Minnesota Stories:

A Cloudy Future for Minnesota Moose

News headlines in December 2008 rang an alarm bell for those who love one of Minnesota’s wildlife treasures, the moose.

“Minnesota Without Moose? It Could Happen”

“Wildlife Experts Discuss Plight of Minnesota Moose”

“State Tries to Save? North-Woods Icon”

The occasion was the recent meeting in Duluth of a special advisory committee convened by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to investigate plunging moose numbers in northwest Minnesota and warning signs for the state’s northeastern population. For more than a decade, Minnesota moose have shown stress, and trends haven’t improved.

Wildlife biologists believe the statewide population has dropped 25 to 50 percent in 20 years. There’s been what’s called “a near-collapse” in northwest Minnesota. The population there is estimated at fewer than 100 moose, down from 4,000 in the mid-1980s. The population in northeast Minnesota has declined an estimated average 6 percent per year since 2002, according to DNR estimates based on aerial surveys from helicopters. The state’s moose population is now about 7,700, according to Dave Schad, the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife director.

Although multiple explanations have been offered, the leading theory is that warmer average temperatures in both winter and summer are placing stress on moose, who then succumb to disease and other causes of death. The chair of the 17-member Moose Advisory Committee, Dr. Rolf Peterson of Michigan Technological University, chair of the 17-member advisory committee, noted, “Moose are very heat-sensitive.”

To find out more about Minnesota’s declining moose population and other problems, Conservation Minnesota talked to Dr. Mark Lenarz of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Mark is the DNR’s Group Leader for the Forest Wildlife Populations & Research Group, supervising a staff of 10. He has also coordinated the state’s annual aerial moose survey in northern Minnesota, tabulating harvest information and making hunting quota recommendations since 1986. 

Q. What do we know about historic trends in Minnesota moose populations?
A. Moose formerly occurred throughout much of the forested zone of northern Minnesota.  Records from the Superior National Forest suggest moose numbers increased dramatically in the late 1920’s, but they plummeted in the mid 1930’s and remained low until the mid to late 1960’s.

We can only speculate as to the causes of past fluctuations in the northeastern moose population.  Undoubtedly, moose numbers were reduced in the early decades of the last century by the cumulative effects of settlement: over-hunting and timber harvest followed by wide-spread wildfire.  The increase in moose numbers in the late 1920’s probably reflected the closure of the moose season in 1921 combined with the ideal habitat provided by early stages of the second growth forest. It’s less clear why the population declined so dramatically in the mid 1930’s.
 
Increased poaching associated with the Great Depression, maturation of the forest habitat, and increased exposure to brain worm from higher deer numbers probably all contributed to the reduction in moose numbers. In the early 1970’s, the gradual increase in moose numbers corresponded with record low deer numbers.  Predation was probably reduced as well, because wolf numbers declined in portions of?the northeast in response to the reduced?deer numbers.

Q. What can a concerned Minnesotan do to help the moose?
A. Our current understanding is that the moose in Minnesota is falling victim to climate change.  We believe that moose become predisposed to other causes of mortality, such as disease and parasites by the warming temperatures. Concerned Minnesotans should do whatever they can do to reduce the release of greenhouse gases so that climate change is slowed.

For moose in Minnesota, however, I think it’s too late and we will likely lose this icon of the north in the next 40 to 50 years.  I hope I am wrong.

Q. Would buying and preserving more moose habitat help?
A. If some portion of moose habitat could be identified as critical to their survival, then it could be acquired. Most of the northeast moose range, however, is already owned by the State or the Federal government.

Links
• Minnesota DNR moose page: www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/moose/index.html
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Minnesota’s Moose Mystery”: www.fws.gov/midwest/agassiz/moose.html
• National Wildlife Federation, “The Mystery of the Disappearing Moose,” 2007: www.nwf.org/NationalWildlife/article.cfm?issueID=113&articleID=1442

---

MINNESOTA
Wildlife Facts


From 2000 to 2008, the number of known eagle nests in Minnesota increased from 681 to 872, or 28%. Just over 100 nests were known to exist in 1973.

Reader Comments (3) | Post a Comment

February 16, 2009 at 4:36 PM
John Ellis:
When I was stationed at Agassiz NWR in the early to mid-60's the moose population density on the refuge was estimated to be the highest in North America, perhaps exceding the density in the Scandinavian Countries.  When the area ( what is now the refuge) was first homesteaded, there were few if any moose.  The area was mostly vegetated with sedge, with many islands contained off-site aspen.  When the refuge's name was changed from Mud Lake to Agassiz , one of the names purposed was Moose Island.

The farmers that homesteaded burned-off the peat to mineral soil and this resulted in a major vegetation change from sedge to williow. This was followed by a moose population eruption.  We had some mortality from the nematode that affects the central nervious system.  I can remember collecting postmortem moose parts to help determine cause of death. The sick and dead animals were usually found in the barrow ditches, unable to climb out.  

All through we were mostly "duck" people, moose were the "show case" wildlife species of Agassiz NWR. 

February 12, 2009 at 2:27 PM
David:

So the earth is warming, and it does not effect North Dakota Moose?

What are your estimated wolf numbers?

I am in the woods about 75 days per year and understand the true wolf population.

Blame it on what the general public will believe, but many like me that abosulty love wildlife and will do anything to protect it  and we understand the state is not speaking true numbers about wolves.

I would stop hunting for my lifetime to save the moose what will the DNR do.

I know, preach global warming and keep their jobs.

sad really sad

February 3, 2009 at 12:31 AM
Eric Siverson:
It has not been overly warm here .  I dont believe I can detect global warming .  Did you know that teaching Global warming in England was made illeagal .   It was proven to be a belief rather than a fact ., in England .
   its    Kinda on par with teaching about God ,  God is a strong held belief , but not a proven  fact .  If you are useing state money to talk about global warming , you maybe breaking the law  , by our goverment promoting beliefs .