FORT KENT, Maine — For one moose, avoiding hunters was just a stroll down Main Street.
A cow moose may have been taking care of business in town or calling a time-out in the Maine moose hunt when she visited several sites in downtown Fort Kent Monday morning.
Moose are one of the state’s most popular attractions. Visitors long for their first glimpse of one of the animals, and the popular fall hunt draws participants from all over the state and country. But the sight of one strolling town streets is not so common.
“It has been a while since we’ve seen a moose downtown. It’s getting more and more rare that we see moose in easily accessed areas,” said Dennis Paradis, co-owner of the Paradis Shop and Save chain of grocery stores.
Paradis recorded the cow in the parking lot of the Fort Kent store before 8 a.m.
The animal had been lingering in the area before sunrise when another Shop and Save associate first noticed it.
Paradis, a registered Maine guide, estimated the moose weighs about 700 pounds.
The moose also checked out the Fort Kent Public Library, a few Pleasant Street yards and the University of Maine at Fort Kent Sport Center. There she seemingly showed her affinity for the UMFK Bengals soccer team when she strolled under the scoreboard at Michael Simon Field (formerly Alumni Memorial Field).
Downtown Fort Kent is located in the state’s Wildlife Management District 2. The zone is just under 1,215 square miles. Hunting for cows is open this week in the district but not in the downtown area.
