us to get off the pond before the moose made his way to the pond access point.  Oh, but he didn't care, just kept lumbering along the shore.  We didn't want to be disruptive to his morning meal, so we scurried out of the way, but had no time to get the canoe, so he paused and posed for great photography.
We get up close and personal with moose, but at a safe distance to not infringe on their habits in the wild.  It's a unique experience and this day was one that definitely goes down in the record books as a unique opportunity.
Come enjoy the wilds of the North Maine Woods with us, see a Maine moose, possibly even see one that you think is going to take the canoe out, like this one!

Moosin' around in the North Maine Woods

The Moosehead Lake Region of Maine was a very snowy place during the month of January, minus the rain that fell to end January on a lack of snow note.  But, a little over a week later the Northeast is getting a massive snow storm, named NEMO, that is truly going to effect New York to Maine.  But, when there is limited snow on the ground, it is very easy for our Maine moose to travel from place to place in the North Maine Woods.  We like to call it Moosin' around in the North Maine Woods and that's what they are doing.  It's so much easier for moose to seek out food and water when there is a lack of snow on roads and woods trails.  These woods trails are what most of us Mainer's call snowmobile trails during the winter months.  This does cause some concern for snowmobile enthusiasts when the snow starts falling again and they are able to get back out on the trails because moose have been active on the woods trails.  Meeting a Maine moose on your snowmobile can be extremely dangerous, so we encourage snowmobilers to be very cautious when riding in the Maine north woods all of the time, but especially at times like these, when there had been limited snow on the trails and then a big influx of snow in a short time.  Be safe out there and watch up for moose!

Is a Moose Statue in our Future?

Having a moose statue at Northeast Guide Service would be so cool.  We have adored bronze moose statues, stone moose statues and wooden moose statues.  The ultimate reason why we never seem to follow through in purchasing a moose statue is because it's expensive, even though we know what character it would bring to our front yard!  I came across these two wooden moose the other day driving through Vermont.  They were built by wooden pieces put together to form the wooden moose statue.  Since "Moose" is the State of Maine animal and we offer daily Maine moose watching tours, I am hopeful that someday, you'll come to visit us, on the southern tip of Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine and appreciate our moose statue ~ hopefully sooner rather than later!

Great Outdoor Adventures in Maine

Last night we had an evening moose safari. It was a sunny evening with a threat of rain and sounds of thunder. They saw five moose; two bull moose, one cow moose, one calf, and one yearling! What a family! Also, they saw loons and rabbits. Come join Northeast Guide Service today for a great outdoor adventure in Maine.

Great Scenery's in Greenville Maine

Last night we had a group moose tour. It was a beautiful sunny evening. They saw two cow moose, loons, and a fox. The group loved the scenery on the pond and the ride on the canoe. Come take a ride with Northeast Guide Service for a moose safari!

Sunny night for moose in Maine

Yesterday evening we had two moose safari's. It was a beautiful sunny evening. They saw five moose; three bull moose one of the bull moose had a huge rack and two cow moose. Also, they saw other wildlife like loons, hare, and fox! Come join Northeast Guide Service for a Moose Safari.

Photographic moose tour in Maine

Last night we had two couples join us from Pennsylvania and Oklahoma for a moose safari. It was a clear night with a shift of breeze. They saw one cow moose, a fox, and a partridge. Both of the women in the group were skilled photographers and a bond was struck! Why don't you come join Northeast Guide Service for a GREAT moose tour in Greenville, Maine!

Vacation with Northeast Guide Service

Last night we had two Moose Tours go out. It was a nice a calm night on the pond with no rain! They saw nine moose; four bull moose, four cow moose and one yearling. At one point we were surrounded by moose! Also, we saw deer, hare, turkeys, and loons. What a great way to spend your vacation with Northeast Guide Service.

Morning Moose Wildlife Adventure

This morning we had a family from Massachusetts join us with a Moose Safari. The clouds were ripply as we put on to the pond. The birds sang to us as we paddled to see the moose in the distance. They seen one bull moose. Come join Northeast Guide Service for a wildlife adventure and a peaceful morning.