Rare moose exhibit dedicated Saturday at LL Bean

FREEPORT — Two moose locking horns to the death is rare, even in Maine, home of a moose population of 39,000, wildlife experts say.

In the fall of 2005 in New Sweden, two moose engaged in battle, both after the same female.

They charged. Their antlers locked. They couldn't get loose. They died that way.

The public can get a sense of that battle in the wilderness when a rare taxidermy display is officially unveiled during a ceremony Saturday at L.L. Bean. The display is one of only two of its kind in North America.

The "Final Charge" display was created by taxidermist Mark Dufresne of Nature's Reflections Taxidermy in Gray. It features the original antlers of the two moose, which have never been untangled.

Remains of the moose were discovered in the spring of 2006 by Adella Johnson, who found them on her property. Their bodies were mostly decomposed, but the locked antlers were still in good shape, said Emily Jones of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Dufresne, a skilled taxidermist, recreated the battle scene by connecting the hides of other moose to the locked antlers.

"The taxidermist did a fantastic job," Jones said. "Based on the antlers' measurements he was able to recreate how large they were and what positions they were in. The display is very realistic."

Dufresne was recommended by New Hampshire wildlife officials after he created a similar display for that state six years ago. "It was a no-brainer to use the one taxidermist who had the expertise," Jones said.

She explained why the locked-antler battle, and the display, are rare: Late September and early October is breeding season for moose. Bulls get aggressive but typically don't engage in a battle to the death.

"Their goal is to find a mate," Jones said. "They will spar with each other to show dominance." Usually one outsizes the other. The smaller one backs off. It's uncommon to have moose with antlers so evenly matched in a fight, Jones said, which explains why neither backed off.

"And it was a fluke thing they got tangled the way they did," she said.

The moose died in a swampy area and froze for the winter. "That's what saved the antlers," Jones said. "They were well-preserved."

Based on the size of the antlers, the weight of each moose was estimated between 700 and 1,000 pounds. They were about 4 years old.

Property owner Adella Johnson donated the antlers to the state. Inland Fisheries and Wildlife asked L.L. Bean if it would join them in creating and displaying the exhibit.

L.L. Bean paid for the $55,000 exhibit, spokesman Max McKeever said.

"It's a massive display," he said. The moose are "very majestic, very impressive." 

The store built a special viewing place near the entrance so the moose can be seen inside and outside. At night they are lit up.

"It's a museum-quality display," McKeever said.

The exhibit has a strong educational component, offering the story of the two moose and interesting facts about Maine's icon.

L.L. Bean has permission to display it for 20 years, but the state owns it, Jones said. Officials will occasionally remove the display to show at public events such as the Fryeburg Fair, Oct. 2-14.

bwashuk@sunjournal.com

 

Go and do
What: Dedication of "Final Charge" moose display, one of only two in North America.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: L.L. Bean Hunting Expo, Main Street patio, Freeport
FMI: www.llbean.com/events or 800-559-0747, ext. 37222