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The Spectre Moose is an elusive giant moose that is said to live in the forests of Maine. It was first seen in 1891 and there have been many sightings since then but no concrete evidence has been found to prove that it exists.
Some reports say that the Spectre Moose is immortal and cannot be killed by bullets.
Diet:
Unknown but believed to be a herbivore.
Habitat/Environment:
Forests of Maine.
Evidence:
Eyewitness accounts.
Sightings and Encounters:
Numerous sightings reported over the years.
Skepticism/Explanations:
Some people believe that the Spectre Moose is a ghost moose while others believe that it could possibly be an albino moose. Yet others think it is a new species that has not yet been identified by science.
What Does The Spectre Moose Look Like?
Artist’s Impression of the Spectre Moose
The Spectre Moose is an enormous animal that is a lot bigger than a typical moose. In fact, eyewitnesses say that it stands at 15 feet / 4.5 meters tall which is significantly bigger than an average moose in Maine which is only usually about 6 feet / 1.5 meters tall.
It is described as having impressive antlers which are thought to be around 11 feet / 3 meters wide.
It has white or dirty gray fur and some have reported that it appears to glow faintly giving it an almost ghostly appearance. There are also people who believe that it cannot be hunted or killed by bullets giving it the reputation of being a ghost moose.
Spectre Moose Sightings
The first eyewitness report about the Spectre Moose was in 1891 when a hunting guide by the name of Clarence Duffy saw the extremely big white moose near Lobster Lake in Maine.
Since then there have been numerous sightings over the years including those from hunters who have tried to kill the moose with little success. In all the eyewitness reports the moose simply charged at the hunters after being shot and the hunters had to hide until the moose decided to move on.
Sightings of the Spectre Moose have been recorded at Lobster Lake, Sourdnahunlt Lake, Norcross, Roach River, Chairback Moutain, Chesuncook, Molunkus Stream, Franklin, and between Sherman and Macwahoc (see newspaper article below).
One of the more peculiar sightings of the Spectre Moose took place near Molunkus Stream. A group of hunters said that they managed to kill a big white moose and slit its throat. They planned to leave the carcass hanging in a tree overnight so that they could skin it the following day. However, the next morning the moose was gone. Later that evening, the hunters reported that the same moose, with its throat still cut, walked into their camp apparently unfazed by its injury. The terrified men shot at the moose but the bullets didn’t even graze it as it left the camp.
Newspaper Article About The Spectre Moose
In 1901 a newspaper article was published detailing the account of a man by the name of George Kneeland who was travelling on his bicycle between Serman and Macwahoc. He came face to face with the Spectre Moose and had to climb a tree to escape the beast. You can read the full article below.
An Unmatched Giant of the Woods That Makes Its Appearance at Rare Intervals.
The enormous moose that has been the wonder of the sportsmen in northern Maine since 1891 has again been seen, and this time under rather different circumstances from ever before. A bicyclist came close to the monster in the road between Sherman and Macwahoc, and was obliged to abandon his wheel and climb a tree for safety. So he had a near view of the animal, reports the New York Sun.
Every story that comes from the north woods concerning this moose makes him a little bigger than before. It is generally believed that no moose ever killed in Maine, or, so far as is known, anywhere else, has approached in stature or weight, much less in spread of antlers, this specter moose of Lobster Lake. He is called the specter moose because of the weird appearance he presents at night, his color being a dirty gray.
It was in 1891 that this moose was first seen in Maine, by Clarence Duffy, of Oldtown. a guide who was cruising around Lobster Lake. Duffy did not get near enough to the monster for a shot, but he could see him plainly. Everybody laughed at his story. Not many months after that John Ross, a Bangor lumberman, was at Lobster Lake, and one day, while crossing between Big Lobster and Little Lobster lakes in company with the foreman of W. L. Maxfield’s camps, he saw the big moose. When he told his story of the monarch of the woods people began to believe that there was something up there worth shooting at.
For some years hunters searched the woods in vain for the big fellow. Not until 1895 was the monster seen again. In that year Granvlie Gray, a Bangor taxidermist, got sight of the moose, at some little distance, and since then he has had a second view. In 1899 Gilman Brown, of West Newbury, got nearer to the monster than any of the others and actually had a shot at him. He declared that the moose stood fully 15 feet high, and had antlers from ten to twelve feet across. He was so close to the animal that he could count 22 points on one side of his antlers, and he thinks there were more. This is a greater number of points than has ever been known on any other moose. His shots did not bring the moose down.
This year the first sight of the big moose fell to George Kneeland; of Sherman, who is taking charge of his brother’s lumber camp on Gulliver Brook. In telling of his experience Kneeland said:
“On my way back from Macwahoc, coming to a long piece of rising ground. I dismounted from my bicycle and walked. I had got to the top of the hill and was just about to remount, when I saw what I took to be a horse standing in the road some distance ahead. Wondering what a horse could be doing there, I stopped and gave him a good look, when I found to my surprise that it was not a horse, but a moose, and an immense one, too. I waited a bit to see what he was going to do, but I hadn’t long to wait, for he lowered his head and came straight for me with the speed of a locomotive. I got to a good, stout tree as quick as I could, and climbed high, where I would be out of reach of the moose’s antlers and be able to see what was going on.
“Meanwhile the moose came tearing down the road, and his antlers reached clear across the road at that place, brushing the branches on either side. I should think they would measure 11 feet, all right enough. He made straight for the bicycle, and, planting his forward paws either side of it, stopped to examine the wheel, smelling of it to his satisfaction, then raised his head, gave a tremendous snort and raced off into the woods, breaking down the small growth of saplings as though they were rushes. The wind was blowing toward me. and that is probably the reason he did not discover me. I waited ten minutes in the tree. and then. finding that he had really gone. I slid down and mounted my wheel, and the way I streaked it for home was a caution.”
The average weight of moose shot in Maine is from 800 to 900 pounds, with antlers spreading from 4 to 4% feet. and rarely having more than 8 to 12 points on a side, while the bell, as the appendage under the animal’s neck is called, is generally eight to nine inches long. All who have seen the big moose of Lobster Lake say that he must weigh at least 2,500 pounds, that his antlers spread not less than ten feet. while the bell is declared to be not less than 18 inches long. It is supposed that this monster wandered into Maine from British Columbia, as none approaching his size has ever been seen in Maine before. He is a great traveler, having been reported in almost every part of northern Maine. The hunter who brings him down will win fame and a big pot of money at the same time.
Possible Explanations For The Spectre Moose
One of the most popular explanations given for the Spectre Moose sightings is that it is a regular moose that suffers from albinism. However, there are a few reasons why this may not be the case.
Usually, albino moose have pure white or very light coloration due to lack of pigmentation. Their eyes have a pink or red color to them which none of the eyewitnesses specifically mention.
Another possible explanation could be that these moose are not albinos but instead are leucistic. This means that they have a rare genetic condition that reduces the pigmentation in their fur giving them a white or pale appearance. What makes this condition different from albinism is that although the animal’s fur is white they still have pigment in their eyes and other parts of their bodies.
Examples of these types of white moose can be found in Sweden where their unique appearance is treasured by the locals and hunting them is prohibited.
An example of a rare white moose filmed in Sweden.
While albinism or leucism could explain the Spectre Moose sightings, science can’t account for the enormous size that eyewitnesses describe or the ability that the moose has to avoid injury when being hunted or shot. So until more evidence is found, we can only speculate about what exactly the Spectre Moose is.
