The Moose are not as far away as one might think. Last month there was one in the area of Rhinebeck where I grew up in New York. That is less than a 100 miles North of Jeresy. In fact the same criter was later seen near the New York thruway...yes the otherside of the Hudson, it swam across the hudson!


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Thursday, October 20, 2005
Moose return to N.Y. — but hold your fire!

By BILL CONNERS


During a conversation I had earlier this week at a gathering of outdoor types, some comments were made about the number of bears estimated to be roaming New York's woods. There are a lot of them. That estimate may not be very scientific, but it is probably accurate.

As quickly as the subject of bears waned, the subject of moose came up. After all, we were in Pawling and we happened to be standing but a few miles from where one had died in a traffic accident in April.

Dutchess County residents are treated to an occasional visit from Bullwinkle and his friends. The last reported visitor was spotted in the northern part of the county a few weeks ago.

The animal toured northern Dutchess and southern Columbia counties and then swam the Hudson River and did walk about in Ulster County. That is until he wandered into the path of a semi-trailer on the Thruway near Kingston. The moose died and the semi had to be towed from the scene.

The April incident in Pawling was a wrestling match between a young bull moose — junior weighed about 700 pounds — and an SUV. Both were declared the loser; Junior died and the SUV was totaled.

During Monday's conversation, one gentleman said that he had heard a story about someone who shot a moose and then carted it around the North Country showing it off to anyone willing to take the time to look at it.

That raised my curiosity, so I called the Department of Environmental Conservation to ask if the story could possibly be true. I was impressed with how quickly they were able to respond. The answer was yes — and no. That North Country moose was done in by an arrow several years ago. The culprit who shot it was never found. So the story was only half-true.

The whole story is bigger than one or two moose. I was stunned to learn that since 1981 a total of 71 moose have been found and reported dead in the state.

Of the 71 reported deaths, 40 were by vehicle. Then there were 22 animals that died of undetermined causes.

The last moose legitimately shot by a hunter here in New York was sometime around 1865. I remember the DEC studying the question some years ago as to whether they should repatriate moose to northern New York. After much public comment and study, they decided against it.

Won't just sit in Adirondacks

The thought was that the moose would probably find their way back on their own. Apparently, they have. One of the major concerns was that once they arrived, they probably would have little respect for municipal boundaries or Blue Lines — the boundary of the Adirondack Park. Re-introducing them to northern New York would not necessarily mean they would stay there. There are no immigrants left on Ellis Island either. In short, they would go wherever they darn well please.

So it seems the repatriation of the moose to the landscape is happening on its own all across the state — in part because when Bullwinkle feels the urge to fall in love, he tends to wander. He is occasionally photographed in a horse pasture trying to get friendly with someone's prize mare. I half expect to someday hear reports of a "moorse" being born in someone's stable.

In the meantime, let's clear up the issue of the 71 moose that we know already have arrived and died. We know that 62 died a death by vehicle or of causes unknown. As for the last nine ... just how did they die? Well, it seems they were all shot. Unless someone doubled up, nine extremely unintelligent individuals used either a gun or a bow to kill an animal that is not yet a game animal here in New York.

Read the hunting regulations guide available wherever you buy your license. Follow the rules. When you don't, it makes even the good folks look bad. When you see someone breaking the rules — we call them poachers — report him or her to the DEC Division of Law Enforcement. The number for Region 3 Headquarters in New Paltz is 845-256-3013. If you can't reach someone there, call the Sheriff's Office or the State Police.
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The animal toured northern Dutchess and southern Columbia counties and then swam the Hudson River and did walk about in Ulster County. That is until he wandered into the path of a semi-trailer on the Thruway near Kingston. The moose died and the semi had to be towed from the scene.