Of moose and Minn.: Lake Bemidji visitor draws crowd, fires up social media

A massive moose's swim across Lake Bemidji drew crowds and many social media posts Saturday.

September 17, 2017 at 12:42AM
This moose drew a crowd to Lake Bemidji on Saturday before it left the water about 3:30 p.m.
This moose drew a crowd to Lake Bemidji on Saturday before it left the water about 3:30 p.m. (Vince Tuss/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

It was a scene of northern Minnesota splendor that could have come straight from an Explore Minnesota brochure: A massive moose crossing Lake Bemidji on a golden Saturday morning, with some fall colors starting to appear.

And Bemidji-area residents and visitors responded, turning out to see the moose and filling social media with posts and photos.

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office said it had deputies dealing with crowd control, especially in trying to keep curious boaters away.

"If you are boating and come across moose or deer in the water, do not confront them or chase them ... or we will be chasing you," the Sheriff's Office warned on Facebook on Saturday.

Bemidji police asked social media posters to stop sharing the location for the animal's safety. "Let's allow him to get safely out of the water."

Here's some of the best photos and reactions of the day:

The moose reportedly made it off the lake around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, but authorities were expecting to keep an eye out for it and anyone trying to get too close. The best advice from officials: Don't.

about the writer

about the writer

Vince Tuss

Night home-page producer

Vince Tuss is a producer working on the StarTribune.com home page most evenings. Before that, he was a copy editor and a night police reporter.

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