Bears get all the scare glory. Somehow, we humans tend to overlook an important fact in Alaska: more humans are hurt by moose every year than by bear (Alaska Dept. of Fish & Wildlife). I sense we'd be wise to have more respect for moose.
And then I saw this pretty terrifying video, courtesy of an APD web cam:
If that doesn't put a little fear into your gas-pedal foot, I don't know what will. While some moose/vehicle collisions may go unreported, the state says these collisions happen up to 800 times a year.
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game has a new driver initiative and a new heat map for Alaskans to see where the most moose/vehicle collisions occur. We'll learn about those on this week's show from an Alaska Department of Fish & Game biologist.
In addition, we'll talk about moose behavior and the stressors that can lead them into a confrontation with you, the hiker/biker/skier moving through Alaska's parks and wild lands. What's the best way to avoid problems, and what do you do if everything goes wrong? A moose behavior specialist with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game will cover those angles for us.
And, we hope that you've got a few moose stories and encounters to share. We'd love to hear about them. Join us.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Todd Rinaldi, area wildlife biologist, AKF&G Matanuska Valley moose range
- John Crouse, wildlife biologist, AKF&G Kenai Moose Research Center
- Dave Battle, wildlife biologist, AKF&G Anchorage area
LINKS:
- Kicking and stomping moose hooves are a formidable defense, Riley Woodford, Alaska Fish & Wildlife News, January 2020
- What to do about aggressive moose, AK Dept of Fish & Game website
- Driving in moose country, AK Dept of Fish & Game, website
- Moose collision story map, with separate maps for Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula, Fairbanks and MatSu, website
- Where do the collisions happen? AK Dept of Fish & Game, with locations and details, website(find it under Quick Facts on the left for Anchorage, MatSu, Kenai Peninsula and Fairbanks)
- Report wildlife encounter form, especially for injured, orphaned or aggressive animals, form
- Tasers for moose and bear, AK Dept of Fish & Game website story
- Orphaned moose calves are rarely orphaned, AK Dept of Fish & Game, website story
- AK F&G Moose count 2019 press release (2020 count is Feb. 21-23, 2020)
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air
- LIVE: Monday, February 10, 2020 at 2:00 p.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, February 10, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.