Young Moose Frolics on the Streets of Belfast, Maine, Evening of Sept. 27, 1952 E149c

Young Moose Frolics on the Streets of Belfast, Maine, Evening of Sept. 27, 1952 E149c

"Young Moose Frolics on the Streets of Belfast, Maine, Evening of Sept. 27, 1952 E149c" This young Bull Moose was looking for a good time on a Saturday night in late September of 1952 when he wandered into Belfast. He tied up traffic for more than 2 hours as he ambled around town. More than 100 honking cars and an equal number of noisy pedestrians paraded behind the moose down Rt. 1 in an effort to run it out of town. Run might have been the wrong word choice, as the moose was in no rush, even pausing to be photographed by the Republican Journal photographer in the yard of Clyde Holmes Jr. The moose is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the largest and heaviest extant species in the Deer family. Hunting and other human activities have caused a reduction in the size of the moose's range over time. Maine is home to the most moose in the lower 48 states, though their numbers grew so low in the early 1900s that hunting moose was banned in Maine from 1935-1980. Although generally slow-moving and sedentary, moose can become aggressive and move quickly if angered or startled. Their mating season in the autumn features energetic fights between males competing for a female. The above probably says it all, except to note that this moose has, assuredly gone to wherever moose go upon shuffling off their mortal coil (Hamlet 1599-1602).