There’s a moose on the loose in Pine Plains

There’s a moose on the loose in Pine Plains
This bull moose is already growing antlers, according to Laura Holmes, whose brother, Kyle Sundberg, snapped photos of the magnificent animal outside his home on Hoffman Road in Pine Plains when he saw the moose on Tuesday, May 18. Photo by Kyle Sundberg 

PINE PLAINS — Hoffman Road resident Kyle Sundberg got a surprise message on Tuesday, May 18, when a friend sent a photo of a young bull moose sauntering around the marshy grounds of his backyard in the morning hours. When Sundberg peered out the window to take a look for himself, he was out of luck. But he staked out the scene throughout the day, and by that evening the young moose had returned.

Out came Sundberg’s camera; he snapped a number of shots of the magnificent moose — not an everyday sight in the Harlem Valley. 

The moose, which is a protected animal in New York State, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), “is the largest member of the deer family (Cervidae), and the largest land mammal in New York State. Bulls weigh from 600 to 1,200 pounds and stand up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder.” Their primary predator is the black bear.

Sundberg’s sister, Laura Holmes, lives in neighboring Stanfordville but works in the Pine Plains Post Office. She said she’s never seen a moose in all her years growing up and living in the Hudson Valley — many of those years spent residing in Pine Plains. She stopped by her brother’s house that evening.

“No, I never thought we’d be spotting a moose,” she said. “It’s great to see. Other people saw it in town, too… My brother saw it in person. He was very excited. He was so excited you can’t believe it.”

Holmes has been handling most of the publicity, sharing Sundberg’s photos on social media and with friends and neighbors. In two day’s time photos of the young moose have been viewed more than 3,500 times online, she said.

“I had no idea this would happen; I thought I’d share a couple pictures with a couple of people; now it’s out of hand.”

Out of hand, possibly. But exciting? Definitely.

“It’s really, really cool to see a moose,” said Homes. “Everyone is so excited to see it. It’s really rare around here.”

For more information on moose in the Empire State, go to the DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6964. There is also a link to report moose sightings at that address, to assist in the creation of a moose management plan for New York.

Latest News

Legal Notices - November 13, 2025

Legal Notice

Brevi Properties LLC

Keep ReadingShow less
North East inches closer to public hearing on years-long commercial zoning overhaul
North East Town Hall
Maud Doyle

MILLERTON — The North East Town Board held a special workshop meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to finalize a years-long review of its commercial district zoning code — a process that has spanned 100 meetings over four years.

Town officials had hoped the meeting would mark the completion of the most complex phase of the overhaul — approving a final draft of zoning edits to be sent to the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development for review before scheduling a public hearing.

Keep ReadingShow less
District Attorney details unified surveillance system

The Dutchess County Real-Time Crime Center, which came online over the course of the past year, is being hailed as a first-of-its-kind collaboration between county, state and local law enforcement agencies, District Attorney Anthony Parisi told The News on Friday, Nov. 6.

Real-time crime centers are emerging nationwide as powerful surveillance tools. They link networks of government, business and privately owned security cameras into centralized systems accessible to police. These centers often employ artificial intelligence technologies such as facial recognition, license plate scanning and video analysis that can compress hours of footage into minutes of usable data.

Keep ReadingShow less
Local writer shares veterans’ stories in Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘Medal of Honor’ podcast

Meredith Rollins is the local writer behind Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries podcast “Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage.” The series highlights recipients of the nation’s highest military award for bravery, sharing their extraordinary acts of valor and sacrifice. Season two was released this summer and Rollins reveales that a third season is on its way.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

SHARON, Conn. — After 20 years as a magazine editor with executive roles at publishing giants like Condé Nast and Hearst, Meredith Rollins never imagined she would become the creative force behind a military history podcast. But today, she spends her days writing about some of the most heroic veterans in United States history for “Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage,” a podcast produced by Malcolm Gladwell’s company, Pushkin Industries.

From her early days in book publishing to two decades in magazines and later a global content strategist for Weight Watchers, Rollins has built a long and varied career in storytelling.

Keep ReadingShow less