Golf courses throughout the area are once again opening - apparently to more than just golfers.
While taking in an afternoon round of golf at Crosswoods Golf Course on Saturday, April 25, a group spotted a female moose trotting near the first green on the Sunrise Course.
After Crosswoods employees posted the photo on Facebook, others claimed to have seen the moose throughout town.
Crosslake is farther south than the range the Department of Natural Resources has laid out for moose, which tend to live in the extreme northeastern and northwestern portions of the state. However, DNR Wildlife Supervisor Christine Reisz, in Brainerd, said they aren't unheard of in the area.
"It is slightly out of where we would typically see moose, but they do see them in Aitkin County," Reisz said. "Typically one every year, so it's not unusual for them to be in our way. Normally we would think of them near Lake Superior. We don't keep track of moose in this area, so it's really hard to say how many we might have in the area. This isn't their typical range anymore."
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Reisz said there could possibly be more in the area, though she doesn't study moose enough to know whether this one may have been traveling alone or near others. She also was unable to say if the more southerly migration might be connected with reduction in human traffic that might otherwise limit their movement, though she didn't rule it out.
"Certainly road density has an affect on most wildlife," Reisz said.
Area news is occasionally peppered with uncommon moose sightings. In November 2014, a driver just north of Hackensack collided with a male moose on Highway 371. In April 1995, a moose was rescued by DNR officers after breaking through the ice on Edna Lake in Nisswa.
While uncommon, moose sightings in the area certainly catch people's interest, not least of all those with the DNR.
"It's pretty cool," Reisz said. "I hope they can recover across the state, so it's kind of nice to have one in our work area. I hope it sticks around."
