These are the Best Places in New Hampshire to Spot a Moose

Have you ever seen a moose in person? I feel like when you live in New Hampshire or Maine, people surmise that we encounter moose all the time. They assume we have a moose as a neighbor! When in reality it is a rare and breathtaking occurrence. I'll never forget when I saw a female moose in my backyard in Leominster, Massachusetts.

In our suburban-ish town of Leominster, spotting deer and other wildlife was not an uncommon occurrence. But I'll never forget the morning there was a moose on the loose! It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

They tell you how massive these creatures are but until you actually see one, it's difficult to put it into perspective. I was stumbling around my bedroom groggily trying to find clean clothes to wear to school. I glanced out my bedroom window to see an enormous animal bobbing its head in and out of my father's coy pond he had built in our backyard. It was Winter so the pond had frozen over. But it looked the animal had head-butted the pond and was now trying to catch breakfast in the small hole she created.

"MOMMMMM!!!!" I shrieked. I ran downstairs to tell my mom what I saw. By the time we ran to the window, the animal was long gone. In my half asleep state, I couldn't find the word "moose" to describe what I saw. I just kept reiterating how HUGE the animal was.

In my defense, all of the moose I had seen in photos and on TV had massive antlers and this one did not. I later found out that was because she was a female. My mom chalked this one up to me being a drama queen. She concluded it was probably a large deer and told me to hurry up and get dressed, I was going to be late for school.

When I got home from school that day my mom told me that she too had a run-in with big mama moose when she was driving to work. The poor thing was trotting down a pretty busy street and almost slipped and fell on an icy patch. Cars just crept on by as slow as possible, terrified that the animal would lose her footing and come toppling through their windshield.

We never found out what happened to that moose who clearly lost her way and ended up in Leominster, MA. I like to think she found the woods and it led her to more moose-appropriate town like Winchendon or Ashburnham.

If you are reading my story with envy, wishing you had your own moose moment to share at the next dinner party you go to, I have good news. I have found the best places in our state to spot a moose.

If you are fortunate enough to spot a moose (or several) in one of these areas, don't forget these pro tips:

•  Drive slow! Moose often cross the road or feed near the roadside.

• Stay in your car if you see one—moose are huge and can be unpredictable.

• Bring binoculars and a camera with zoom.

• Be alert while driving—moose are often in the road and can be hard to see at night.