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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 40,179
Campfire 'Bwana
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OP
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 40,179 |
Minnesota wildlife researchers will keep trying to collar and study newborn moose calves in 2015 even though things haven’t gone well during the first two years of the effort. Last May and June, researchers put GPS collars on 25 moose calves just hours after they were born. But 19 of the 25 calves either were abandoned by their mothers and had to be rescued, or their collars fell off or stopped working, leaving only six calves to be studied. By August, all six had been eaten by predators, mostly wolves. “It’s frustrating. But we need to persevere,” said Glenn DelGiudice, lead moose researcher for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/3685061-minnesota-moose-calf-study-works-through-setbacks
Son of a liberal: " What did you do in the War On Terror, Daddy?"
Liberal father: " I fought the Americans, along with all the other liberals."
MOLON LABE
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Joined: May 2004
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,200 |
If six of the six calves were killed, that should be enough to tell even a government study something. Unless the cows died from the tick disease and the calves left to fend for themselves.. it is obvious the wolves are the problem to some degree.
But the fruits of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, Gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law. Galations 5: 22&23
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 29,881 Likes: 5 |
Sounds like one of those instances where the public might actully pay them not to do the work.
What are their actual objectives?
1Minute
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Joined: Jun 2010
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2010
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Their objectives are to find out why Minnesota famous Moose herd is heading towards extinction. The Calf survival rate is awful and I think they're getting a better idea why.
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Joined: Jul 2011
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453 |
If their actions are causing 73% of calves in the study to be abandoned or be in need of rescue, their study is causing far more harm than good and violates the tenets of valid field research.
Even if they get any data, the data is useless to study the problem they have identified because their study is impacting the study group to a significant and unnatural degree.
Whomever is the oversight board on this study needs to jerk the lead scientist in and chew their ass like breaking up new ground. That study is so FUBAR it's ridiculous and would fail miserably as a proposed science fair project. To have this supposedly done for professional reasons to identify a game management issue and be peer reviewed is ludicrous.
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,193 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,193 Likes: 1 |
There are people with experience who can do this properly but Minnesota is going to figure it out for itself--eventually and if they don't kill all their moose first.
They already don't like where the data is taking them.
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Posts: 19,816 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 19,816 Likes: 1 |
You don't expect this researcher to admit it's a bad idea and put himself out of business do you? He's probably the one that drew up the grant application.
Kinda reminds me of climate change researchers.
"Be sure you're right. Then go ahead." Fess Parker as Davy Crockett
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jan 2015
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The problem is that the wolves have become such a huge political debate. Down in the Twin Cites where I live a person cant hardly listen to the radio without hearing anti-wolf hunting/trapping commercials every hour. The abundance of wolves are obviously affecting our deer and moose population (because deer /moose are the wolves prey, obviously). I hunt north of Duluth and its been sparse on deer to say the least. When we do see deer tracks and moose tracks they mostly have a wolf and up to the whole pack tracking or chasing them. My guess is that the adult moose carry so many ticks all summer on them and are then consistently stressed from the wolves. Throw in a warmer than normal summer season here and there with a worse winter or two and its going to be hard on them. Then add the calves that are killed off by wolves in high numbers and .......... My two pennies worth
(Micah 6:8) "Words are what men live by... words they say and mean." -John Wayne, The Comancheros "Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." -Ronald Reagan
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 973 |
They need to continue the study. How else will they prove that its global warming and not the wolves?
Last edited by Pittu; 02/28/15. Reason: Sarcasm, BTW...
Eat moose, burn spruce
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4 |
My first thought was why didn't they research why the cows were abandoning the calves. Surely it wouldn't be because the researchers were messing with them, would it? I'd say it's a 95% chance.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Apr 2001
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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I honestly don't know but I would bet the cows were collared from the previous winter. Cow stops moving on a point,or penninsula or an island--they figure it is birthing so they run in and grab the calf that was just recently born--the damn things will just lay there and since the cows are kinda used to wolves and bears doing the same thing they just move on. Cow moose seem to have to learn how to be good mommas. Now you take a 4 or 5 year old Cow that has been nursing that calf for a couple of days--you gonna have your hands full gettin anywhere near that calf.
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,629 |
And there ya go! Its always about getting money for a program and spending that money. The helicopter and fixed wing they had circling spent over two hours in back of my place a week ago. They were as close as 200 yards from my house. They were apparently chasing "my" young cow and her calf (her first one) around, trying to see collars or something (they don't have collars). Its thick back there and I suspect they were trying to chase her out into the open. I doubt it was a capture crew; its way too thick to land and they didn't try to get back there through my land, the only way. But, of course, they could have just asked me or my neighbor about the moose. We've both been keeping track of them; She is about 5 years old and has been hanging around here her entire life. Her mother died on my property two years ago. I've been thinking she is in greater danger from wolves this winter, as the whitetail were all killed off from last winter's weather, this area's second coldest winter in recorded history. Wolves will be starving this winter. Anyway, it seems pretty stupid to hassle the moose pair, the day before one of the coldest nights of the year (-25F that night), new mother cow, and young calf, hiding successfuly from the area wolves....so far. But, the guys have money and gas to burn, so up go the aircraft; to "persevere." At least preliminary reports seem to suggest that predation won't be ignored in the final report. Its obvious this time, and the state really has no reason to downplay the predation any longer. More wolf and bear tags please. That would help a little bit. Bill
There are many copies.
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2001
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If there were six functioning collars and all six were taken down by predators, that's 100% predation.....what's to perservere?
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,745
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2004
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Their objectives are to find out why Minnesota famous Moose herd is heading towards extinction. The Calf survival rate is awful and I think they're getting a better idea why. They know exactly why. Read the last paragraph of the article.
Camp is where you make it.
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,230 Likes: 24 |
...leaving only six calves to be studied.
By August, all six had been eaten by predators, mostly wolves.
100% predator-caused mortality. What's the question again?
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,119 Likes: 2 |
The moose are obviously being subjected to too much human predation. Better ban them assault rifles!
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2001
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By the way, MN is at the fringe of the moose's southern thermal range. With all the other stresses, if regional temps do go up even slightly their population/range will recede. It ain't just one thang!
Poor bastids.....
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4 |
By the way, MN is at the fringe of the moose's southern thermal range. With all the other stresses, if regional temps do go up even slightly their population/range will recede. It ain't just one thang!
Poor bastids..... I'll bet that MN is considerably colder than southern Idaho and we have lots of moose here.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,745
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,745 |
By the way, MN is at the fringe of the moose's southern thermal range. With all the other stresses, if regional temps do go up even slightly their population/range will recede. It ain't just one thang!
Poor bastids..... I'll bet that MN is considerably colder than southern Idaho and we have lots of moose here. It's not the friggin weather.
Camp is where you make it.
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Joined: Dec 2003
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,230 Likes: 24 |
By the way, MN is at the fringe of the moose's southern thermal range. With all the other stresses, if regional temps do go up even slightly their population/range will recede. It ain't just one thang!
Poor bastids..... Colder there than on the Kenai "moose range".
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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