Maine highways are moose-ly safe – until there’s a moose in the road

David Richards collision BND photo

 

“It was pitch black,” Frank Gatto told reporter Joe Lawler. “A split second before I hit it, I realized it was a moose. All I could see was its belly and legs. We went right underneath that moose, took out its legs.”

Despite a successful effort by Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to reduce collisions with moose by increasing hunting permits in some areas of the state, collisions still happen. And when those collisions involve a moose, injuries can be serious. From 2001 to 2014, 25 people were killed in moose crashes.

Gatto, who miraculously was not injured when the moose ripped off the roof of his car on Wednesday night, November 4, found his fiancé, Taylor Norcross, seriously hurt in the passenger seat. Taylor, as far as I know, is still in a hospital-induced coma, with the hope that when the swelling in her brain is reduced, she will be ok. Please keep Taylor in your thoughts and prayers.

Collisions

A scientific survey, conducted in 2013 by Responsive Management for the Northeast Wildlife Damage Management Research and Outreach Cooperative, found that 6 percent of Maine residents reported, in the previous year, having a vehicle collision with a wild animal that caused damage or injury. The damage cost by each collision averaged $1,412.80.

The report noted, “The species most commonly involved in vehicle collisions is deer (at 77% of those who had a collision, by far the top answer). Other notable species include raccoon (5%), squirrel (4%), chipmunk (4%), and birds in general (3%).” Some of the damage was caused when drivers swerved to avoid these smaller animals.

Of course, in Maine, it’s the collisions with big game animals that are of most concern. The photo that I’m using with this column appeared in the Bangor Daily News a couple of years ago when David Richards, Director of the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan, collided with a moose that took out the top of his vehicle and basically crushed his car. Miraculously, David was not seriously hurt other than some significant cuts and bruises. He was very lucky.

The Numbers

Moose crashes have been cut almost in half since 2001 when there were 754 collisions. In 2014 the number of collisions totaled 327. In addition to the 25 people who were killed in that time period, 128 others suffered incapacitating injuries, and 1,101 others were hurt. Another 755 had “possible injuries” according to DIF&W.

Deer, of course, top the list of collisions, with 46,120 from 2001 through 2014. And despite the fact that the deer population decreased significantly a few years ago, the total number of collisions in 2014 was the highest number in that entire 14 year period: 4,414. In that time period there were 6 fatalities, 75 incapacitating injuries, 614 other injuries, and 860 possible injuries.

I was surprised by the bear data. There were 322 collisions with bears in that 14 year period, but very few injuries, just 12. And really surprising was the fact that we had more collisions with bears than turkeys. During that 14 years, we collided with only 296 turkeys. I think a lot of collisions with turkeys are simply note reported. I remember one fellow’s amazing story. He had a turkey come right through the front window of his truck on I95, landing on the passenger seat. He got out, went around to the passenger side of the vehicle, opened the door, and the turkey flew out and away!

I couldn’t find data on collisions with other critters including porcupines which I often see dead in or beside the road.

Road Kill

While most collisions with wildlife are sad events, sometimes road-killed critters do go to a good cause. Bob Minor of the DEW Animal Haven, just down the road from my house, gathers up most of the deer run down within 50 miles of here, to feed his lions.

One time I was out for an early morning walk when I noticed a road-killed grouse by the side of the road. I picked it up just as a teacher at our elementary school, where my wife Linda also was teaching, passed by. She informed Linda that she’d seen me salvaging a grouse, which I’d probably want her to cook for dinner.

Too late. I ate it for lunch!

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.