With all the Sarah Palin chatter going on, there are also a lot of news stories about her shooting moose in Alaska. I suppose it is very common-- when one thinks of Alaska, one naturally thinks "moose." But, hey, New York State has moose, too!

The state's moose population, estimated at between 400 to 600, continues to grow with the potential of doubling every four to five years. Currently, it is not legal to hunt moose in this state.

Last year, the state recorded a record 14 moose/vehicle accidents. There was no serious injuries to drivers last year and this year, Reed said.

That's surprising, seeing that the long-legged creatures often stand more than 6 feet tall and can weigh up to 1,100 pounds. When they get hit, they often come flying over the car's hood right into the windshield.

Ouch. I've never hit a deer (Thank you, Lord!), but I've come verrrry close. But I know people who have smashed into deer, and the car is totalled. I cannot imagine hitting a moose!



Earlier this year, a moose was rescued from Loon Lake in the Adirondacks. Yikes, that thing is huge.



So I just wanted to make it understood that while we don't have very many good politicians in New York State, we do have moose. Too bad hunting them is illegal.

Moose, I mean. Hee.

Photo courtesy of palestrina55 at Flickr.