Watch Out For Moose On The Loose In New Hampshire

BEDFORD, NH — The moose that took a dip in a Bedford neighborhood pool on Tuesday was a familiar sight for some town residents who have seen the broken-antlered bull roaming through the area in the past week. With moose and deer on the lookout for mates this time of year, New Hampshire residents are much more likely to have a close encounter of the wild kind over the next month.

Dan Bergeron, a biologist for New Hampshire Fish & Game, told Patch on Thursday that the Bedford moose rescued with the help of NH Fish & Game officials appeared in good shape as it likely headed toward the town's power lines, and provides some advice if nature makes a special guest appearance in your backyard.

"Moose aren't as abundant that far south in the state so moose can travel quite a distance looking for cows to mate with," said Bergeron, adding that the Bedford moose had been spotted "quite a bit" over the previous week before his impromptu swim. "That's why they are moving around so much this time of year."

Bergeron said that a number of wild species use cleared corridors of power lines to make their way around the state while trying to steer clear of people. Still, sometime they can take a wrong turn — or follow an enticing scent — into a populated area where their beauty can become a spectacle for residents, but where their size and unpredictability during mating season can make them potentially dangerous.

"Particularly this time of year, we always say to stay as far away as you can," Bergeron said. "During breeding season, they can get very aggressive. They will often let you get pretty close before they decide they are uncomfortable with you. By then, it's too late. They are big animals that can move quickly.

"You are better off keeping your distance and using your zoom lens to get in close for a picture," he concluded.

In Worcester Mass. on Monday, two moose met different fates with Massachusetts Environmental Police able to tranquilize one 600-pound moose in St. John’s Cemetery and move it back into a rural area. But a young bull, thought to be about 3½ years old, was hit by two cars and had to be euthanized with fractures in its legs.

Bergeron said that while moose encounters are rare in the southern part of New Hampshire, they are more likely to be seen through their primary mating season that ends in mid- to late-October. Deer are more abundant and will be prevalent through the heart of their mating season in November.

"Dawn through dusk are typically when they are most active but during the breeding season you could see them at any point of the day," Bergeron said. "One piece of advice I always give is that if you see one deer, wait for the two, three or four of them that are probably following through. A lot of times drivers will see that one deer run across the road, and while they are watching that one run in front of them thinking they're good, it will be the fawns that are following behind — or the buck that is pursuing the lead deer — that gets hit."

Amherst Police reported a deer-vs.-car collision last week with Bergeron saying that deer and bear are more typically found searching for food in residential areas than moose.

"You are more likely to encounter a moose in a Christmas tree farm or where maple syrup is being collected," he said. "Bears will look for beehives, chicken coops or trash with garbage in it that has been left outside. Deer are the trickiest because they will eat almost anything."

Bergeron said natural food sources — such as beech nuts — are more abundant this year compared to last year when a failed growing season sent many foragers looking for alternatives. He said that some repellents will work on deer — especially if they are switched up frequently — but that the hungrier the animal the more it will take chances around people.

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