Minnesota moose: No bulls ... or cows

[Viking12]

Moose are struggling to survive and are disappearing in northwest Minnesota. One problem might be warmer temperatures that have allowed parasites to survive. Acid rain might be another factor. But biologists appear helpless to save them.

Warmer weather over the past 20 years might be the smoking gun that explains why northwestern Minnesota's moose population has mysteriously plummeted. Just 20 years ago nearly 4,000 moose roamed northwestern Minneota.But by 2003, when the last survey was done, there were only an estimated 237.

And if the trend continues, wildlife biologists say moose could disappear from the northwest part of the state in less than 15 years, leaving them to roam only in northeastern Minnesota.

http://www.startribune.com/531/story/261811.html

[Botany]

1. Might be the brain worm that the white tailed deer bring in.

I love the Boundary Waters/ Quetico area ..... a moose in camp or seen from a
canoe was always a treat.

Damn! :cry:

[Redneck Socialist]

2. Moose and whitetails seem to co-exist just fine here

in NH and up in ME. We've got bunches of both critters running about. :shrug:

[Botany]

3. In northern WS and the "Upper" of Michigan

Moose reintroduction has been very problematic because of a brain worm that the
deer can live w/ but not the moose ..... just guessing though.

Man, we are screwing the earth royal ...... and bush and company are leading the way.

[Redneck Socialist]

4. Interesting

I was curious enough to do a little googling and came up with this.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/sepoct97/brainworm.html

Minnesota DNR seems to feel the drop in moose population is not do to brain worm, or at least that they don't know enough to say for sure right now.

"The relationship between brainworm in moose, moose mortality, and whitetail numbers is unclear, though brainworm does not appear to have a major influence on Minnesota's moose herds. A recent evaluation of current data and the historical record suggests that moose population declines once believed to have been caused by brainworm occurred only when deer densities exceeded 12 per square mile. However, moose populations did not always decline when deer densities exceeded that level. And sometimes populations declined though no one had reported diseased moose.

Most areas in Minnesota's main moose ranges (in the northeast and northwest) have whitetail population densities of fewer than 10 deer per square mile, with only a few small areas of 12 deer per square mile. Moose populations have fluctuated considerably over the years, even in areas with low deer populations. The moose population in northeastern Minnesota has been about 4,000 to 5,000 for the last 20 years. Moose in northwestern Minnesota were equally abundant until recently; at this time they have declined to about 1,200.

A research study is examining the possible causes of the decline in northwestern Minnesota. A few of the sick or dead moose examined had brainworm, but it still isn't clear what killed the others. Unless brainworm causes subtle, hard-to-recognize changes in moose -- such as inappropriate courtship behavior or inadequate care of calves, which could result in decreased reproductive success -- it is unlikely that it has had a major impact on northwestern Minnesota's moose herd.

We still have much to learn about the brainworm: Do certain habitat conditions result in "hot spots of infected snails and slugs? Do infected gastropods behave differently from uninfected ones, resulting in their being more likely to be ingested by a deer or moose? Do infected moose whose signs disappear succumb to the parasite later? Does the parasite cause subtle changes in behavior that may influence survival or reproductive success in moose that show only slight signs of sickness?"

I couldn't find any data on NH or ME with a quick search but if the what is on the MN DNR site is correct that might explain why the moose herd in both NH and ME seem to be doing fine despite the presence of large numbers of whitetails.

[Botany]

5. I love DU! we dun guot smart people hear.

Nice Work!

I was told in northern Wisconsin (Chequamegon area next to Lake Superior) last summer despite the
excellent moose habitat that the deer population was too high and the moose always got the brain worm.

[Delphinus]

6. Here's a similar story about the changes

happening in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Great Lakes.

21 Feb 2006
Scientists Report Global Warming Already Has Foothold in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Entire Great Lakes Region

by Michael Neuman
Minnesota scientists are reporting that they are already seeing some rather dramatic changes in Minnesota's most cherished natural resources: the north woods, the moose, the walleye.

"If you're a moose, and it's the middle of summer, and you're panting, you just have a lot less time for eating", said Mark Lenarz with the State Department of Natural Resources in a KARE 11 TV News Extra.

"In the summer of 2005 we had dew points in the 80's. This is like Bombay, India. It's not like Minneapolis/St Paul!", said Minnesota state climatologist Mark Seeley.

http://madison.indymedia.org/feature/display/29005/index.php