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Hi,
My wife and I have done a few simple canoe and camping trips over the last couple of years and really enjoyed the experience. This year we want to try to see moose in the park. We've never had any luck causal moose spotting so we thought it would be fun to make it a focus of a trip this year. We have read that spring is a good time and we are considering planning a trip the last week on May.
We are considering camping in Lake Opeongo near Hailstorm Creek and then spending the early morning canoeing down the creek to look for moose. We've read that the moose get attracted towards Highway 60 in spring, so is going up to the North Arm of Lake Opeongo overkill at this time of the year (or maybe even counter productive)?
We haven't been to Algonquin in May so we'd love to hear some thoughts on this plan.
Thanks.
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Hailstorm in May is basically a moose convention. I was there in 2002 or 2003 guiding an outdoor ed class and we probably saw 20+ just sitting in the marsh.
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Thanks for the feedback .It definitely looks like the place we should check out.
Should we expect a lot of bugs the last week of May or will the spring weather still be cold enough to keep them away?
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If all you want is to see some moose a slow drive across hwy 60 at dawn or dusk will almost certainly spot a moose at just about anytime of year but particularly in spring. Just be sure to watch your mirrors and pull off to allow traffic to pass you by while you’re crawling along.
Hailstorm is a great option if you want a more intimate adventure although it can get busy there on weekends now as the outfitter runs day trippers up there. Busy being relative of course. You and another canoe or 2.
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Expect bugs.
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As another side back when I worked at opeongo I drove a couple in the water taxi up to hailstorm as they also wanted to see moose. While driving up we encountered a moose swimming across the channel into the north arm. They were very excited, I slowed down so they could see it and they were positive this was a great sign of things to come. Picked them up later that day....only moose they saw.
Basically, there are no guarantees. Mizzy lake hiking trail is supposed to be great. I’ve hiked it many times and saw more than a dozen once, zero more than once.
If you have an extra day or two then canoeing the Crow river between Proulx and Big Crow lake and also its outlet from the Big Crow towards Lavieille are as good as Hailstorm for moose watching.
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Go In BUG SEASON!! Mid June has been my best experience for moose yet!! We were to Tom Thomson area but I'll bet they're everywhere.
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It is a hit-or-miss sort of thing with no guarantees. Best to optimize your chances by focusing on areas of moose habitat like the broad swampy areas. Additionally, if you can locate some higher ground to help spot them...but that's tough to do in a swamp.
The reason your chances are good along the road is because you are covering a ton of ground compared to walking or in a canoe. But the experience of seeing one when on foot or in the canoe is quite rewarding compared to driving up on it.
Do expect bugs in late May. A week or two earlier and you will see fewer, but there may be spots or days where they can be menacing and the closer to June you get the greater the possibility of them to approach 'fierce'. Probably don't need a bug shelter, but certainly some concentrated DEET (40%) and long sleeved shirts and long pants with cuffs that can be secured and a bug-net hat will provide some relief. Also, being out on the water or exposed to the wind helps and a smoky fire when on land can also be of assistance in the worst times. They're rarely constant at that time of year...but when you're on land around camp or on a portage they seem to sense your vulnerability!
Get up super early and explore the swamps from about 1/2 hour before sunrise and then again around dusk - but those areas can be beautiful all day long. Moose are most active in the morning and evening but they don't wear watches so they could pop up any time.
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Just throwing out some more excellent moose spots (other than Opeongo) from my experiences.
Misty Lake has always been a guaranteed moose for me, and we only ever went in May and late June.
Another good spot for us has been Tim Lake and Tim River.
I hope you get your moose filled adventure!
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I've only been to Misty once and I've never seen more moose poop in my life. Every 10ft at the campsite there was another pile of poop, I had to be careful where I was walking the whole time. Unfortunately I didn't get to see any moose though. I've had luck personally in the Pen/Clydegale area.
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Ok I picked some up Steve. But only on your good word.
If I get eaten alive in Spring we’ll be having words. Lol. 
Last edited by ShawnD (2/04/2021 1:15 pm)
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It's been probably 25 years but the best moose seeing trip I ever did was a 5 day trip with 3 friends starting at Brent and travelling via Catfish, Hogan, Big Crow, Lavielle, Radiant and back to Brent. We saw 22 moose, primarily in the west end of Catfish and heading down into Sunfish Lake, Hogan lake heading to the portage to Big Crow and along the Crow River. We'd seen so many moose by the time we were on the Crow River that when we came around a bend and saw another moose we'd just say "Oh there is another moose" and we'd just blast past it without slowing down. However, the funniest part of the trip was seeing my three companions wearing only blue coloured polypro underwear when we left our campsite on Big Crow. It had been wet all day the previous day and their clothing had not dried out. We were travelling light so we could single pass portage. Luckily for me, I had a pair of lightweight nylon pants that were dry.
Last edited by yellowcanoe (2/04/2021 7:25 pm)
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Steve E wrote: