Break for Moose

Many city dwellers take great caution while out and about driving in their vehicles. They may park beneath well-lit areas when they know they will be approaching in the darkness. They look into their back seats before crawling inside, and when stopped beneath a bridge or near a dark alley, they often instinctively reach for the door locks. When seven lanes all rush in the same direction at quickened velocities it becomes a threat as well. The threats encountered when driving in the city tend to be human or metallic.
The fiercest sources of danger one may encounter when living in the northern part of Maine are quite different, with far more fur and a lack of fiberglass and metal. It is estimated that there were about 30,000 moose located in the state. Over the past decade there have been an average of 600 moose-car collisions a year statewide. The problem is definitely more aggressive in the darkness. When I would be coming home at night my parents would always ask if I saw moose.
"If you didn't see any moose, you were driving too fast," they would say.
This was probably mostly true. There are moose everywhere in northern Maine, and if you are unlucky enough to hit one the damage can be fatal. These beasts stand roughly 8 or 9 feet tall at about 1,600lbs. Their fur is a dark hue, allowing them to easily blend into their natural surroundings. They are difficult to see and if hit, they can absolutely devastate the front of a vehicle. Moose have long, skinny legs that easily break when hit, causing them to crash down into windshields and dashboards.

Aside from the massive size of the animal, they are unpredictable and quick. Often a driver will turn a corner and scarcely notice the moose because it stands so still. One would think if a giant mass of metal was approaching rapidly and animal would jump out of the way. Not these animals. They often stand and stare, leaping in a random direction at the last moment.
The first time I really saw a moose up close was when I was in sixth grade and traveling home with my parents and my friend in the dark. We were headed down the dirt road, lightning flickering across the sky, when a large figure loomed in our path. It was a moose, obviously terrified by the thrashes of lightning and the pelting raindrops. At first it straggled clumsily down the road, away from our stopped car. My dad waited patiently for the creature to depart the dirt path, but the moose continued on before us, ever so slowly. He shuddered against the rain, eyes wide as another flash of lightning lit up the sky. Not only had he stopped moving away from us, but he had turned to approach us. Another jolt of lightning crashed through the air and with the following rumble of thunder the giant moose hurtled towards our little honda civic. What else could my friend and I do but scream? My dad urged us furiously to stop screaming as the moose jumped forward, thrashing his hooves into the hood with a great thud. With one final stare the animal turned away and hurried into the woods. I was always awed by this moment. As terrified as I was to be there at the time I was taken by the largeness and the look of the moose.They are a very unique creature and people are often inspired to pull over when spotted to take photos and observe.
The moose tend to come closer to the road in the winter because they enjoy eating the salt from the road, and they come in the spring to eat the fresh greens. Locals tend to flash their lights at each other to warn there is a moose ahead. Aroostook County has the most frequent number of moose-car collisions, which occur mostly at night.

As southern Maine is famous for their lobsters we are known for our moose. Tourists seek out routes that are sure to allow them to see a moose along the way. My family came to visit from the west and they were anxious to see moose as well. They are just a massive animal.



Gagnon, Dawn. “Curbing Car-Moose Crashes.” Bangor Daily News. N.p., 18 Mar. 2009. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. .