Snow cat used to curb moose collisions

KENAI - Moose Force One will be patrolling this winter.

The big snow cat will be used to steer moose away from busy highways on the Kenai Peninsula by making snow trails to off-road browse sites.

The Alaska Moose Federation is using the snow cat as part of its efforts to keep cars from hitting moose, said federation chairman Gary Olson.

"Moose are in the rights of way to conserve calories instead of wandering around in deep snow," Olson said.

Olson said the snow cat will be stationed in Seward next week. The orange, 1994 Tucker snow cat was purchased with a state legislative grant.

Besides making snow trails to encourage moose to move away from highways, the federation also will be felling trees to create diversionary browse to hold moose away from highway right of ways.

During periods of heavier snowfalls, the Tucker, with its 8½-foot wide plow blade, will be assisted by the federation's 13-foot wide Bombardier snow groomer it received from the Alyeska Ski Resort.

Besides making diversionary snow trails to encourage moose to move away from highways, the federation also will be felling trees to create diversionary browse to hold moose away from highway right of ways.

Olson said moose browse would be removed from as far as 150 to 200 feet out from the center line of the highway on both sides of the road in areas where large numbers of moose have been struck and killed.

Additionally, the moose federation would like to fence an 8-mile stretch of the Sterling Highway near the east fork of the Moose River between Cooper Landing and Sterling.

The Alaska Moose Federation also is advocating wildlife fencing, using effective new sensing technologies and routing moose over highway corridors in known collision areas beginning on the Minnesota extension in Anchorage and on the Glenn Highway.

"All these new technologies are not as obtrusive as tall fences or wildlife overpasses," Olson said.