HUNGRY JACK LAKE— Members of the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department are no strangers to rescue calls, but Monday was the first time they’d been called to rescue a moose.

In this case, it was what appeared to be a yearling moose that had wandered out onto the ice and broken through in deep water. A couple local residents on the lake, including Dave Seaton, of Hungry Jack Outfitters, and Forrest Parson, of Hungry Jack Lodge, who had been watching the moose as it slowly ambled across the lake, noticed the incident and helped organize the rescue.

Using two canoes and heavy strapping, the rescuers were eventually able to get the moose’s front legs up on the ice and slowly roll it out of the water. The moose, which appeared dazed, eventually was able to stand. But even then, the moose showed no interest in moving, and stood in place for about 45 minutes.

Finally, the rescuers decided to begin walking towards shore and the moose followed them away from the hole. As it got towards shore, the moose fell through again but it was in shallower water, where the moose could touch bottom. After a bit of struggling through the weaker shore ice, the moose was able to reach shore on its own and wander back into the woods.