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.

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!

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!

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!

Do You Want The Good News...Or The Better News?

On one of our always wonderful Moose Safaris one outdoorsmen joined us on a private canoe trip. the weather was partly cloudy but nothing a nature explorer can't handle! During our safari we saw 4 moose, 1 bull, 3 cow, 2 love birds...I mean loons, 3 hare, and one fox! Our guest had a great time and we were both lucky to see all of that wildlife but especially the fox, sneaky little creatures! Now the saying here in Maine is if you don't like the weather wait a minute and this next tour is proof that we abide by that saying. It was a Beautiful sunny day and along with us on the tour were a group of four people which happened to be extremely nice... could have been the nice weather causing all the upbeat vibes or maybe it was the moose! Paddling along we saw a grand total of 10 MOOSE! It was an amazing sight! we also saw 2 bull, 4 cow, 4 yearling, 1 hare, 2 loons, a couple cute woodchucks, and ducks followed by there little fir ball chicks! It was a great day to see northern Maine wildlife! This is why we encourage people to join us on our Moose Tours and Moose Safaris, you just don't see nature anywhere else like you do on one of our adventures! Our Guides are awesome and really know their stuff and theres really just nothing like it!

The Moose Are Out In The Moosehead Lake Region

Young Bulls Are Out And As Adorable As Ever!

On the Moose Watching Tours the moose are out and about on the evening moose canoe tours in the Moosehead Lake Region. We have had a some awesome tours so far this may! The groups were unique and enjoyed themselves while looking for wildlife on our exciting Moose watching Tours. One group consisted of only two people but much more lively than your average pare. It was a beautiful day the sun was out and shining, we saw a total of seven moose. Thats right SEVEN! They were just hanging out in the bogs and some were even brave enough to explore the roads. On another moose watching tour we met two newlyweds from MI. We took a canoe and saw all the wonders that come with exploring Maine's wildlife. We saw one moose, two cow, 18 hare, and even stumbled upon two loons while floating around with the new love birds! Did you know that loons mate for life? Anyway, the trip was fantastic and we hope our guests are as fortunate as the loons! If deer is what you are looking for you would have loved to join this adventurous three! On there evening moose safari the weather was not as great as the others but the odds definitely played out in there favor. They saw so many deer and had a blast just spending time on the pond! Maine Moose Watching is one of those things that anyone can attend and have the best time. Here at Northeast Guide Service we love to help create new memories for our groups and we love our MOOSE!

The Best Family Vacations in Maine

Last night, we had two families take a evening canoe moose safari. The weather was beautiful and sunny. At first the families couldn't seem to spot a moose, finally when they were out on the pond they saw four moose! While on the pond the families also got to see another majestic Maine creature, a loon. Then on the way back the families saw hares. With the weather getting better each day more and more moose are coming out to say hi, so it's the perfect time to grab the family, come up to Maine, and see some great Maine wildlife on a moose safari.

Summer Has Officially Arrived, Come Celebrate With A Maine Moose Tour!

Last night we had a three person moose canoe tour. We had a family of three from the Chicago area. They were on Maine vacation and we were their last stop. It was a clear and bright evening with a light wind whipping across the pond. It was about 65 degrees outside and just wonderful. We saw two moose, a bull on the pond as well as a yearling bull on the road on the way back. We saw some beautiful scenery, weather, and temperature. The family was great company and enjoyed the spectacular setting and all in all it was a great moose safari.

This morning we had a great van tour with five people. The weather was great, it was clear, cool and sunny. There were lots of deer and we saw a big cow! It was a fantastic day for a scenic tour of our area. We explored around Elephant Mountain, Jewett Cove, and we had some great views of Big and Little Spencer. The sunrise on the lake was fantastic, the view over Blair Hill was absolutely breath-taking.

Rainy Day Brings Out a Family Of Moose

This morning, we had a couple from Brunswick, Maine take a canoe moose safari with us. It was pouring this morning but that didn't stop the couple from taking a moose tour. They were ready and well-dressed for the rain. Felicity is an artist so she sees the beauty in little everyday things. She fell in love with sound of the rain hitting the pond. While canoeing on the pond, Felicity and Martin got to see a cow moose and a calf come out of the woods and feed on the pond. They also got to see a fox with food in it's mouth. Although the day was rainy, it was still a great morning for a moose safari.  

Lot's of Maine Moose!

Last night was a wet and rainy van tour, but we still had the chance to see lots of Maine Moose. On our Moose Safari tour we had a grandmother and her grandson. They had a chance to see seven moose; two small bull moose, four large cow moose, and one yearling moose. Also, on the tour they had a chance to see deer. All in all they got what they wanted in a Moose Tour with Northeast Guide Service!

Memorial Day Weekend and Moose Mainea

On Wednesday May 23rd we went on an evening moose safari with a couple from New York. It was a beautiful day for a canoe tour, it was clear and hot outside. We saw 5 moose, 4 cow and a yearling. We also saw a hare and other wildlife that was enjoying the cooling effects of the pond.

Last night we had three people join Northeast Guide Service on a moose safari, we had a couple from New York as well as guy who had been on at least 5 other moose tours in and around the area. We went on an evening canoe tour, it was cloudy and a little windy, but over all it was a great experience. We saw a total of 5 moose, 2 bulls, 2 cows and a yearling. We also saw deer and some other wildlife. It was a great experience, when we were paddling out onto the pond the moose came out as though they were waiting for us.

This morning we had 2 couples, one from Massachusetts and one from Colorado who joined us on a morning canoe tour. It was a bit windy and overcast but that didn't stop the moose from making their appearances. We saw a total of four moose, two bull moose, a cow and a yearling. We also saw some assorted birds. It was very windy on the pond, there were some challenges with that, but overall we had a great time.

The Time For Newborn Calves Has Arrived!

The time of year has come when calves are being born! The next few days are typically when the moose are giving birth to their calves, this is a great time to come on a moose safari and to see the very pregnant cows as well as the cows with their brand new calves, some only hours old! On Tuesday we had a fantastic moose safari. A couple from New York joined us on a canoe tour and we saw an amazing amount of moose. We saw 11 in total. We saw 5 bull, 5 cows and a yearling. We also saw deer, loons and hare. It was quite an adventure, everywhere we looked there was wildlife. It was especially fascinating to see a mother and her calf interacting. It was a great way to spend the evening. As this week goes on more and more newborn calves should be emerging to greet the world for the first time. Come join Northeast Guide Service and experience this for yourself!

Great Weather Makes For A Great Moose Tour

On May 19th, we had a young couple take a evening moose safari with us. The weather made for a perfect moose watching night. The couple got to see three moose including one bull and two cows. The couple also got to witness other great wildlife that Maine has to offer. We saw several deer and hares. There's no shortage of sunshine recently making it a perfect time to go on a moose tour.  Join Maine Moose Watching tours for a great moose tour experience in Maine!  May and June are maximum moose sighting months!

Moose Safari - Bulls, Cows and Calfs Oh MY!

Last night was a great night for a moose safari. We had a couple go on an evening moose watching tour with us. Although the night was chilly and windy, moose were in abundance. The couple got to see a total of six moose including a bull, cow, and four yearlings. They also got to experience other beautiful deer and Maine loons.

South African Safari? Not quite, but Moose Safari for sure!

Moose Safaris are now in full swing! Yesterday we went on a moose safari with a couple from Massechusetts who were in Maine for their sons college graduation. They loved their safari in South Africa and wanted to experience one in Maine as well! They even brought their safari hats! What's a better way to experience Maine than to get outdoors and go look for wildlife? It was a beautiful night for a moose safari, it was a very clear and calm evening. The sunset was unbelievable! We saw four moose, three deer, and a loon! It was an exciting evening and a great preview for what the season is going to entail!

It's May and moose season!

Glenn led one of this weekend's May moose canoe tours.  This family set up a private moose safari with us.  The rain passed and it turned out to be a beautiful and sunny afternoon for wildlife watching.  Glenn mentioned that this family has traveled a lot together.  They enjoy fishing, hiking and just being in the great outdoors.  They had the fortunate luck of seeing 5 moose on today's moose safari and canoed on a beautiful pond to take in the scenery, as well as see loons and ducks.  Thanks for joining us this weekend on a canoe tour to see moose in Maine.

April Moose Tours in Maine

Friday the 13th of April was our first Maine moose watching tour of the 2012 season.  There was no bad luck here!  The mild winter and spring has allowed for us to take to the woods early this year for our moose watching tours. 

A family of 4 from New York joined us today for a private van tour in search of moose.  Molly's nickname is moose and the entire family had never seen a moose before, so this was a special occasion.  All they wanted to see was one moose in the wild.  Friday the 13th curses didn't affect us for our first moose safari of the season.  We arrived at one of our favorite moose spots and viewed the ducks on the water - squawking and spreading there wings.  Part of the pond was ice covered and the edges were open.  We saw a young cow moose emerge from the woods.  The kids were very excited and so were mom and dad.  We watched her drink from the water.

In the spring, moose shed their winter coats.  The family found it interesting how the color of her fur was actually a grayish white color and she blended in to the canvas of trees behind her at first.  Once she was in plain site, it was remarkable to watch her move along the shoreline.  After watching the cow moose for 30 minutes or so we decided to leave her and continue on our evening journey.

We viewed beautiful mountain vistas in the woods and had the pleasure to watch the sunset upon our return to Greenville, over Moosehead Lake.

For the kick off to moose watching season in Maine, Friday the 13th of April was a good day!

Maine Moose Watching for your birthday

Group moose safari this evening on our Maine moose watching tour. One of the little girl's on tonight's tour turned 5 year's old today. What a great way to spend your birthday! We saw two nice sized bull's. One bull moose had big, beautiful velvet antlers and the other walked along the shore bank towards the other bull. We saw deer, loons and rabbits tonight, as well!

Best Family Vacation Spots

One of the must-see spots for a family vacation is Greenville, Maine. Located in the north woods on Moosehead Lake, Greenville has the best activities for your family to enjoy. Some of the popular wildlife tours in Greenville includes moose safaris. Today we set out with 3 families from Wisconsin, the Netherlands, and Connecticut. We went on an evening canoe tour to watch moose on a secluded pond. We saw 6 moose on our tour; 2 bulls and 4 cows! We also got to see deer, loons, and hare. While we were canoeing around the pond we were amazed when we got to listen to coyotes howling. It was the perfect spot to spend an evening in Maine!

Couples retreat to Maine woods to see Moose

Today's Maine moose watching tour was a couple's retreat from the Moosehead Lake region to the north woods to see our Maine moose. The weather was sunny and in the 70's on this balmy evening in Maine. I can honestly say that tonight's tour was one of the best by far (at least for me as a Registered Maine Guide). We put on the pond to canoe and we were already thrilled to be seeing moose feeding on the pond. At that moment a bald eagle flew in and landed on a dead tree. This bald eagle perched in the cove for almost an hour! While we watched the moose, the eagle was fishing! It was such an amazing sight. In total we saw 4 moose tonight on our Maine moose safari. What a great time. Come to Maine to see moose and in this case a bald eagle with Maine Moose Watching tours!