Maine Moose Density may be too high

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peakbagger

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https://bangordailynews.com/2018/05...-to-shrink-its-moose-herd-to-keep-it-healthy/

This is not the first time I heard this contention. The moose population exploded in the 1980s as result of massive clear cuts from the last spruce budworm epidemic. The moose re-entered areas of NH and VT where they had been wiped out for 100 plus years. They did well in this new territory but brought along the winter tick that is exclusive to moose. The moose density got too high and the winter tick population exploded. Several warm winters encouraged winter tick populations to survive in great numbers. Infant moose and juvenile mortality of moose increased significantly due to tick infestations and now the moose are receding back from the warmer regions with milder winters to their old core territory where the winters still are cold enough to knock back the ticks. Once the moose population drops significantly the winter ticks dont have anywhere to overwinter and their population will crash which will set in place the conditions for the moose to expand again assuming that they can tolerate a warmer southern range due to AGW.

I dont miss the days in the eighties where there seemed to be " moose every mile" in the whites along the roads. It was not unusual to count 10 moose on a drive to North Conway from Gorham. I had several close calls with my econoboxes including almost harpooning a bull with the front end of my new 18 foot cedar strip kayak that stuck out on both ends of my Honda Civic. I much prefer seeing them or their sign on occasion in the deep woods or on some remote pond instead of hanging out in mud puddle on the side of the highway.

Incidentally last week I had the occasion to drive from Gorham to the Waterville Valley exit on I 93 two days in row in the early morning. On the second trip I counted two moose carcasses in I(I93 south and several fresh scenes that looked like vehicle moose accidents that were not there the morning before.
 
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