ESTESBOG

by Peter Walker

It all started in October, 1983. A young mother moose and her very large and rambunctious calf took up residence near a high-end subdivision in the town of Manchester, about 12 miles from Augusta, Maine. At first their presence was a novelty for the homeowners. But when the moose started eating ornamental shrubs their stock dropped considerably. When they joined a flock of trick-or-treaters on someone’s doorstep on Halloween, the residents had finally had enough.

            At the time I was the fish pathologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, working out of a small laboratory in the Belgrade Lakes Regional Headquarters near the State House in Augusta. Word came down from the head office across town that, when a call came from Manchester, we wardens, biologists, and technicians were to respond immediately to capture and remove the errant moose.

            The two moose, as if sensing the game had changed, became reclusive and unpredictable. We were called out 3 times in November only to be turned back because the miscreants had again disappeared. Read more…