By Bonnie J. Fladung
When Mooses Come Walking
Mooses come walking over the hill
Mooses come walking, they rarely stand still
When mooses come walking they go where they will
When mooses come walking over the hill
Mooses look into your window at night
They look to the left and they look to the right
The mooses are smiling, they think it's a zoo
And that's why the mooses like looking at you
So, if you see mooses while lying in
bed
It's best to just stay there pretending you're dead
The mooses will leave and you'll get the thrill
Of seeing the mooses go over the hill
– Arlo Guthrie, Mooses Come Walking
In the fall of 2003, two mooses went walking in a remote section of Gile State Forest known as Fowlertown, located just a stone’s throw from Eastman in Springfield, NH. It was the mating season and they were vying for breeding privileges. Each of the bulls had an impressive set of antlers, which are usually used for threat displays and pushing fights. But in this rare case, the sparring match quickly escalated into a fie
rce battle. Their two massive sets of antlers became inextricably locked. Unable to separate from one another, the bulls – exhausted, stressed, and unable to eat or drink – eventually succumbed to nature.
Several weeks later, an outdoorsman was in the area and found the remains. This discovery led to one of the most interesting and daunting conservation tasks in New Hampshire, recreating the scene of the fight. The antlers remained permanently locked and have never been separated. The results are a life-size, museum-quality taxidermy exhibit depicting a rare, natural event. Known as the New Hampshire Locked Moose Antler Project, Inc., it is supported
by the NH Conservation Officers Relief Association, along with NH Fish & Game.
For more information and photos, see Forever Locked – The Story of the Battling Bull Moose of Fowlertown.
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Moose are common sights in Eastman, and perhaps those same two large moose had wandered through our backyards and looked into our windows before their untimely demise. Keep your eyes out when hiking and look for the cloven hoof tracks going over the hill!
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Bonnie's foot next to a moose track.
