Moose population rises to 800

Moose are on the move this time of year. Photo by Larry Master, www.masterimages.org

The number of moose in New York State has risen to about eight hundred, an increase of three hundred from just three years ago, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. About a decade ago, there were just fifty to a hundred moose in the state.

“The return of the moose has been one of New York’s environmental success stories,” DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said in a news release. “In the last four decades, moose, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, ravens and ospreys have established themselves in the North Country after long absences. … It’s wonderful to see the progress that’s been made.”

That’s the good news. The bad news is that motorists have more to worry about. Last year, the state saw ten collisions between moose and vehicles. Fortunately, there were no human fatalities.

Most moose live in the Adirondacks, and they are most active this time year—the fall rutting season. They often are on the move at dawn and dusk, when visibility is poor.

DEC offers the following advice to motorists:

• Use extreme caution when driving at dawn or dusk, especially during September and October.
• Reduce your speed, stay alert and watch the roadsides.
• Slow down when approaching moose standing near the roadside, as they may bolt at the last minute when a car comes closer, often running into the road.
• Moose may travel in pairs or small groups, so if a moose is spotted crossing the road, be alert for others that may follow.
• Make sure all vehicle occupants wear seatbelts and children are properly restrained in child safety seats.
• Use flashers or a headlight signal to warn other drivers when moose are spotted near the road.
• Motorcyclists should be especially alert for moose.             
• If a moose does run in front of your vehicle, brake firmly but do not swerve. Swerving can cause a vehicle-vehicle collision or cause the vehicle to hit a fixed object such as a tree or pole.
• If a moose is hit and killed by a vehicle, the motorist should not remove the animal unless a permit is obtained from the investigating officer at the scene of the accident.

Gunning for moose

The state Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that five hundred moose live in the North Country. Since moose tend to avoid census takers, the figure involves some guesswork, but it seems clear that the population is growing.

 Do we have enough moose to start shooting them? Apparently, some hunters think so.

Dennis Aprill, the outdoors writer for the Plattsburgh Press-Republican, reports that the Onondaga County Federation of Sportsman’s Clubs is proposing that the state initiate a lottery in which the winners would be given a permit to kill a moose.

Aprill is not against hunting, but he writes in his outdoors column that this is an idea whose time has not come.

Moose are hunted in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, and the time may come when DEC will seek to establish a moose season in the Adirondacks. I’m guessing this will be controversial no matter how many of the animals we have.