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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Moose in the BWCA
 
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x2jmorris
02/21/2025 11:36AM
 
I see the most around the Gunflint area
 
jeremywade
02/21/2025 12:32PM
 
Thanks all - This gives me hope and optimism. I hope I can spot a few eventually.


Best wishes
 
Pinetree
02/21/2025 10:00AM
 
Its interesting least short term in the big burn areas, moose are getting lot less of the brain worm and other parasites, especially brain worm.
The reason snails and slugs that carried a intermediary stage of the brainwork fluke got killed and burned out of the area.
Also up the Gunflint trail area moose are doin much better than other areas.
 
MikeTinCan
02/21/2025 12:18PM
 
I live just outside Winton and have seen more than 100 moose in the area over the years. More than half were about this time of year in the ditch eating the "salt snow".
 
LindenTree
02/21/2025 02:05PM
 
Last year I saw the trifecta in the Superior NF. Moose, Bear and Wolves.
 
Voyager
02/21/2025 04:26PM
 
I tend to see more off the beaten path, PMAs for instance. I think Sept. during the rut is the best time to see bulls.
 
Dreamer
02/21/2025 04:47PM
 
We saw a big bull on Dix Lake on our way up to Knife last September. I followed the sound of a Moose on Moosecamp Lake all the way down a show one day, but it never came down to the water. We had a bull moose run through our camp every night for 4 nights on Crystal Lake One year. A guy in our group filmed a cow moose running down towards Clearwater on the portage from West Pike. Then we saw one on a lake just off Seagull with its baby. My conclusion? They're everywhere. You just have to be at the right place at the right time...
 
Blatz
02/22/2025 07:46AM
 
I saw many Moose on Hog Creek during a trip
 
Pinetree
02/21/2025 07:49PM
 
YaMarVa: "Last year I saw 5 moose in one day paddling from Ham Lake to Long Island Lake. "
One of the best areas in the BWCA for moose.
 
Pinetree
02/21/2025 07:47PM
 
tumblehome: "There were some years around the 2000 to 2018 that I didn’t see any moose.
However, the last few years I have been seeing them again. Certainly not a scientific survey but I ‘feel’ there are moose out there now than 10 years ago.



About 15 years ago we were paddling down the Nina Moose river just at ice out and found two dead moose in the river. A real sad sight actually. Animals generally do not die a peaceful death when their day comes.
Tom"

Quite often especially in Quetico we find a dead moose that fell thru the ice that winter.
 
Jaywalker
02/22/2025 10:18AM
 
jeremywade: "... I have a trip planned already this summer, but would love to see some moose in the wild in the future from a canoe, if even possible.


Thanks all"



If you share where your trip is, maybe people could more specifically share the areas they have seen moose in the past few years.

 
portagerunner
02/22/2025 09:17AM
 
Most I have seen while traveling through creeks in the morning hours. The one exception was on Gabbro Lake. I pulled up on a small island (halfish acre in size) with my mother and kids to fish a little while the kids explored during the middle of the day. As soon as we got out of the canoe branches started cracking and a bull moose stood up. Took a couple steps towards us as we scrambled back into the canoe and he turned back into the brush. We paddled around the island a couple times to watch him from a safer distance. Most of my sightings in the BW have been over the last few years.
 
jeremywade
02/22/2025 12:20PM
 
Thanks all, that is great info going forward.


Heading in to EP 37 Kawishiwi lake. Any tips near that area would be amazing!!

 
scat
02/22/2025 06:46AM
 
I was camped on West Pike on a solo and having my morning coffee when I heard a moose crashing thru the woods and it got in the water and started swimming across the lake directly at my campsite. It got maybe 100 yards from landing right in front of me when I made a movement to grab my binocs or camera and the moose saw that, did a 180 and swam all the way back across the lake and crashed back into the woods. I always felt bad about that, all that work for nothing. Those suckers are strong swimmers I can attest to that, was huffing & puffing like a steam engine.
 
jeremywade
02/19/2025 12:58PM
 
Just out of curiosity, what is the state or status of moose in the BWCA?

I know the moose in Minnesota are not doing well as of late, and am wondering if there are any regions that hold more moose than others? I have a trip planned already this summer, but would love to see some moose in the wild in the future from a canoe, if even possible.

Thanks all
 
plander
02/19/2025 04:19PM
 
2024 Aerial Moose Survey NE MN
 
YaMarVa
02/21/2025 11:47AM
 
Last year I saw 5 moose in one day paddling from Ham Lake to Long Island Lake.
 
Frenchy19
02/21/2025 03:13PM
 
scat: "I recommend Horseshoe Lake, moosey in there.
"
Yep!!!!
 
YaMarVa
02/23/2025 08:06AM
 
I see more Moose when I’m driving early in the morning. I’ve seen 25+ along the gunflint trail just driving my car.

 
Jaywalker
02/24/2025 07:39AM
 
jeremywade: "Heading in to EP 37 Kawishiwi lake. Any tips near that area would be amazing!!
"

Like Egknuti said, look for the moosey places like shown in his photo. There are plenty of them heading north from Kawishiwi. It can be a pretty busy corridor up to Polly, so to improve your chances try paddling less direct roots or side trips to more remote places. Maybe make side trips a short wash up the Phoebe or Louse rivers, or Baskatong Lake which get less traffic. Fishdance was mentioned, and I recall a remote swampy place on the western side. My best advice would be to head to Amber. The lovely southern campsite has a major game trail that comes from the south and runs right through the edge of camp, onto the beach, and out through some cedars. I saw plenty of moose sign there 3 years ago, and some 30 years ago had a moose come into camp at dawn and sniff my tent while I was in it. On that particular trip, from Kawishiwi to Boulder to Amber and out, I saw 23 moose in 10 days. But it’s really random, and on 4 trips before I saw none. Good luck.
 
EmmaMorgan
02/23/2025 07:50AM
 
I saw signs of moose around the campsites on Fishdance a couple years ago, but didn’t see the moose themselves.


I did encounter a beautiful bull moose on the portage between West Pike and Clearwater, also a couple years ago, near the Clearwater end.
 
inspector13
02/19/2025 07:55PM
 

No matter what, seeing any wildlife will always be a gamble no matter were you decide to trip within the BWCAW.


 
egknuti
02/20/2025 04:46PM
 

I can’t direct you to a specific area, but if you want to increase your chances of seeing moose, look for areas that are “moosey” and hit these areas early morning before sunrise and late evening near or after sunset-and be quiet.

That being said, I’ve encountered moose at all times of the day, especially on hot days after 3:00. The heat and mosquitoes drive them out of the woods and into cool water.
 
tumblehome
02/21/2025 11:20AM
 
There were some years around the 2000 to 2018 that I didn’t see any moose.
However, the last few years I have been seeing them again. Certainly not a scientific survey but I ‘feel’ there are moose out there now than 10 years ago.


About 15 years ago we were paddling down the Nina Moose river just at ice out and found two dead moose in the river. A real sad sight actually. Animals generally do not die a peaceful death when their day comes.
Tom
 
scat
02/21/2025 12:42PM
 
I recommend Horseshoe Lake, moosey in there.