N.H. Drought Was Good for Moose.
Preliminary numbers from a project that puts tracking collars on moose show that only one of the calves — the most vulnerable group — died from winter ticks this year.
Project leaders are still watching with caution, as winter ticks are in the adult stage in April and are feeding heavily.
It was 71 last year.
Permits also are down to 80 in Vermont, from 165 last year.
Maine authorities want to cut the number of moose permits to 2,080, 60 less than last year.
Vermont, which joined the study this year and didn’t have drought issues as serious as New Hampshire, has seen five of its 30 collared calves die, so far.
Some feel it’s time to stop moose hunting, period.
“Why would you threaten it further?” Moose population densities are taken into account in all hunting areas.
That will have a bigger impact … We could stop (hunting) tomorrow, and what’s going to happen to these animals will continue to happen.”