All Over Albany

There's a moose... and there's a moose... and there's a moose...

From the "Jobs You Didn't Know Existed, But Now That You Do, You Really Want That Job" file: The state Department of Environmental Conservation posted photos on Facebook today from helicopter survey flights of moose in the Adirondacks (that's one of the photos above). It's part of the agency's ongoing effort to study the state's moose population:

Nine additional cow moose were recently captured, collared and released as part of a multi-year moose study. There are now a total of 21 moose, including 18 cows, fitted with GPS/radio collars. Their locations are monitored weekly.

DEC wildlife staff also flew helicopter survey flights throughout the #‎Adirondacks to locate and observe moose. ...

In 2015, more than 165 moose sightings were reported by the public. The map indicates the towns in which moose were reported. DEC encourages people to continue to submit moose sightings and moose sign, (tracks, scat and scrapings) using the form at the bottom of the Moose web page

Here's a DEC map of public moose sightings in 2015. You can see they're largely concentrated in the Adirondacks. But the animals do show up in the Capital Region from time to time, especially in Rensselaer and Saratoga counties. There was that moose in Halfmoon a few years back, and the moose spotted at the Saratoga Race Course a few years before that.

DEC has reported in the past that scientists have collected evidence indicating moose populations in New York State have grown considerably during the last few decades -- from as few as 50 to 500 or more in recent years.

Earlier on AOA: Mesmerizing moose

photo: NYS DEC