Watch out for Moose in New England

Phil Tarman

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There's not much doubt that a motorcycle rider would not have gotten off easily -- and probably would not have survived a collision with a moose. Big tall animals, like moose, elk, and horses are particularly dangerous for us.
 

mikesim

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The plural of mouse is meece, don't you know nuffin?

:tongue:

Mike
 

WVRider

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There's not much doubt that a motorcycle rider would not have gotten off easily -- and probably would not have survived a collision with a moose. Big tall animals, like moose, elk, and horses are particularly dangerous for us.
I came close to hitting a 6X6 Bull Elk in NC a few years ago when he ran across the Blue Ridge Parkway in front of me. Was a scary moment indeed. Saw plenty of Moose and Buffalo on my trip in the West last year and thought of it while carving the twisties.

PS; another reason I avoid riding after dark, dusk, or even daybreak. In WV mostly due to deer population and now the introduction of Elk to the state.

Ride safe everyone !
 
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mikesim

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They are attempting a reintroduction of elk in Missouri as well <shudder>

Mike
 
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Elk were re-introduced to Arkansas 20+ years ago. They mostly stay around the Buffalo National River area. I never hear of accidents with them but I'm sure it happens. The population got large enough that they opened a limited hunting season and the limits have slowly increased over the years. Now there are other problems. A year ago chronic wasting disease was discovered in elk and deer, mostly in the same Buffalo Nat River area, but all the disease can do is spread.

Brad
 

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There was no shortage of dead deer along I-90 eastbound and westbound. Moose, Elk, and Buffalo don't reflect back with their eyes like deer do-so it's like hitting a wall. I avoid night riding unless it is in town.
 

Phil Tarman

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Back in the 90's, I was riding a bicycle through Yellowstone and rode through a buffalo herd alongside the Yellowstone River south of Canyon. They were on both sides of the road, standing and laying down. I just rode slowly through the herd, hoping it wasn't a mistake. It probably was, but I got away with it.
 

junglejim

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There are a few moose in the UP of MI and in MN and an occasional moose in WI. But about 30 years ago they brought in (reintorduced) elk. As a forest manager I objected because they are large selective browsing animals. They selectively browse on tree species that they depend on to live and at some point they eat their own food producing resource. The other problem is that they don't stay in their assigned areas. They go where the food is whether they are wanted there or not. WI continues to bring in new animals from different areas even though the herd has steadily increased. There has never been a hunt to harvest any elk. The Native Americans wanted to kill some but DNR said NO - so they harvest some "cerimonial" elk. I don't think the white people here will ever see a hunting season, but we are allowed (required) to pay for elk, elk management, and elk managers. What a great deal. And don't get me going on wolves.
 

tawilke46

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There was no shortage of dead deer along I-90 eastbound and westbound. Moose, Elk, and Buffalo don't reflect back with their eyes like deer do-so it's like hitting a wall. I avoid night riding unless it is in town.
I did not know that Alex.......learn something every day.
 

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I was riding through a construction area in Yellowstone. They had the road torn up for quite a stretch. What was left, was just dirt, pot holes and mud from the water truck that had gone through to keep the dust down.

I had several SUVs in front of me when I saw the buffalo coming towards us in the opposite "lane". They all stopped, which was probably pretty smart, and I stopped a hundred yards behind them as I tried to keep my options open. The buffalo cut between two of the SUVs and started walking down the right shoulder towards me. All was good, I thought so I eased the bike in motion. As I got next to the buffalo, the last SUV stopped. When it started up again, it was barely moving. I was now trying to feather the clutch to keep moving and make it through pot holes. The buffalo (I'm guessing) took the changing exhaust sound to mean I was challenging him, turned around and started running toward me. Luckily, the SUV got moving and the buffalo gave up the chase.

Chris
Was this the road from Mammoth to Norris? The park entry people warned us to stay clear of that road......Having been trapped between two cages and having buffs walk past me front and back while sitting on my bike, I have a new way of dealing with animal jams....
if you see them, stop where you are if it doesnt look like you can get around them. Frosty and I ran into several which we could get around. Buffs were laying down within a few feet of the road so of course pilgrims had to stop right on the road and approach them. It is very sad to see Yellowstone so overcrowded now year after year. But with the money the tourists are bringing in, the park roads and pulloffs need to be expanded in the areas of high animal concentration for the sake of the people and the animals.
 

Coyote Chris

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I did not know that Alex.......learn something every day.
Moose Myths

Moose Myth #1: Moose eyes don’t reflect headlight beams the same as deer eyes.

Wrong! Moose eyes do reflect light. Moose, like other animals that are active at night, have a tapetum lucidum underneath the retina of their eye. This layer acts like a mirror to reflect light back through the retina to make it easier for the moose to see at night. The tapetum lucidum also reflects the light of vehicle headlights and causes the eyes to glow or shine yellow or green when head light beams hit the animal’s eyes.
The reason that many drivers do not see moose eyes at night is that the animals stand so tall that their eyes are above the headlight beams of most passenger vehicles.
http://www.wildlifecollisions.ca/northernbc.htm

I try and avoid traveling at night through most western states and indeed at all, but Montana interstates can look like a slaughter house after dark. When I think I about pushing on, I say to myself, "How badly do you want to go the the ER tonight?"
 
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