Moose mania in Millbrook

MILLBROOK — A moose on the loose has the community abuzz with reports and images of a moose making its way through Millbrook, Clinton Corners and the Town of Washington. While some area residents are excited to share and track the moose’s whereabouts, others are hesitant to share its location to protect its wellbeing.

Over the weekend, conflicting reports of the moose being struck by a vehicle also started to appear on Facebook. New York State Trooper Krystal Paolicelli confirmed one such report. She said, “On September 18, 2025, at approximately 9:30 PM, a Chevy was traveling westbound on State Route 44 in the town of Washington when a moose entered the roadway and struck the vehicle. The moose fled the scene. No injuries were reported.”

Multiple members of local Facebook groups reported seeing the moose again since its alleged accident. “He is out walking today,” shared one user in the Millbrook NY Community Facebook group, “I have seen proof but will not share as the location is obvious to people familiar with our area.”

“So happy that Bullwinkle is out and about,” another Facebook user replied.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation collects public moose sightings on its website and asks members of the public to report information via a Google Form. Along with its research partners — including SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Cornell University’s Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit and Animal Health Diagnostic Center, the Biodiversity Research Institute and the Wildlife Conservation Society Adirondack Program — DEC is collecting the data that will be used to create a moose management plan for New York State. A public moose sighting tracker shows that areas in Dutchess County have reported between 0 and 25 moose sightings between 2014 and 2022.

The DEC also collects moose photos that are posted to the DEC Flickr page.