Parks Canada is warning drivers not to stop while on highways to let moose lick their cars this winter.
The peculiar message comes as moose have been trekking onto highways to lick salt off of roads and passing vehicles, says Tracy McKay with Parks Canada.
“It does sound very funny … It’s okay to laugh at it, as long as people drive responsibly and do what’s best for the wildlife,” she said.
McKay says Parks Canada puts out a warning every winter as moose venture down to highways to fuel their salt intake.
“Unfortunately, this kind of puts [moose] at risk of being injured or killed if they get hit by a vehicle,” she said.
“Parks Canada understands that seeing those wildlife is a real highlight for a lot of people, but we ask people not to stop … so that the moose can’t get used to licking salt off of the cars.”
This might be a crazy idea, but has the Canadian government tried putting out troughs filled with salt, so the moose stop going to the roads as much? There’s got to be all kinds of crap in the road salt (particles of rubber and metal at least, settled exhaust particulates, etc) that’s bad for the animals, and probably much more concentrated than usual because they’re licking the asphalt too.
It’d probably come with its own set of problems, of course, but I’m not sure they’re be worse than the existing ones.
Baiting animals for hunting is illegal. Sending the wrong message and would need to be super careful where you put them so they aren’t in hunting zones.
Well, it would not be to bait them for hunting, so I’m not sure how baiting laws would be relevant here? If someone were to suggest that’s the intention, then I suppose it’s only reasonable to say that salting the roads is also bait and thus illegal 🤷
That was one of the potential problems I thought of, though. Not being a forestry expert I’m not sure of a solution (other than being really careful where you put them like you said!), but it does seem that salty roads cause the same problem in that moose will group up there to eat salt. Only now they’re being killed by vehicles, too (not to mention making the roads icier, and the economic damage of crashes).
I should also disclaim that I don’t live in Canada and I’ve never seen a moose in real life (I hear they’re quite large, they sound scary tbh). This is just an armchair thought that seemed like it might work to solve the problem of moose licking roads in the winter.
It’s not, but peoples would use them, it’s not inherently illegal to shoot a deer at a farmers cow lick, but it’s obviously against the spirit of hunting. These would also attract more than just moose as well, so predators would change habits and could use them for easy kills too.
You’re absolutely right about the predators - I had figured moose and other prey animals would go in herds, which is typically how they defend themselves from predators. Lazy hunters are another story; while I’m sure there are ways to set up monitoring to discourage people from doing it, it’s also indisputably true that if you give anyone a system they’ll learn to game it.
I appreciate the discussion, by the way. This is one of my favourite ways to learn new things 🙌
Yeah I think it’s opening an interesting can of worms. Unless they amend the laws, it wouldn’t be illegal for them to use them, but changing them and than patrolling them could be considered entrapment. Or at least it would be tested in court and decided there.
See, I don’t believe that hunting over bait or hunting over a salt lick is any worse than just shooting in a tree stand.
At least you’re putting in the effort and shit.
With a tree stand, all you do is put it up once and then go sit in the motherfucker, with bait you have to put that shit out over and over, saltbox not so much.
It’s a constant maintenance kind of deal
It makes it too easy and will lead to over hunting. Hunting is as much about forest management as it is for sport and food. Tree stand you still need to be a decent shot.
Get 5 or 6 deer at a salt lick standing around, almost anyone could hit them with a bow or cross bow. Baiting is just too easy and takes all the fun and sport from it.
Yet it’s allowed for bears (in ON anyway).
sigh
Now that you mention it… I do believe there is some exceptions even here for the rare lottery ones. 3 bear tags for example or other predators that are in large amounts you do want those taken down regardless type of thing for management reasons.
But at that point it’s not exactly “hunting” more culling they would argue.
These are decades old convos with my old supervisor i am relying on here, so not exactly recalling the super specific details.
Is it just illegal in Canada? Every hunter I know, American and Canadian, baits deer
Just because they do it doesn’t mean it’s legal…
That’s only in parks, there’s nothing about baiting on private property.
Sorry would have been better to post this one
Got the link? That site seems AB specific. Also, I just want to be clear that I’m not defending their behaviour in any way
That is for Alberta specifically, each province would have their own rules you would need to look up individually.
It is illegal, but it is done.
I do know some who play on the edge of the rules tho, like planting clover in small patches (which deer love munching on).
In Ontario if you get caught using salt licks there are heavy fines and charges. But in many of the more remote wildlife management areas you can purchase multiple deer tags (for population control, and the fact that moose and deer don’t get along > deer push moose out of traditional areas).