What's a Ghost Moose? How Ticks Are Killing an Iconic Animal

By Christine Dell'Amore, National Geographic
PUBLISHED JUNE 01, 2015

EAST MOXIE TOWNSHIP, Maine—Lee Kantar crouches over a dead moose calf and pulls a clump of hair from its straggly shoulder.

A few days earlier, the sickly ten-month-old animal had waded through deep snow to this sun-dappled stand of spruce trees in western Maine, laid down, and died.

"See how white those hairs are?" says Kantar, a moose biologist for the state.

It's a telltale sign that the calf was becoming a "ghost moose"—an animal so irritated by ticks that it rubs off most of its dark brown hair, exposing its pale undercoat and bare skin.

With their skinny necks, emaciated bodies, and big, hairless splotches, these moose look like the walking dead as they stumble through the forest.

And in recent years in New England, ghost moose sightings have become increasingly familiar.

The reason is likely climate change, biologists say, which is ushering in shorter, warmer winters that are boosting the fortunes of winter ticks. The tiny creatures latch on to moose here in staggering numbers: One moose can house 75,000 ticks, which are helping to drive a troubling rise in moose deaths, especially among calves. (See "New Climate Change Report Warns of Dire Consequences.")

Mostly wiped out in New England by hunting in the 1800s, moose populations had begun rebounding in the late 1970s, thanks to a suddenly abundant food source—new spruce-fir forests that took root following a pest outbreak that wiped out much of the former forest.

By the late 1990s, about 7,500 moose were living in New Hampshire. But in 2013, the population there had dropped to 4,500. In vastly bigger Maine, which has about 60,000 moose—the densest population in the lower 48 states—there's a suspected decline, but there's less data.

It's unlikely that these leggy deer will disappear entirely from New England, but the surge in moose deaths has made investigating the causes a top priority for the region's scientists.

Though winter tick is the main culprit, scientists are trying to unravel the bigger mystery of what else is contributing to the deaths. Moose are highly susceptible to several kinds of parasites, and it's likely that many factors are at play.

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A Walk In the Woods - Redford and Nolte

I am looking forward to seeing this in the fall.

I placed hiking the Appalachian Trail on my bucket list, and has been firmly planted there for the past few years.  It will probably have to happen after I retire or win the lottery, but I will not stray from this adventure at some point down the road.

Redford and Nolte Take 'A Walk In the Woods'

The adaptation of Bill Bryson's AT memoir gets its first trailer. Robert Redford and Nick Nolte are set to hit the Appalachian Trail later this year in the long-awaited adaptation of Bill Bryson’s classic memoir A Walk in the Woods. Redford’s earnestness and Nolte’s barely comprehensible speech patterns look to provide plenty of laughs while Nick Offerman pops in as a sardonic REI employee.

The film is scheduled to hit theaters September 2nd.

Check out the first full trailer below:

The Most Terrifying Mountain Bike Ride Ever

The Most Terrifying Mountain Bike Ride Ever
by Outside Television 4:47 mins


Via Ferrata is a short film about the first descent of a fixed-rope climbing-route on a mountain bike. "Honestly don't want to do this ride again. It's stupidly dangerous." FIlmed in the amazing Brenta Dolomites with a drone.

As baby turtles emerge, some tips to keep them safe

YORK, Maine — As the nighttime temperatures warm up, and ponds and other water bodies stabilize at 40-50 degree temps, our ancient reptilian friends are emerging from hibernation and on the move.

Watch for snapping turtles, spotted turtles, and other species crossing roads from hibernation spots to their late spring/early summer habitats, a press release from the Center for Wildlife urges.

“We received three calls just today about people finding turtles crossing roads, wanting to know what to do. After they emerge from hibernation, female turtles go from their water source to a sandy upland habitat to lay their eggs; following the tracks of their mothers, grandmothers, and many other ancestors before them. We are moved by how closely connected our community is to these ancient creatures. If you find a turtle in the road this year and it is safe to do so, simply move the turtle to the side of the road in the direction they were facing. If you put them back in the water and they haven’t laid their eggs yet, they have to come all the way out and cross that road again” shares Center for Wildlife’s Executive Director Kristen Lamb.

Also, each year around Mother's Day in our region, turtle hatchlings the size of nickels and quarters will be emerging from their nests to make their first trek to water bodies. Although tiny, they are completely on their own from the moment their mother lays their eggs and covers them expertly in the nest. Incredibly, baby painted and other turtles in our climate hatch from their eggs in September/October, and spend all winter hibernating beneath the ground. When they emerge in the spring, they instinctually move toward the body of water their mothers came from.

What are some things you can do to help turtles this season? Follow these 10 tips to make a difference for a species that is facing rapid decline due to habitat destruction and the illegal pet trade: ...cont.... As baby turtles emerge, some tips to keep them safe - News - fosters.com - Dover, NH

Grit and wonder: 2015’s thru-hikers reflect on trail hardships and thrills

The stack of boxes piling up on the counter of the outfitter store at Nantahala Outdoor Center is any indication, thru-hiker season is coming fast. The parcels of food, reminders of home and creature comforts are welcome diversions from the travel-light lifestyle on the Appalachian Trail, where miles are many and luxuries are few.

“A lot of people ask about what you’re thinking about [on the trail],” said Youngblood, an 18-year-old hiker whose off-trail name is P.J. Coleman, as he sorted through his just-opened box of mail drop goodies. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, you’re thinking about food.”

His buddy Gadget, 20, who’s also known as Robert Smith, holds up a hard-candy caramel in shiny gold wrapping. Those individually wrapped sugar rushes are the key to making it up the hard hills, he says. For his part, Youngblood has a stash of Now-and-Laters and Sour Punch Straws.

Don’t forget the coffee, peanut butter and trail mix, chimed in Jessica “Lemon” Romain, who was taking a zero day to recover from a rolled ankle. And also, those reminders of home. Mom’s cookies, a handwritten note, anything with a personal touch.

“A mail drop just reminds me I have people at home who support me,” said Youngblood, who chose to do the trail rather than going straight to college. “That’s what keeps me going.”

Shane Shelley, who works at the outfitter shop, has seen that sentiment play out again and again. He recently handed a package to a girl who opened it to find, in addition to the food she herself had packed, some postcards from her mom. The find made her teary.

“Something to get in their stomach but also to get in their heart,” Shelley said of the boxes. That day alone, they’d gotten 14 boxes delivered and will probably work up to 40 by the time thru-hiker season peaks.


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