Why should we fight for the moose?

The Department Of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is proposing to not only increase the number of moose to be killed in the annual moose hunt but to also increase the area in Maine where moose can be hunted. The hunt will slip into central Maine, touch the coast and spread to the western border, leaving the very southern end of Maine untouched but within their sights. Personally, I am concerned because it includes most of my home territory of Waldo County.

In a report recently given to the legislative Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the department’s primary reason to expand the hunt is for driver safety concerns. Much has been written about moose-vehicle collisions.

But in reality the only way to stop moose-vehicle collisions would be to eliminate all the moose from the state.

It is the public’s responsibility to take warnings seriously and slow down when driving through a marked moose zone, a precaution that I rarely witness. It is also ironic that most people within the proposed areas of expansion believe that moose are not overpopulated.

What is public opinion on this issue? The department reports that staff members held a series of informational meetings along with a public hearing in Augusta that only a handful of people attended.

Public apathy? I hope not. I believe a significant factor was inadequate public notice: The Dec. 13 public hearing in Augusta wasn’t posted on the Web site until two days before the event, and a press release appears not to have been sent to the media. Unless one checked the Web site daily and then had no conflicting plans, it would have been difficult to attend this meeting. Another public hearing is required and nonapathetic citizens should remain alert.

Why should we be concerned? Our history for one: From 1935 to 1980, a moose hunt did not exist in the state because it required 45 years for moose to rebound from being over hunted prior to 1935.

Moose are a cold-weather species and as the yearly temperatures in the state increase, moose numbers may decrease on their own. Also, with development pressures and a change in forest-management practices, the cards are stacked against creating favorable conditions for moose in the future.

Again, why should we care? Most of us live in Maine for the lifestyle. We are self-sufficient and have a deep connection to the outdoors. There is pleasure in seeing wild turkeys come to our bird feeders or hearing the yelps of coyotes or hoots of owls in the middle of the night.

Another one of those pleasures is to come upon a moose unexpectedly. Driving home one evening on Route 141 in Swanville about seven years ago, there was a moose standing in a field. There also was a long line of cars stopped on both sides of the road to watch that moose and people were in awe of this rare sighting in our area.

In fact, I have only seen two moose in Swanville during the 47 years my family has owned property in town. It is a rare and moving experience to know that although houses are springing up like mushrooms, remnants of the wilderness like the moose still can offer a rare appearance from time to time.

Janice Kasper is a resident of Swanville.