Moose mayhem

Culture shock -

I slammed on the brakes and gaped at the spectacle in the graveyard.

I'd never seen a religious moose in my life, and this particular moose seemed to be in mourning. He was down on his front knees with his 'behind' in the air, in front of a headstone, and I thought he might be crying. It was dusk and the wind sighed through the birch trees and, as I cranked the car window down, the goosebumps on my arms sprang to life and ran races to my spine.

That 'sighting' took place 20 years ago, somewhere in central Newfoundland, and I've since learned that moose on bended knee are not saying grace or practicing a religious rite; they simply have long legs and need to get down on their knees to eat grass.

In British Columbia, where I grew up, we spotted the odd bit of wildlife: black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, wolves, and coyotes. If there were such encounters-which there were-the solution was simple: put the greatest possible distance between yourself and the animal in the shortest possible time!

But, what is to be done with a wild creature that has decided to make your community its home?

Elizabeth & Hedley Andrews have a yard in Ship Cove that any landscaper would be proud of, but with moose and rabbits and moles invading their premises, maintaining it has become costly. "They've trampled my lawn and torn up my flower beds, eaten my flowers, shrubs and grass," says Elizabeth.

Last summer, she woke to the sound of heavy breathing; sat up and looked, and there was a moose at their bedroom window. But, not only have the moose peered in through their windows, they've left droppings on the lawn and driveway, and Elizabeth and Hedley can't really go outside after dark because the moose could be on the patio, or rubbing against the siding of their house.

Ross & Iris Decker recall a time 30 years ago when the phone rang at 5 o'clock a.m., and Glen, who was out fishing, announced, "There's a moose down by Uncle Abe's store!" Ross & Iris got out of bed and thought, oh, what a wonderful thing! But 30 years have changed their point of view. Now, the moose roam through their garden, tear up potato stalks, and root out flowers, shrubs and trees. "They love the currant tree...they got it mowed...and they have the squashberry trees destroyed. We used to pick gallons," says Iris. "One day Ross said, 'We'll go over and get some squashberries'; we went over and there wasn't even a tree; not one."

Recently, Iris got up for a drink of water at 2 o'clock in the morning and saw a moose through the window. She pulled on Ross's boots, slipped his jack shirt over her nightdress, took the broom and chased the moose over the hill. Iris broke the broom hitting a tree and, when the moose turned to face her, she took the two pieces and threw them at him, then fled for home.

According to Diane Andrews, the moose have devoured the lilac and birch trees, and aren't content to stay in the woods. "One day Hazel phoned me and told me I had a visitor. I looked and saw a moose sleeping on my lawn. When the mail came, hours later, there he was, on his knees, tearing up my grass." But, the moose wasn't satisfied to stay on the grass: Diane came home in the car and noticed a shadow through the door of the garage, which Alonzo had left open. She got out of the car, picked up a small spade she used for digging flowers, and tried to shoo the moose out of the garage, suspecting he was after the potato seed. He came right at her, his ears stuck right up. "All I saw was his eyes, focused right on me," she said. "He took off for Garl's yard, and I took off for the house!"

Garl Andrews says the moose problem is one of the main topics of conversation when the men get talking in the shed. Recently, he put up two big pieces of rope to keep them out, and a bull moose jumped right over it. "And it was five feet high at least," he says. "First the moose tried to get under it, but when that didn't work he jumped over and went on. I tell you, it's a job, Maid. I've tried everything, but I'm going to tell you, you can't get rid of them."

A few local residents have contacted Wildlife, and this is what Wildlife advises: If a moose is threatening, or a nuisance, call and they will remove it. But one has to wonder; will that troublesome moose still be around when Wildlife shows up hours, or even days, later?

Betty Andrews sums it up aptly when she says, "I just want the moose to go away; far away."

Stay tuned for Part II: Fighting Back