The moose are back up North

[peakbagger]

I saw the first set of muddy moose tracks crossing the end of my road yesterday next to RT 2. There is small wetlands next to RT 2 and its ties into a series of drainages that eventually end up in the Moose River valley. If its typical year, I will see tracks intermittently and then cow and calf end up in the area. Unfortunately RT2 was built up from the terrain in the area and moose tend to cross the highway in this area. The combination leads to a lot of vehicle/moose accidents.

Despite a lowered moose population statewide there were numerous moose accidents in Franconia Notch and along RT3 last year and one at the end several along the stretch of RT2 near the Randolph/Gorham line.

Another note is the peepers are back and at full volume. There is large wetland complex along the former railroad tracks that run along the Moose River Valley, the peepers were at full volume yesterday making up for the late spring.

 

[HockeyPuck]

Where did they go? a moose convention? Fly south for the winter? Hibernation?

Spotted my first of the year in the upper elevations of Stratford/Columbia yesterday.

 

[Breeze]

I'll remind about the slighter brown ungulates with white tails. I was quite surprised to see 5 deer grazing on my back acre last Saturday.

The Portland Pipeline crosses under RT 2 within spittin' distance of the Bethel/ Gilead line. It is a grade-neutral crossing, a watchful eye while this year's fawn get their legs under them....... please.

 

[psyculman]

A moose was hit last week in the low area on Rt. 3 just past the high school, between Whitefield and and Lancaster, be carefull through there at night!

 

[SpencerVT]

I saw 10 moose in a single 30 mile stretch between Errol and Rangeley last Fall. One was a giant behemoth legendary oversize moose that took up the entire lane and looked like an industrial crane they used to build the Empire State Building.

 

[peakbagger]

I have seen a fair share of moose along that stretch especially in the early AM when there usually is fog from the Magalloway and Lake Umbagog reducing visibility in the AM. The section of RT 16 from the hydro dam in Dummer to Errol is almost as dense with moose. The woods have been cleared back from the edge of the road on either side on the 13 mile woods section but north of Errol they clearing on either side of the road is not as wide. At the peak of the population in the early 90s it was not unusual to count around 30 to 50 along that stretch.

I used to work with a former post office rural delivery driver that had some of that stretch to the maine line along with RT 26. She totaled 3 vehicles in moose accident in less than 2 years and had numerous deer collisions in the mid 90s. Her boyfriend at the time wanted to put little stickers on the door under the drivers side window showing each a deer or a moose for each accident. She did not find that amusing

 

[JustJoe]

Tentative plan for Saturday is Deer Ridge in Berlin. I've seen several there in the past. We'll see.

 

[NHClimber]

Funny, we rarely see moose up in 13 mile woods or between Errol and Oquossoc though usually it’s late afternoon.

 

[peakbagger]

Generally moose are active around dusk into the evening and dawn.

 

[NHClimber]

Generally moose are active around dusk into the evening and dawn.

Yup. But one can dream. We actually did see a large moose between the parking lot and Pontook Reservoir a few years back around 10am. And I have come across them on hiking trails and logging roads mid-day. But typically they don’t feed on grasses near the sides of busy roads except dawn/dusk.