Posted on 08/29/2013 10:01:09 AM PDT by wbill
First, I apologize for using the words mounting and moose sex in the headline. It was a juvenile thing to do. I accept full responsibility. (And I still think it was funny).
Now that the first mea culpa of the day is out of the way, in the immortal words of Salt-N-Pepa, Lets talk about sex.
Not for you and me.
For the moose.
Earlier this week I learned that up north of the border along the boundary that separates the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia those wily Canadians are preparing for an influx of randy moose.
At least thats the goal of the Moose Sex Project, an effort of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Heres the deal, according to a report from the Canadian Press and the NCCs website: New Brunswick has plenty of moose an estimated 29,000 of the burly critters. Nova Scotia? Not so much. In fact, the mainland moose population of Nova Scotia (all 1,000 of em) is considered endangered.
That just wont do. Ive been to Nova Scotia. I love it there. In fact, if I were a moose, Id surely amble in that direction, given the choice.
The Moose Sex Project aims to give those (hopefully amorous New Brunswick) moose just that choice.
Reports (which I may have made up) that Nova Scotians are blasting Barry White music through speakers aimed at New Brunswick have proven false. So, too, the reports (also imaginary) that if you stand in Sackville, New Brunswick and look to the east, youre sure to see thousands of mood-enhancing candles flickering in the direction of Amherst, Nova Scotia.
Again, I apologize for not taking the Moose Sex Project seriously. Mea culpa again. Its just that well if you name something the Moose Sex Project, well, youre likely aware that it might make certain (permanently adolescent) people chuckle.
Seriously, the idea that the NCC has come up with has some merit. The NCC has secured conservation lands in whats called the Chignecto Isthmus Natural Area thats the piece of land that connects the two provinces in order to protect moose habitat for generations to come.
That makes perfect sense; moose arent known to migrate long distances over concrete or through shopping malls, and if Nova Scotia has any hopes of luring the lovesick New Brunswick herd to Canadas Ocean Playground, theres got to be a nice, wooded route available.
Armed with the basics of the Canadian Moose Sex Project, I ambled over to the office of my favorite moose expert, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologist Lee Kantar, to ask his opinion.
Kantar hadnt heard of the initiative, and while hes a serious biologist, after I told him I wanted to have some fun writing about the topic, he almost, nearly, kind of laughed. Once. Of course, I may have imagined that, too.
Kantar informed me that Nova Scotia actually has two separate sub-species of moose. One the same kind that exists in New Brunswick is indeed quite rare. The other is not.
That second subspecies, which lives on Cape Breton, is causing a bit of a ruckus.
They have a hyper-abundance of moose there in the highlands, Kantar said. They have plenty of moose there and, in fact, theyre having some damage done to the forest up in the park there.
Not the kind of moose youd want to invite to the mainland for a party, I guess. Proven rabble-rousers, theyd probably show up in Halifax, steal the mates of the few remaining Nova Scotian moose, and trash the forests.
Kantar explained that moose especially male moose are rambling animals. Come adulthood, male moose pack their figurative bags and move out, searching for their own patch of habitat.
A key to that migration is connectivity, or being able to move to a new area by tromping through natural areas that provide the essentials a moose needs.
So you would think, when theres a land connection between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, just through happenstance and habitat and seeking out [new territory], over time [the moose would move into Nova Scotia], Kantar said.
The problem with that theory, Kantar admits, is that the moose wont move if they dont have to. And when there arent many other moose trying to munch on your own personal browse patch, the incentive to hoof it across the isthmus is probably pretty slim.
And what will make those moose move?
If you guessed sex, get your mind out of the gutter. OK. Ill admit that you might be right, but only if youre referring to the relatively short mating season, which takes place in the fall.
If you guessed grub! youre right for the other 11 months of the year.
A 1,000-pound moose is a voracious eater, Kantar explained. During the summer months, Mr. Half-Ton Moose will gobble down about 30 pounds of tender plants a day. During the winter, that total drops to about 10 pounds.
So the NCCs habitat conservation effort is key. If moose are to meander into Nova Scotia, theyve got to have a good rest stop where they can fuel up before well you know.
Kantar explained that in New Brunswick, like Maine, most of the moose live in the north, where commercial forestlands have provided a veritable buffet of yummy morsels perfect for the growing ungulate. Down south near our favorite isthmus, and the Moose Sex Corridor the population density is lower. And so is competition for the available food.
Where theres moose habitat now, Im sure theres forage available for the level of moose that they have, and theres really no need for them [to move to Nova Scotia], Kantar said.
Thats not to say that the designated Moose Sex Corridor wouldnt have a few takers.
Youd think once in awhile a moose would take a joyride someplace, Kantar said, nearly smiling again.
All of which got me thinking.
A year ago, my hunting buddy and I had a moose permit in Maines Wildlife Management District 26. Consider that Nova Scotia. There just arent many moose there. We didnt fill our tag.
Is there, I asked Kantar, any chance that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife might consider creating its own Moose Sex Corridor, that might entice some amorous moose from a nearby district (think of it as New Brunswick into WMD 26?
Again, he nearly laughed. Nearly.
I dont think so. Not to disappoint anybody, he said, staring into my eyes, knowing exactly who he was disappointing. But no.
That, and anything mentioning "amorous moose" is worth posting.
Do they provide a stool?
A moose once hit on my sister.
I was trying to decide if I should ping in Laz.
Lol, maybe, you just never know what Laz will hit.
Never mind, don't need to get banned.
Moose bites can be very nasti
You would think that a prohibition against “aggressive moose sex” would be covered by some sort of law in Canada.
Come on, let’s show a little creativity here. Moose singles bars. Moose discos. A Moose section in the Craigslist personals. We can do this, people!
Put in an oil pipeline with heaters every 100 feet to keep the oil flowing.
It worked for the Caribou.
This thread wouldn't be complete without a good moose pun.
They ought to drop flyers throughout New Brunswick offering free sex and beer for moose in Novia Scotia. Of course that would likely create a mass exodus of male Canadians to the province too.......
Canada Ping!
Q;Is it against the law to transport moose across state lines?
A;Yes,if for immoral purposes...
Has Hillary been chosen for one of the control groups, yet?
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