Yeah, he's got to be high to be wearing such a jersey...
Posted on 10/23/2006 3:10:31 PM PDT by SmithL
State wildlife biologists are hoping an aggressive moose hunt this season will help cut in half the number of animals in the Northeast Kingdom where the population has far exceeded the ability of the land to provide for them and moose conflicts with people are increasing, officials say.
The season is off to a good start. After the first two days, the number of animals reported killed statewide exceeded the number taken during the same period last year by about 40 percent.
"The hunters seem pretty happy about that," said Forrest Hammond, a wildlife biologist with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, and a member of the state moose team. "We've had a lot of people come in and say they'd never even seen moose when they were young. Now there's a huntable population, they're just thrilled."
The goal of this year's moose hunt is to reduce the population in the Northeast Kingdom to its 1995 level, about half of what it is now, said Hammond.
There are an estimated 5,000 moose statewide.
While the goal in Essex, Caledonia and Orleans counties is to cut the moose population, in the rest of the state the goal is to maintain the current moose population or let it grow slightly, said Hammond.
The state issued a record 1,115 moose permits statewide for this year's two seasons. Biologists are hoping about 650 moose will be taken.
The number of moose in Vermont has been growing for the last 30 years as part of a resurgence of moose throughout the region prompted by a combination of ideal habitat, caused by the regrowth of forests onto once-cleared farmland, timber harvests and a lack of natural predators.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Since the average moose's height at shoulders is 6.5 to 7.5 feet, you might say the moose population is always high.
Better get that under control before somebody's sister gets bitten.
L
Yeah, but she makes all the boy moose go, "Whaaaaa!"
"Where's the rest of this moose?"
PETA's answer is "Get rid of the people!"
Yeah, he's got to be high to be wearing such a jersey...
Rack-a-rama!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.