News from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
October 5, 2005
Phone: (603) 271-3211
Email: info@wildlife.state.nh.us
For information and online licenses, visit 
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us

                             * * * * * * *

CONTACT:
Kristine Bontaites: (603) 744-5470
Liza Poinier: (603) 271-3211
October 5, 2005

              BRAKE FOR MOOSE -- IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

CONCORD, N.H. -- Wildlife officials from N.H. Fish and Game remind 
motorists to take extra care while traveling Granite State roadways at this 
time of year, because moose are on the move looking for mates. Kristine 
Bontaites, moose project leader for the Fish and Game Department, says 
that drivers should be prepared to see and react quickly to moose on or 
near the road. (In the spring, when yearling moose are out on their own 
for the first time, even more moose are seen.) Moose are most active at 
dusk and dawn.

Bontaites urges drivers in New Hampshire to slow down, stay alert, and 
be prepared to slow or stop for wildlife in or near the road. While 
moose/vehicle collisions can occur year round, the bulk of accidents occur 
from April through November with peaks in spring and fall. During the 
fall breeding season or "rut," moose are preoccupied and indifferent to 
what's happening around them -- unless it's another moose. Collisions 
with moose can be extremely dangerous, because when the animal's long 
legs are taken out from under it, its great bulk tends to land right on 
the car hood or slide through the windshield.

To avoid a perilous moose-car encounter:

   * Drive below the speed limit -- especially at dusk and dawn and 
nighttime. Moose are very hard to see during these times, because their 
dark bodies blend into the color of the dark road. They are also much 
more active at these times; 
   * Use high beams when possible;
   * Be able to stop within the zone of your headlights; 
   * Constantly scan the sides of the roads as you drive.

According to biologists, approximately 250 moose are struck by vehicles 
annually. New Hampshire has an estimated population of 6,000 moose. 

To spread the word about sharing the roads with moose, Fish and Game 
launched "Brake for Moose," an award-winning campaign that includes the 
popular yellow bumper sticker and highway signs. The message is now more 
than a decade old, but as pertinent as ever on New Hampshire's roads:

              BRAKE FOR MOOSE, IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the 
state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit 
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us. 

                                - ### -


-- 
Copyright 2005 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, 
Concord, NH 03301.  Comments or questions concerning this list should 
be directed to lpoinier@wildlife.state.nh.us.