Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Minnesota moose calf study

I saw a post by someone on here that said the Moose are vanishing from the Kenai. Any truth to that?

You're right about the temps; and diseases and parasites that go with it. But generally, I'd blame the start at about the 70s. Before that, black bear were nearly considered varmints. All deer hunting licences used to come with a bear tag. The forests were all young, having been clear-cut heavily; leaving lots of moose food. Wolves were newly protected. I hunted moose north of Sawbill lake in 1975. We had moose swimming in front of the boat, accross the lake during the whole trip. It was amazing! We saw probably 35 moose during the 6 days we hunted. I spent the last 25 years working in the "boundary waters", and rarely saw moose on the lakes. Lots of older locals can tell you stories of large groups of moose in the clear cuts back before the 70s. A lot of that young forest has matured since. Anyway, the drop in numbers has not been only during the last few years, its been happening for decades. Lots of pressure on the moose with all the changes in forest management, predator increases, and those damn commercials featuring sick puppies and sad music. Totally peeves me...

Oh, and while I'm peeved, I might as well add: FU T-bone! Hah!

Without the tick stress and deer competion. It ain't just one thang!

True. Old burns grew up.. Hard to feed on 40 foot tall birch/aspen. Probably 15 % of the moose population we had in the late 80s- early 90s. Wolf and bear predation levels same or increased. . Can you spell predator pit?

You're saying they need food!?!? Well I'll be!
Moose pasture!

Neither I nor my neighbor have seen the two moose again.

Its my understanding that governor Dayton has suspended the study.

Why are the moose overpopulating where there are no wolves? This is also proof global warming his not the problem for moose numbers at all. Grand Royal is an Island on the west side of Lake Superior very near Minnesotas declining moose numbers. And!!! ! ! ! If the idiot government should set up a moose hunt there ,, have a lottery to raise money to further study the moose and to just plain save the moose. But NO , now they want to let nature take it's course , let the island get eaten down to nothing and then, , , let the moose starve. What idiots we have when it comes to wildlife management. Better to plant more wolves than let the island get eaten up.


On Grand Royal Island there are 3 wolves left and the moose numbers are exploding. This is proof that wolves do a number on moose. Grand Royale is an island in Lake Superior not far from northern Minnesota.ng out of subjects. Lake Superior's Isle Royale, where the study has been conducted for nearly six decades, is down to its last three wolves.

As Nature journal reports, scientists have studied the relationship between moose and wolves on the 210-square-mile island for the last 57 years, but the population of carnivores has taken major hits through disease and birth defects over the past decade.


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The last three wolves remaining on Isle Royale. (Michigan Technological University )
Isle Royale researchers say that the wolf population has plummeted to three in their most recent report, compared to nine wolves last year.
(MORE: Rare Gray Wolf Photographed in Grand Canyon Confirmed Killed)

John Vucetich, project leader and associate professor of wildlife ecology at Michigan Technological University, said in a statement that the wolf population is likely beyond redemption.

Vucetich and co-leader Rolf Peterson have called for 'genetic rescue' for years; meaning, with the importation of fresh wolves (and thus, fresh wolf DNA), the ailing population could have been bolstered and ultimately saved.

Now that window has shut.

"There is now a good chance that it is too late to conduct genetic rescue," Vucetich said.

Inbreeding, the researchers say, weakened the island's wolf population by introducing skeletal deformations and diseases that increased mortality rates.

While the study of predators will likely come to an end, the disappearing wolf population affords other scientific opportunities.

As the wolves vanish from Isle Royale, moose thrive. The researchers say that moose numbers jump by around 22 percent each year and range near 1,250 now. With no wolves to cut those numbers down, the voracious moose will continue to feast on the island's landscape until it's nearly barren.

There have been calls for intervention, as Vucetich and Peterson evidence, but some argue that a hands-off approach is best, according to Nature.

"Chances are good that one [of the remaining wolves] is a male and one is a female, and that is how the whole population started, so it would be interesting to see what happens in the next year," U.S. Geological Survey wolf biologist David Mech said. "I think we should just continue to study the situation and describe what happens."

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Overrun by Animals

Quite some time back, AK did a study on moose predation and found out black bears were far worse a problem than realized. The moose would calve down by the rivers and the Bears would just follow them down there when they started smelling the births.

Of course as stated, there are numerous factors.

It appears the "tracking collar" may be the issue. Anyway, Gov. Spooky put a stop to it via executive order last month.