Moose back in town

[Lee Borgersen]

            Crookston moose back in town after brief hiatus

A moose that had hung around Crookston for about 10 weeks in the winter and early spring is back. Authorities believed they had finally shooed the yearling of town for good about two weeks ago. However, she showed up inside the city limits again last week, on Tuesday and Thursday.


The moose hadn’t shown any aggressiveness during her earlier visits to town. But there was a moment of concern Tuesday, when Police Chief Tim Motherway attempted to herd her away from a residential area in the northeastern edge of town near the high school and hockey arena.


“Chief got a little too close and (the moose) reared her ears back and took a couple steps forward,” said Lt. Gene Wisness of the police department. “When that happened, the chief took off pretty quickly.


“We haven’t made any decision of what to do if the moose comes back again. Any decision will be made in consultation with the (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources).”


Ross Hier, a DNR area wildlife manager in the Crookston office, said the moose was in the southeastern part of town Thursday, meaning “she crossed the Red Lake River at some point.”


Wildlife inside city limits are put down if they show aggressiveness and are deemed dangerous, he said.


“It’s pretty obvious to me that this moose will not turn on somebody,” he said. “But it’s that ‘but’ word that gets people injured. If the moose is in the city limits, it’s a police decision.


“We’re all hoping she doesn’t return.”