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NHFG biologist briefs Randolph commission on moose habitat and winter-tick risks
Summary
Henry Jones of NHFG described moose habitat needs — including regenerating forest, wetlands and elevation — and warned that winter ticks are a continuing problem in areas with high moose concentrations; the Commission discussed habitat openings and rejected widespread pesticide use.
Henry Jones, a biologist with NHFG (New Hampshire Fish and Game), told the Randolph Conservation Commission on Feb. 5 that a proposed road-crossing project for wildlife near the Town Forest was not funded and that any effective crossing would require site-specific landscaping and fencing. He emphasized that such crossings are intended as wildlife crossings, not necessarily moose-specific structures.
Jones outlined the habitat features important to moose: "regenerating forest for food, evergreen canopy for shelter and movement, deciduous and mixed canopy for shelter and food, elevation for thermal relief, and wetland and shallow ponds and lakes for forage and thermal relief." He said the typical home range for a moose is "6-15 square miles." He also reviewed seasonal forage differences and the moose life-history context for habitat planning.
A substantial portion of the presentation focused on winter ticks and their impacts. "Areas with a high concentration of moose still have a high tick infestation," Jones said, and he explained that ticks most affect moose in March and April after ticks take their blood meal. He described the winter-tick life cycle and said the ticks present in northern New England are a natural species in the region.
Commissioners and guests asked about control options. David DeGruttola (LandVest) and Jacob DeBow (NHFG) discussed creating smaller wildlife openings to diversify habitat and reduce some tick pressures; DeBow offered to work with DeGruttola on planning such openings. When asked about direct control measures, Jones said someone in Vermont had been testing a pesticide but that widespread pesticide use raises ecological questions and his inclination was to avoid that approach. Patrick Tate (NHFG) noted that medicated salt licks have been proposed but pose dosing and ecological-control problems and therefore are not a clear solution.
The Commission agreed to coordinate further with NHFG and LandVest on targeted habitat openings rather than chemical controls. Next steps identified in the meeting included follow-up planning between LandVest and NHFG on wildlife openings.
