Not only are humans flocking to the Hudson Valley, but so are the moose!

Over the last few weeks we've been hearing rumblings of moose sightings all over the area. While seeing a moose isn't the most shocking thing in the world, it is somewhat uncommon.

Moose in the Hudson Valley?

It should come as no surprise, but moose aren't habitating in the Hudson Valley. They do call parts of New York home, but its usually a litter further up north. The Department of Environmental Conservation explains:

"Moose occur in boreal forest areas of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, they are found from Alaska eastward to the Atlantic Ocean, and south into the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Lakes, and the Northeast. In New York, most moose are located in the northeastern part of the state in the Adirondack Mountains and the Taconic Highlands along the Massachusetts and Vermont borders.

It doesn't mean they can't wander down this way occasionally.

As we're learning that's more common than we think. Towards the end of September 2022, a moose was seen running through the parking lot of a Danbury, CT mall and days later was seen all over East Fishkill and Hopewell Junction. Joanne Coffee Burns shared this screenshot from her security cameras that catches the massive animal in action:

Joanne Coffee Burns
Joanne Coffee Burns
loading...

It looks as though September and October are the month to spot the animals in the wilderness of the Hudson Valley as we got a whole bunch of sightings in 2023.

2023 Hudson Valley Moose Sightings

We're no moose experts, but we think 2 different moose have visited the region this year. We received several photos from Clinton Corners to Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie of moose frolicking across front laws and through wooded areas.

Julia Truitt shared this amazing photo of a large moose walking across her Hyde Park, New York front lawn on September 20th, 2023:

Julia Truitt
Julia Truitt
loading...

A few days later another (or possibly the same moose) was spotted in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Julia Blair said she snapped the photo below of a moose running around the property of Oakwood Friends School.

Julia Blair
Julia Blair
loading...

Blair emailed us and wrote:

October 2nd, at 4;30 pm as I was leaving Oakwood Friends School where I work, I spotted this moose walking right towards me on Friends Lane and then he went onto our School Campus. I was at first shocked and then amazed.I alerted the main office and we contacted the NYS DEC and they said that they were following this young adult male moose over the last 2 weeks.
She also adds "Now I am happy to check Moose Sighting off of my bucket list!"
Have you seen a moose in the Hudson Valley? Help us map out the sightings, send us your photos to Jess@HudsonValleyCountry.com.
We've collected photos of all the moose sightings in the area over the past few years and put together a timeline of sorts. Look below at the last 3 years of moose sightings in the region.

Mapping Out Moose Sightings Across The Hudson Valley

For the last year or so, we've been getting more and more moose sightings in and around the Hudson Valley. We've mapped out a few of the most recent sightings in our neighborhoods.

Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia New Jersey

The Wolves of the Lakota Wolf Preserve is located just over the New York State border near the Pocono Mountains in Columbia, New Jersey. They are the Northeast's largest wolf preserve. They offer tours and educational programs.

Gallery Credit: Paty Quyn

10 of The Prettiest Hudson Valley Towns to Visit This Fall with Breathtaking Views