45 Years Ago, A Huge Moose Wandered into Northeast Missouri

This just in. Moose are not native to Missouri. However, that doesn't mean that one of these big beasts has never come by for a visit. Back in 1977, a huge moose did indeed make his way into northeast Missouri and it was apparently quite a surprise.

I came upon this moose revelation in a study many years ago called Movement of Moose South of Traditional Range in the Upper Midwestern United States by the University of Northern Iowa. In that publication is a most curious mention of an event in northeast Missouri in 1977:

In the 1970's, several moose have been recorded from southern Minnesota, Iowa, and
northeastern Missouri.

According to a map shared in the study, this big animal made quite a tour of northern Missouri including the wooded areas south of Hannibal.

Infographic, University of Northern Iowa.edu/Bowles, John B. and Gladfelter, H. Lee (1980) "Movement of Moose South of Traditional Range in the Upper Midwestern United States," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 87(4), 124-125.

According to the University of Northern Iowa study, Bullwinkle was first sighted in Minnesota in late 1976 before he made his way into Missouri in 1977. They state that the last sighting of this moose happened in 1979 when his antlers were found near Bowling Green.

Moose in Missouri are not as crazy a thought as you might think. About 10 years ago, a discussion on Archery Talk mentioned that a land owner in Missouri claimed he had seen a moose.

As nature changes, who knows? Maybe we'll have moose meetings like this in Missouri neighborhoods.