Use of roadside salt licks by moose, Alces alces, in northern New Hampshire

Abstract

Roadside licks formed from runoff of road salt and contained much higher levels of sodium (mean 628.5 ppm) than roadside puddles (45.9 ppm), or stream water (5.2 ppm). Females visited licks more often (8% of telemetry locations) than males (2% of locations). Frequency of use varied from 5% of telemetry locations during summer (June-August) to 12% of locations during autumn (September-November) for females, and from 1-3% among males for the same seasons. Average distance between seasonal centers of activity and roadside licks was c60% greater among males (10.1 km) than among females (6.4 km). Home ranges of 11 of 14 moose were elongated and incorporated at least one lick. All home ranges converged on the area containing the roadside licks. Implications associated with roadside licks include increased moose-vehicle collisions, and potential increased brainworm Parelaphostrongylus tenuis infections among moose from white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus that also used licks. -from Authors