By KIM SMITH DEDAM

Staff Writer

ELIZABETHTOWN — Moose are on the move.

And officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation are warning drivers to watch out, particularly through September and October.

“Early fall is the breeding season for moose in northern New York,” DEC spokesman David Winchell in a statement issued Friday. “Moose are wandering, leading them to areas where they are not typically seen.”

Bulls, some with antlers four to five feet wide, can be unpredictable this time of year.

While people may have a better chance of spotting the tall, lanky animals, there is greater danger of colliding with one on the roadway.

POPULATION GROWTH

DEC estimates the moose population in the Adirondack region to be near 500, about ten times what it was in 1997.

They had all but disappeared from northern New York forests since Civil War days.

“Basically, it kind of surprised us that these animals were taking to New York,” said Chuck Dente, a DEC big-game biologist based in Albany. “They have adapted quite well.”

New York’s moose population growth is now mainly due to the birth of calves in the state, rather than migration, Dente said.

“We are now receiving numerous reports of sightings of cows with calves, a good sign of a prolific moose population.”