Moose on the loose

MAT-SU -- The moose is almost as much a part of Valley life as winter darkness and summer light, and as ephemeral; they appear regularly during the dark months and vanish back into the hills with summer.

Their presence is a mixed blessing to many Valley residents; the joy of watching the huge, almost comical creatures is offset by the very real danger of striking one of them while driving -- causing plentyof damage to a vehcile and often resulting in the death of the moose.

According to Gino Del Frate, Area Wildlife Biologist with Alaska Fish & Game, among the most popular sites for moose (and the areas that thus experience the highest rate of accidents) are Knik-Goose Bay Road, Trunk Road, and the Palmer Hay Flats.

Though the Department of Transportation's lighting project on the last of these locations has increased the visibility of moose, the high speeds of drivers on the Glenn continue to make the area accident-prone.

So far, 353 moose have been reported as killed by vehicles in the Valley this year, 308 of them during the winter months.

This marks 2004 as a record year for moose-related accidents, surpassing even the winters of 1989-90 and 1994-95, when over 300 moose were killed on Valley roads.

A factor in the large amount of moose killed is this year's October and November snowfalls, which forced moose down out of the mountains and into their wintering grounds. Although the snow fell this year at a normal time, previous winters with late snow make this winter's kill count higher than, for example, 2003's.

Del Frate, however, believes that these numbers are less due to extenuating environmental circumstances, as has been the case in the past, than a simple increase in the amount of traffic on Valley roads.

"One thing that's happening is that we have a lot more drivers on our roads than we did before," he said.

Del Frate believes that more drivers on the same roads will generally equate to more accidents of every kind, not solely moose collisions.

Good tactics for avoiding collisions with the ponderous creatures include driving more slowly, especially on roads with curves or low visibility. Ice, as any Alaskan driver knows, also has a tendency to impede the stopping power of moving vehicles, so special caution should be taken on roads that still carry a reminder of winter.

"Moose safety on the road can be summed up in two words: slow down," said Del Frate. "We've looked at a lot of different cases, and drivers who travel less than 55 miles per hour have a significantly decreased risk of accidents. Del Frate tracks moose populations across the Valley, from the area north of Anchorage up to Talkeetna and east to Sutton.

The moose is the largest member of the deer family, and the Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas) is the largest race of the species.

A full-grown bull can weigh 1,200 to 1,600 pounds, while cows are generally 300 to 400 pounds lighter.

They consume mostly willow, birch, and aspen twigs, and when this food becomes unavailable in their hilly homes during the winter, they are driven into lower altitudes to seek it, where they often cause problems for drivers and homeowners.

Del Frate believes that Valley residents can expect to see moose out and about for perhaps another month, until the end of April when the mountains are generally green enough to encourage them to return to their summer grounds

Since the moose are nearing the end of their yearly tenure in the Valley, indicating a depletion of their fat reserves and a general scarcity of food, Del Frate states that they are feeling stressful and should be handled with care.

"This is a time of year when moose are very stressed, food-wise," he said. "They're a little bit more prone to agitation right now—everyone should give them a wide berth."

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.