Moose hunts won't reopen

[Lee Borgersen]

 Moose population drops dramatically; hunting season will not open

A recently completed aerial survey of moose in northeastern Minnesota indicates the rate of population decline has accelerated dramatically.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that the northeast population declined 35 percent from last year. Since 2010, the moose population has declined 52 percent.

In response to the survey results, the DNR will not open a 2013 state moose hunting season or consider opening future seasons unless the population recovers.

“The state’s moose population has been in decline for years but never at the precipitous rate documented this winter,” said Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner. “This is further and definitive evidence the population is not healthy. It reaffirms the conservation community’s need to better understand why this iconic species of the north is disappearing from our state.”

Landwehr stressed the state’s limited hunts are not the cause of the population decline.

“Yet taking this action is reasonable and responsible in light of latest data and an uncertain future,” Landwehr said

Based on the aerial survey conducted in January, the new population estimate is 2,760 animals, down from 4,230 in 2012. The population estimate was as high as 8,840 as recently as 2006.

Completed in 2011, the DNR’s moose management and research plan established biological and management thresholds for closing the season.

While those thresholds have not been met, DNR managers did not anticipate such a precipitous decline in the overall moose population when the thresholds were established.

“It’s now prudent to control every source of mortality we can as we seek to understand causes of population decline,’’ said Landwehr, explaining the rationale for closing the season.

To help solve why moose are rapidly dying, the DNR is leading the largest and most high-tech multi-partner moose research effort ever initiated.

Starting in January, wildlife researchers began fitting 100 moose in northeastern Minnesota with GPS tracking and data collection collars. This multi-year research project will investigate the causes of adult moose mortality, calf mortality, calf survival, moose use of existing habitat and habitat quality. To date, 92 collars have been placed on moose in the Grand Marais, Ely and Two Harbors areas.

Information and insights from this pioneering research may help identify management options that could stop or slow the moose population decline.

Rolf Peterson, a research professor at Michigan Technological University who is renowned for his study of the wolf-moose relationship on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale and chaired the DNR’s former moose advisory committee, concurred with the DNR’s commitment to conduct pioneering research and discontinue hunting until more is known.

“The DNR’s decision to suspend hunting makes sense given the disturbing and abrupt decline in moose numbers,” Peterson said. “To me, the big news is the incredibly disappointing survey results. The hunting decision is simply a logical reaction to an uncertain situation that researchers are trying to resolve.”  

The DNR has conducted aerial moose population surveys in northeastern Minnesota since 1960. The survey involves flying transects in 49 randomly selected plots spread across the Arrowhead region of Minnesota. The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and 1854 Treaty Authority contributed funding and provided personnel for the annual survey.

A copy of the aerial survey report is available online at www.mndnr.gov/moose, a Web page that also provides field updates from moose researchers, an interactive map of the study area as well as photographs and video of field research activities.

[FireRanger]

Another example of our tax dollars going to waste to a faction of the government that can't do its job properly in managing our natural resources. Very sad.  I understand they are not 'totally' to blame but come on..

[lentz]

what year did we reintroduce wolfs?

[Bobby Bass]

what year did we reintroduce wolfs?

Wolves have been in NE MN before we got here. Gray wolves at one time roamed almost the entire U.S. they were hunted and killed till the only place they could be found was in MI and here in MN  


100 years ago 250,000-500,000 wolves roamed the U.S. till they were hunted by the federal government, by 1960 only 300 animals remained in the deep woods of MN and MI

[vulpes]

what year did we reintroduce wolfs?

Wolves were not reintroduced in MN, just managed for.

[Cody Gruchow]

i dont think this has much to do with the wolves in the first place...its the changing climate, and the mild/warmer winters that are killing them...

[dakids]

I don't think that wolves are the only problem but they are PART of the problem.  Climate, snow depth, brain worms,wolves, hunting by white man and indians, and lose of prime feeding habitat(less logging).

here is a link to the dnr moose study
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/moose/index.html

[kenhuntin]

Where is there any legitimate data on minnesota climate change? That is right there is none. For those people that believe that montra then please answer this question: Why are the moose at the Minnesota zoo which has a temperature average of probably 20 degrees higher than the nothern part of the state thriving and birthing two calves annually? Besides surviving the wolves it is very difficult to have a moose survive tranquilization yet another 150 are scheduled to be collared this year. Some never get up after the scientists are done with them. Do you really think they will turn themselves in and lose their feed bucket?

[lentz]

The thing I have against climate change is it happens over hundreds of years not 5

The sharp drop has to be sompthing but I don't believe the climates to blame for the sharp drop

[kenhuntin]

Since Temperature records began in Minnesota in 1891 until 1980 the + - was virtually zero. From 1980 to 2013 it has been reported that average has raised 1 to 2 degrees fahrenheit. This is insignificant and could also be beneficial to moose because earlier ice out means an earlier supply of lily pads and food forage.

[lentz]

And should help the calfs stay alive instead of die

[Cody Gruchow]

well it is obviously something other then wolves and hunters....

[Go Big Red!]

Nonetheless, I think it's a good idea to hold off for a season or two at most to hopefully determine what the reason for the population decline is.

[beeker]

it's a once in a lifetime party hunt in mn anyways.. so go ahead and cancel it.  I thought moose were very nomadic most likely they just like that park north of minnesota better.. i think it's called canada

[FireRanger]

it's a once in a lifetime party hunt in mn anyways.. so go ahead and cancel it.  I thought moose were very nomadic most likely they just like that park north of minnesota better.. i think it's called canada

Hey, I resemble that remark!  Anyway, being from Canada, I can give you a couple reasons I know of first hand and from many guys that hunted moose with me. For the last 15-20 years the moose population has been having a tough time due to temp changes and habitat changes, more so within the the past few years. I won't go as far as saying its global warming but I will say from a common point of view that as we see the springs come earlier, summers burn hotter and drier and falls warmer, the impact on the moose' forage, habitat and behaviour has changed. There is biological change that takes place in there forage that is not cyclical like in a rabbit's forage for example. Sure you get better germination of pond lilly's etc., however during the heat of the summer when there has been severe drought and those forages die off/ponds become too warm for healthy plantr growth, the moose suffer the consequences of malnutrition. Malnurioushment leads to disease, infestation and starvation. Over time the general population will drop and therefore you have a heard that has drastically declined in numbers. Another reason for this is a rise in deer population. The drying up of ponds/waterways etc. increases lush forage for deer. Deer and moose will co-exist but from my experience they would rather not. Most guys I talk to back home that use to hunt near the border have packed it in and moved north, where the moose populations are still stable due to a longer spring, shorter summer and cooler falls. Also there are very rarely any deer up that far north......yet. I used to see Moose all the time coming back and forth from Canad while dating my wife....I haven't seen one in years maybe 5 years now actually. Don't ask me for any repoirts or studies, I'm just reporting what I have seen. Hell there are spots where I duck hunt that have totally dryed up and haven't seen water in 5 years. The lake I hunt is down over 5 ft. Average temps and such do have an impact and so do the extremes. Just a few cents, who knows I might give a few more a little later.

[glenn57]

fireranger, you still driving back and forth dating your wife???

seriously, in my opinion that has been the best logical, most common sense explaination of the moose decline i have seen.

[beeker]

thanks fireranger.. Canada has my vote for statehood anytime

[lentz]

thanks fireranger.. Canada has my vote for statehood anytime

+1

[FireRanger]

Ahhh, jealousy of my northern brethren and their land and resources shall get you no where...

fireranger, you still driving back and forth dating your wife???

seriously, in my opinion that has been the best logical, most common sense explaination of the moose decline i have seen.

Married her over 10 years ago. But still going back and forth to visit family and friends.

[Go Big Red!]

Ahhh, jealousy of my northern brethren and their land and resources shall get you no where...

fireranger, you still driving back and forth dating your wife???

seriously, in my opinion that has been the best logical, most common sense explaination of the moose decline i have seen.

Married her over 10 years ago. But still going back and forth to visit family and friends.

When did you become a biologist?   

[glenn57]

you talkin to me???????????????

[whiteoakbuck]

Since Temperature records began in Minnesota in 1891 until 1980 the + - was virtually zero. From 1980 to 2013 it has been reported that average has raised 1 to 2 degrees fahrenheit. This is insignificant and could also be beneficial to moose because earlier ice out means an earlier supply of lily pads and food forage.

[whiteoakbuck]

Where is there any legitimate data on minnesota climate change? That is right there is none. For those people that believe that montra then please answer this question: Why are the moose at the Minnesota zoo which has a temperature average of probably 20 degrees higher than the nothern part of the state thriving and birthing two calves annually? Besides surviving the wolves it is very difficult to have a moose survive tranquilization yet another 150 are scheduled to be collared this year. Some never get up after the scientists are done with them. Do you really think they will turn themselves in and lose their feed bucket?