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Moose, Deer, and Berries in New England
Researched and Written by Janine Weins
(Posted 6/14/06)

Some drive from more congested areas to the northern, more rural parts of New Hampshire and Vermont to pick berries (strawberry picking started just this week), to attend church and community dinners, or to enjoy recreational opportunities. Regardless of the reason for a motor trip up the Connecticut River Valley or along the back roads of northern New England, the experience offers an opportunity to see some of the region's wildlife.

The difference between urban centers and northern New England is not just the terrain and the density of people, it also involves the kind of four-footed animals with which we cohabit. New York City has more rats than people; it is estimated its rat population is between 44 and 96 million. We have rats in New Hampshire and Vermont, but we also have more moose, deer, black bear, beaver, and fox than they have in Boston, New York, Chicago, Washington, and other large cities.

Moose are the largest wild animals in North America. The average moose weighs a half a ton, and with a shoulder height of six feet, moose stand taller than humans. Every year visitors come from out of state and foreign countries just to see a few of the more than 6,000 moose that live in New Hampshire. The most popular moose-viewing area is Moose Alley, the stretch of Route 3 that runs north from Pittsburg, New Hampshire, to the Canadian border. Although Moose Alley offers travelers almost a certainty they will see moose, I have seen dozens of moose while biking and driving the back roads of Grafton County. I took this picture of a young moose (right) one spring morning while driving on a back road in the southern part of Grafton County.

You are most likely to see moose if you drive near swampy areas early in the morning or late in the afternoon. It is always a thrill to see a moose, and since they tend not to be easily frightened, if you have a camera handy you can often get a picture. If you see a moose beside the road, slow down! They have the bad habit of stepping into the path of oncoming cars. Every year moose are killed and people are injured as a result of collisions between moose and vehicles.

Deer are the most frequently sited large animals in New Hampshire. I see deer almost every week. There are more than 80,000 deer in New Hampshire. Native Americans ate deer meat, protected themselves with deer skin, and used deer bones for a variety of purposes, including as a sort of squeegee to wipe water from their wet bodies. European settlers of North America quickly learned the value of a dead deer, so much so that by 1900 the deer population had been over-hunted and deer were threatened with extinction. Hunting regulations are responsible for the recovery of the population.

Deer are social. In the evening I often see six or eight of them playing together. If I see a deer while driving, I slow down so I will not have a collision with one of its buddies who may be nearby.

This year I have seen lots of wild turkeys, dozens of deer, some very cute fox, a moose, and, as always, a lot of woodchuck. If you want to see New Hampshire's wildlife the next time you decide to visit a pick-your-own-strawberry farm or attend a church supper, I recommend a slow trip on the back roads with a camera and a pair of binoculars.

Two of my favorite places to pick strawberries are Cedar Circle Farm in Thetford, Vermont, and Four Corners Farm in South Newbury, Vermont.