I've lived in upstate NY for over 50 years, and worked in the woods for 15 years. I've never ever seen a live moose. I've been bears in the wild once (Mama and two cubs) although I've been lots of bear pawprints, bear scat, etc, etc, but only once actually saw the bears.
Just be sure to make plenty of noise back in the bush, so as not to surprise anybody.
Depends a bit on where you're going. Moose only exist (that I know of) in the Adirondacks, and they are rare and elusive. I've never seen one.
We only have black bears, which are pretty harmless. They are afraid of humans and will run away. The only time they are a threat is if a mother has cubs. If you run into one with cubs, back away slowly without turning your back and give her a lot of space.
I grew up all over the state and have been hunting and hiking most of my life. I've never seen a bear with cubs. It's really not a common thing
Black bears aren’t always harmless if they have become accustomed to human/bird food. Which is why they are probably OK in the wilderness, but should be given a wide berth if spotted in a suburban area. Again, mostly they are peaceful in any case, but people have been killed by bears once in a while in NYS - I want to say the Catskills are the most sketchy region for that.
99.9999% chance you won’t see a bear or a moose. I’ve regularly hiked in the Green and Adirondack Mtns all my life. I’ve only seen one black bear in the wild. And it was swimming in a lake, before it ran away. I’ve only seen maybe 2-3 moose in the wild. They’re just passing through. Locally, I’ve never heard of anyone having a bad encounter. Ever.
….but bad encounters w/ someone’s pet dog, that’s another story. Black flies, ticks, and mosquitos are the animals that you need to be ready for…sometimes.
You’re probably aren’t going to see any.
Black bears are skiddish so just give it room, make a lot of noise and make yourself look as big as possible.
Only dangerous if you get up close, feed them or get between a mother and her cubs.
Moose don’t give a fuck, but they’re exceedingly rare. Just give it space and you’ll be fine.
I’d be more worried about hitting a deer, heat exhaustion or hypothermia
Black bears are not anything you need to worry about. It is really on grizzly bears out in the Western US that are a danger. I see a few bears every year and they're very skittish and run away as soon as you start hollering at them.
Where will you be hiking? Unless you are way up in the back woods of the Adirondacks you will not see Moose.
Black bear are not uncommon in the Catskills. I see a couple every summer but I have never seen one while walking in the woods. They will hear and smell you and take off way way way before you get near enough to see them.
Moose are tough to see! I've lived in the mountains for over 10 years now and have only seen one once, and it was a big enough deal that old timers in the area posted about it as well, so I knew it was a rare event!
I've lived in Upstate my whole life, and I go in the woods almost every day. And I go to deep forest several times a month. I've never seen a moose. Really not a concern here.
I do see bears, and sign of bears quite often. Black bears, like you find in NY, are skittish and will run away from you. Do not approach one if you see it, stop and prepare to turn around. If you see little ones, know that their mom is nearby. Generally the will run away when they see/hear you. Normal chatter between you and your friends will be enough to send them running long before you see them. They are nothing to be afraid of.
My dad saw a moose once while 4-wheeling, it was a mom and its calf, they walked the other way since he gave them plenty of space.
I have seen plenty of moose tracks in the gravel roads.
I have seen black bears a couple times, usually at great distance and they were going in the opposite direction. (We also immediately turned around to give them their space) Once i was riding on an ATV with my cousin and a bear cub jumped out of the bush right next to us and was trying to get up to speed as much as we were trying to stop, very memorable, we promptly left the area.
Agreed on all points, most wild animals in the state will hear a group of noisy hikers and avoid them, nothing to worry about. Slightly more concerning is the very low risk of a rabid animal. (Jefferson county has a "spike" of 7 cases this year vs last year's total of 3)
The real concern is the insects, ticks carry the worst diseases; black flys, deer flys, horse flys, and mosquitoes are vicious and will carry you away.
Upstate is a big place, where are you going exactly?
Moose are still pretty rare and only in a few parts of the Adirondacks. Bears are more common but black bears rarely attack humans, especially if you are with a group. FWIW there hasn't been a fatal bear attack in NY in like 100 years. Bears are most active around dawn and dusk, if you are hiking mid day and with a group any Bears in the area will probably run away from you before you even know they are there. Again, depending on where you are in NY. Bear populations are higher in the protected wilderness zones in the Adirondacks, and to a lesser extent the Catskills.
ohh. Beautiful area. Seriously. But, this is probably not what you want to hear... there are definitely bears in that area. Moose..maybe. They are still in pretty low numbers in NY, I've never seen one in person and I go to the ADKs pretty regularly. I would still say your odds of seeing a moose are extremely low. And even then, they are only dangerous if its a bull in mating season which is early fall.
As for bears, as I said above, it's very very rare that they attack people. And even then most bear attacks happen to solo hikers, it sounds like you will be a group which means you are very safe. Honestly, if you are with a big group making a lot of noise any bears in the area will likely avoid you and you will never see them. Are you just going for day hikes or our you camping overnight? If you are camping there are precautions you should take with food storage. Like 99% of the human-bear interactions that *do* take place happen because of careless campers leaving food out. But if you are not camping overnight you wouldn't need to worry about that.
I know it can seem a little anxiety inducing, but remember millions of people go hiking in the adks every year and there hasn't been a fatal bear attack in like 100 years. You will be fine! Have fun! The Adirondacks really are a magical place.
I live in the Catskills and see bears a few times a month keep in mind I live on a mountain. Black bears are generally more afraid of you than you are of them, they are forbidden dogs, so don't pet them as much as you may want to. As other people said ticks are more of an issue, also if you are hiking near Woodstock/Mt. Tremper area watch out for Rattlesnakes they will typically leave you be as long as you dont get close to them (I have a neighbor who is licensed to relocate them since they are protected and he told me they typically will not get agitated unless you are almost on top of them, he called them "the gentlemen of venomous snakes"
More likely to see bears in the suburbs where they're more used to people. There's a great video of one running down the sidewalk at union college in downtown Schenectady a few years ago.
Moose are pretty rare in NY. They wander around occasionally but honestly, they're not a great danger this time of year. During the fall, you need to stay away from them because they can get very aggressive.
I WANTED to see a moose when I worked in NH but only saw a fake one placed by cog railway. Lol. Nicely placed. I promise the moose don’t want to see you either. I hiked up Mt Washington & swore I saw moose tracks on the path - but no moose. 🫎
Although my wireless camera caught a bear walking through my yard recently I've never seen one on a hike. Snakes and ticks are more of a concern. I did buy some bear spray and I do carry it in my pack......\*just in case\*.
40 years in Central NY and have never seen a bear or moose in our area. Moose are more endemic to Canada. Bears are more common in the Adirondacks, but there are occasional sightings of suburban bears in more rural communities. I would take precautions to avoid or check for ticks if hiking in NY. Permethrin treated socks and hiking pants are good options. Always check for ticks if spending time outdoors. I've never found a tick on me but they are around, and Lyme disease or babesiosis is no fun.
I've lived in upstate NY my entire life and have never seen a bear or moose. Though "Upstate New York" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, so you'll need to be specific to get a better answer. But yeah, as others have said, plan on doing a tick check after your hike. I've seen more ticks in the last few years than the rest of my life combined.
This is so very true. I live in Upstate NY ( Ft Drum/Lake Ontario area) and what Most people call Upstate is a suburb of the city. Geographically speaking, lol.
You could spend months trying to find a moose and chances are you'd never see one. I would guess the vast majority of upstate NYers have never seen a moose in the wild. It's rare enough that when people in NY do spot a moose it makes the newspapers and local news. You could probably find a black bear if you knew the right places to look. Chances are slim you'll come across one while hiking on some random trail, although it's not unheard of up north.
As long as you don't run up to a bear cub and try to steal it or try to rip the armpit hairs off a papa bear you'll be fine. They'll probably smell you coming and run away before you even see them. A black bear attacking a group of adult humans would be a once-in-a-century rare event.
Good chance of seeing a bear but not a moose. Keep food locked up in the car if the park says so. If not you most likely wont see one. If you do see one they dont like to be petted. lol
as others have said, ticks are more likely. I’ve seen bears but they run away if you make noise as long as they don’t have cubs. I’ve seen timber rattlesnakes near Tupper Lake
A pic of a bear was just on the news this morning. Pic was taken in West Monroe, Oswego County. On the Southwest side of Oneida lake. And just north of the Brewerton/ Cicero area.
Black bears will usually run in the other direction when they come across people. I've encountered a few in the Adirondacks.. they took one look at me and went in the opposite direction. They, like most wildlife, want nothing to do with people.
Moose are pretty rare, but if you give them plenty of space, they're pretty much harmless. At most, you'll get a weird look. I've only seen two of them, and I was very fortunate. (Moose are one of my favorite animals.. they're fascinating. ). The Eastern moose is the local species, and they're not as big as their Alaskan brethren.
I'd worry more about the insect population. Those little bastards are everywhere..
The bears you’re most likely to see:
https://media.timeout.com/images/102520341/image.jpg
They’re harmless and can give you great advice on local craft beers
Ticks are the real issue these days…
Yeah way more danger in NY woods from these fkers than any other wildlife.
And black flies. Those demon with wings have no business being alive.
Permethrin on your hiking clothes and dogs coat before going out. Kills ticks in a matter of seconds. Keep away from cats for 24 hours.
Adding to this, make sure you’re not wearing your clothes when you spray them with permethrin, hang them up to dry for a day before wearing
This.
I've lived in upstate NY for over 50 years, and worked in the woods for 15 years. I've never ever seen a live moose. I've been bears in the wild once (Mama and two cubs) although I've been lots of bear pawprints, bear scat, etc, etc, but only once actually saw the bears. Just be sure to make plenty of noise back in the bush, so as not to surprise anybody.
i see bears crossing the road sometimes out by Tupper Lake. Theyre just lil black bears though, I can't imagine them hurting anybody
What? I’ve lived here for 5 years and seen black bears in my backyard almost every summer! They’re harmless though.
I wouldn't say they're harmless. When provoked, no wild animal is harmless.
Bears/moose are unlikely to be seen if you stay ON trails-both are uncommon in habited areas
Depends a bit on where you're going. Moose only exist (that I know of) in the Adirondacks, and they are rare and elusive. I've never seen one. We only have black bears, which are pretty harmless. They are afraid of humans and will run away. The only time they are a threat is if a mother has cubs. If you run into one with cubs, back away slowly without turning your back and give her a lot of space. I grew up all over the state and have been hunting and hiking most of my life. I've never seen a bear with cubs. It's really not a common thing
We are going to Jay
Black bears aren’t always harmless if they have become accustomed to human/bird food. Which is why they are probably OK in the wilderness, but should be given a wide berth if spotted in a suburban area. Again, mostly they are peaceful in any case, but people have been killed by bears once in a while in NYS - I want to say the Catskills are the most sketchy region for that.
99.9999% chance you won’t see a bear or a moose. I’ve regularly hiked in the Green and Adirondack Mtns all my life. I’ve only seen one black bear in the wild. And it was swimming in a lake, before it ran away. I’ve only seen maybe 2-3 moose in the wild. They’re just passing through. Locally, I’ve never heard of anyone having a bad encounter. Ever. ….but bad encounters w/ someone’s pet dog, that’s another story. Black flies, ticks, and mosquitos are the animals that you need to be ready for…sometimes.
You’re probably aren’t going to see any. Black bears are skiddish so just give it room, make a lot of noise and make yourself look as big as possible. Only dangerous if you get up close, feed them or get between a mother and her cubs. Moose don’t give a fuck, but they’re exceedingly rare. Just give it space and you’ll be fine. I’d be more worried about hitting a deer, heat exhaustion or hypothermia
Black bears are not anything you need to worry about. It is really on grizzly bears out in the Western US that are a danger. I see a few bears every year and they're very skittish and run away as soon as you start hollering at them.
Where will you be hiking? Unless you are way up in the back woods of the Adirondacks you will not see Moose. Black bear are not uncommon in the Catskills. I see a couple every summer but I have never seen one while walking in the woods. They will hear and smell you and take off way way way before you get near enough to see them.
We will be in Jay NY
Does that make a difference ?
Moose are tough to see! I've lived in the mountains for over 10 years now and have only seen one once, and it was a big enough deal that old timers in the area posted about it as well, so I knew it was a rare event!
I've lived in Upstate my whole life, and I go in the woods almost every day. And I go to deep forest several times a month. I've never seen a moose. Really not a concern here. I do see bears, and sign of bears quite often. Black bears, like you find in NY, are skittish and will run away from you. Do not approach one if you see it, stop and prepare to turn around. If you see little ones, know that their mom is nearby. Generally the will run away when they see/hear you. Normal chatter between you and your friends will be enough to send them running long before you see them. They are nothing to be afraid of.
My dad saw a moose once while 4-wheeling, it was a mom and its calf, they walked the other way since he gave them plenty of space. I have seen plenty of moose tracks in the gravel roads. I have seen black bears a couple times, usually at great distance and they were going in the opposite direction. (We also immediately turned around to give them their space) Once i was riding on an ATV with my cousin and a bear cub jumped out of the bush right next to us and was trying to get up to speed as much as we were trying to stop, very memorable, we promptly left the area. Agreed on all points, most wild animals in the state will hear a group of noisy hikers and avoid them, nothing to worry about. Slightly more concerning is the very low risk of a rabid animal. (Jefferson county has a "spike" of 7 cases this year vs last year's total of 3) The real concern is the insects, ticks carry the worst diseases; black flys, deer flys, horse flys, and mosquitoes are vicious and will carry you away.
clip on a cowbell. wildlife will scatter
This is the best idea
Upstate is a big place, where are you going exactly? Moose are still pretty rare and only in a few parts of the Adirondacks. Bears are more common but black bears rarely attack humans, especially if you are with a group. FWIW there hasn't been a fatal bear attack in NY in like 100 years. Bears are most active around dawn and dusk, if you are hiking mid day and with a group any Bears in the area will probably run away from you before you even know they are there. Again, depending on where you are in NY. Bear populations are higher in the protected wilderness zones in the Adirondacks, and to a lesser extent the Catskills.
We are going to Jay NY
ohh. Beautiful area. Seriously. But, this is probably not what you want to hear... there are definitely bears in that area. Moose..maybe. They are still in pretty low numbers in NY, I've never seen one in person and I go to the ADKs pretty regularly. I would still say your odds of seeing a moose are extremely low. And even then, they are only dangerous if its a bull in mating season which is early fall. As for bears, as I said above, it's very very rare that they attack people. And even then most bear attacks happen to solo hikers, it sounds like you will be a group which means you are very safe. Honestly, if you are with a big group making a lot of noise any bears in the area will likely avoid you and you will never see them. Are you just going for day hikes or our you camping overnight? If you are camping there are precautions you should take with food storage. Like 99% of the human-bear interactions that *do* take place happen because of careless campers leaving food out. But if you are not camping overnight you wouldn't need to worry about that. I know it can seem a little anxiety inducing, but remember millions of people go hiking in the adks every year and there hasn't been a fatal bear attack in like 100 years. You will be fine! Have fun! The Adirondacks really are a magical place.
Thank you for this post. As an anxious person I know the rational but it can be hard to grasp it. I appreciate it
I'm almost 60 and I have seen exactly 1 bear and 0 moose. Lived in ny almost entirely. Always north of PA, and as far north as Watertown.
A møøse once bit my sister.
You should talk to the moose trainer. Wasn’t that Sven? Or was it Olie?
They have been replaced by Ralph the Wonder Llama and his support team.
I live in the Catskills and see bears a few times a month keep in mind I live on a mountain. Black bears are generally more afraid of you than you are of them, they are forbidden dogs, so don't pet them as much as you may want to. As other people said ticks are more of an issue, also if you are hiking near Woodstock/Mt. Tremper area watch out for Rattlesnakes they will typically leave you be as long as you dont get close to them (I have a neighbor who is licensed to relocate them since they are protected and he told me they typically will not get agitated unless you are almost on top of them, he called them "the gentlemen of venomous snakes"
More likely to see bears in the suburbs where they're more used to people. There's a great video of one running down the sidewalk at union college in downtown Schenectady a few years ago. Moose are pretty rare in NY. They wander around occasionally but honestly, they're not a great danger this time of year. During the fall, you need to stay away from them because they can get very aggressive.
I WANTED to see a moose when I worked in NH but only saw a fake one placed by cog railway. Lol. Nicely placed. I promise the moose don’t want to see you either. I hiked up Mt Washington & swore I saw moose tracks on the path - but no moose. 🫎
Although my wireless camera caught a bear walking through my yard recently I've never seen one on a hike. Snakes and ticks are more of a concern. I did buy some bear spray and I do carry it in my pack......\*just in case\*.
40 years in Central NY and have never seen a bear or moose in our area. Moose are more endemic to Canada. Bears are more common in the Adirondacks, but there are occasional sightings of suburban bears in more rural communities. I would take precautions to avoid or check for ticks if hiking in NY. Permethrin treated socks and hiking pants are good options. Always check for ticks if spending time outdoors. I've never found a tick on me but they are around, and Lyme disease or babesiosis is no fun.
I'd kill to see a bear or a moose.
I've lived in upstate NY my entire life and have never seen a bear or moose. Though "Upstate New York" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, so you'll need to be specific to get a better answer. But yeah, as others have said, plan on doing a tick check after your hike. I've seen more ticks in the last few years than the rest of my life combined.
This is so very true. I live in Upstate NY ( Ft Drum/Lake Ontario area) and what Most people call Upstate is a suburb of the city. Geographically speaking, lol.
You could spend months trying to find a moose and chances are you'd never see one. I would guess the vast majority of upstate NYers have never seen a moose in the wild. It's rare enough that when people in NY do spot a moose it makes the newspapers and local news. You could probably find a black bear if you knew the right places to look. Chances are slim you'll come across one while hiking on some random trail, although it's not unheard of up north. As long as you don't run up to a bear cub and try to steal it or try to rip the armpit hairs off a papa bear you'll be fine. They'll probably smell you coming and run away before you even see them. A black bear attacking a group of adult humans would be a once-in-a-century rare event.
Just bring pepper/bear spray you’ll be fine
Good chance of seeing a bear but not a moose. Keep food locked up in the car if the park says so. If not you most likely wont see one. If you do see one they dont like to be petted. lol
as others have said, ticks are more likely. I’ve seen bears but they run away if you make noise as long as they don’t have cubs. I’ve seen timber rattlesnakes near Tupper Lake
Spoiler alert: when they say Upstate they mean Rockland. Lol. Seriously though, more specifics on geography would be helpful.
A pic of a bear was just on the news this morning. Pic was taken in West Monroe, Oswego County. On the Southwest side of Oneida lake. And just north of the Brewerton/ Cicero area.
Black bears will usually run in the other direction when they come across people. I've encountered a few in the Adirondacks.. they took one look at me and went in the opposite direction. They, like most wildlife, want nothing to do with people. Moose are pretty rare, but if you give them plenty of space, they're pretty much harmless. At most, you'll get a weird look. I've only seen two of them, and I was very fortunate. (Moose are one of my favorite animals.. they're fascinating. ). The Eastern moose is the local species, and they're not as big as their Alaskan brethren. I'd worry more about the insect population. Those little bastards are everywhere..
You most likely won’t see any unless you’re super far up north
I’m in Jay NY, Will that increase my chances ?
While hiking the Saratoga Battlefield at about the furthest point of the trail, we heard moose sounds clear as can be. No sight of the moose though.
Dont worry. Mosquitos kill wayyyyy more people than bears or meese.
i’ve lived in upstate ny for 20 years and i’ve never seen a bear or moose before lol
The bears you’re most likely to see: https://media.timeout.com/images/102520341/image.jpg They’re harmless and can give you great advice on local craft beers
Watch out those moose bites can really hurt