Moose Tales

One of the iconic images of Newfoundland is the moose. Supposedly, there are moose everywhere, although I haven't seen any yet this year. 

Moose were introduced to Newfoundland in 1904. If you are interested in the whys and wherefores of this, check out this CBC article. Because moose have no natural predators on the island, their population is quite large and can get to the point where the ecosystems in which they eat can be completely altered. Here is an article about the moose population in Gros Morne. 

Depending on who you ask, the moose are either a problem--or not.

I hear a lot of stories about moose when I'm here. For example, the other day, a friend of mine who was out walking in the early morning sent me this photo:

This young bull was walking down the main road in Woody Point! After seeing my friend, he ran back up into the woods, but sightings like this, especially during moose hunting season, which is right now, are not uncommon. She sent me a few more pics from previous sightings;

This is at the cottage where I am staying.

People tell me that the moose seem to know that it's safe in the villages and in the National Park so that's where they go during moose hunting season. A lot of folks attest to this. These are smart animals.

If you stay here long enough and get to know people, you might be treated to photographs proudly shared of the latest moose hunt. I have had to look at pics of recently killed moose and the subsequent butchered meat. This is really uncomfortable for me, because I have been raised in an urban setting where hunting has not been about subsistence for generations. Here in Western Newfoundland, the meat is all shared and consumed. To most of the locals, it is not about getting a trophy of some sort. They show genuine respect for the animal and express sadness, too. All of the feels.

I am happy that I have not been invited to participate in a moose hunt. I would respectfully decline such an offer, but will soon have the opportunity to eat some meat from the moose I saw on that resident's camera roll. That offer I will accept. It is one way that I can show respect for the way of life, here. This is important to me because the art project I am currently working on is all about life here and I have worked hard to be more than just a detached observer who is coming in to simply take what I need. I have become attached to this community and its people. I have developed friendships. And part of that is to seek to understand and to take a genuine interest in their lives, without judgment. 

Even if I feel sorry for the moose.