A day of brook trout fishing and sightseeing in northern Maine turned into a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter for Todd and Elvia Malcolm of Lincoln.
The couple had stopped along Telos Road in Piscataquis County to watch a cow moose, something they often do while in the area. But this time was different. The moose kept calling and running back and forth along a side road, leading them to believe a calf would follow.
Instead, a moose calf burst from the trees and sprinted directly toward their truck, with a large black bear close behind.
“My heart was racing because I did not want to witness the bear catching the calf,” Malcolm said.
Once the calf passed the truck, Todd put the truck in gear and drove toward the bear, causing it to retreat into the woods. They drove up a nearby side road to make sure the calf had reunited with its mother, and found the pair together, heading away from the bear.
“If it wasn’t for him saying to me, ‘Get your phone ready. There’s a moose up ahead,’ I may not have got the photos,” Malcolm said.
Even though Todd grew up in Millinocket and has spent much of his life in the North Woods, the encounter was unlike anything he and his wife had ever seen.
“Oh, and by the way,” Malcolm added, “we did catch some brook trout.”