The Adirondacks afford New York State residents –
and tourists from all over the world for that matter – the chance to appreciate
Mother Nature in a unique setting, a partnership between public and private
interests that has allowed wilderness to exist rather than wane. People go
there to get away from modernity and civilization and to experience the High
Peaks, the pristine lakes, the old growth forests, and the choruses provided by
loons.
Another thing that many hope to see, but few do, is
the moose.
The largest member of the deer family (coming in at
nearly 1,000 pounds in weight while standing nearly six feet tall) is perfectly
suited for the wilds of the Adirondacks, which feature forested wetlands that
the creatures prefer.
Despite those conditions, moose could not be
considered even remotely common.
Having only arrived in the Empire State in the
1980s after having been killed off by overhunting in the 1860s, their
population is estimated to be between 500 and 800 animals. That’s a pittance
for a massive area of 6 million acres that is greater
in size than the Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National
Parks combined.
Moose sightings are
rare across the Park. Whenever they do occur the photos grace the pages of the
local papers there. To understand just how driven visitors and locals alike are
to see their first moose, consider the number of people who drive ten miles of
slow-going, very bumpy dirt roads into the heart of the Moose River Plains Wild
Forest to see the resident moose swimming in Helldiver Pond.
Even this writer has
yet to see a moose in the Adirondacks. I’ve seen quite a few in Canada and
consider myself a good outdoorsman, but I have yet to see one of them during
one of my twice-a-year forays into the Adirondacks.
I just hope that my
first time is not seeing one hanging, waiting to be butchered.
If some lawmakers had
their way, moose hunting would be allowed in the Park.
A bill introduced by
Senator Patrick Gallivan was passed by his house that would do just that. The
Assembly’s sister bill, introduced by David DiPietro, is still in committee.
Interestingly, both of
those lawmakers are from Erie County, almost as far away as you can get from
the Adirondacks in this state – hundreds of miles from the moose and their
habitat and the understanding of the moose’s role in our ecosystem.
It would be
unconscionable if this were to be passed by both houses and one would hope that
Governor Cuomo, an ardent supporter of the Forever Wild aspects of the Park,
would veto the bills in an effort to protect the small – and very fragile -- population
of moose. There aren’t a lot of the beasts in our borders and a population that
small could be easily ravaged by diseases like brainworm or killed off by the
growing number of black bears (which have a hunger for moose calves).
If you love nature, frequent
the Adirondacks and hope to one day see a moose – something you will never
forget -- write your assemblyperson and the Governor and let them know that
this bill shouldn’t be passed in this session or in future sessions.
I’m a hunter. But, I’m
first and foremost a conservationist, and I have a good understanding of when
we should or shouldn’t harvest wildlife. We aren’t even close to hunting levels
with moose. Let’s put the idea of a moose hunt to bed and revisit it in the
future….like twenty years from now.
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