Lyon County, Iowa — Was there a moose on the loose in northwest Iowa this week? If reports are to be believed, yes.
According to a Lyon County Sheriff Dispatcher, there were some reports of a moose in the county on Wednesday, November 3rd. People reported seeing the moose between Rock Rapids and Little Rock that day. And there is video evidence of the moose being just north of the county in Luverne, Minnesota on Sunday, October 31st, and it was headed south at the time.
We talked to Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Chris LaRue, and he says while it’s somewhat unusual to see a moose in our area, it’s not all that rare.
He tells us while moose seem out of place, the DNR doesn’t usually attempt to re-locate them.
However, LaRue tells us that if the moose is in danger or if motorists or other people are in danger by the moose’s presence, they will occasionally intervene.
LaRue tells us that the home habitat for moose ends in northern Minnesota, but they often venture into central Minnesota. He says it’s a little more unusual to see them in southern Minnesota or northern Iowa, but it does happen.
Iowa DNR Conservation Officers tell us that while there is no season for moose in Iowa, that does not mean you can shoot them. They tell us that moose are a member of the Cervidae family, and are protected under law as such. The family includes deer, elk, moose, and caribou. The only reason people can hunt deer is that Iowa has a season for them. Since there is no moose season, they are not to be hunted.
On Friday, there was talk on social media about people seeing a moose in Brookings, South Dakota. It’s not known if it’s the same moose or not, but LaRue says it’s certainly not impossible, as moose can travel as far as 150 miles per day if they want to.
Click here for the video on Facebook.
Video/Stills courtesy Kennedi Jorgensen of Luverne, MN
