(WXYZ) — The moose population estimate in Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula remained statistically unchanged from the last count four years ago, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said.
According to the DNR, the 2023 survey marks the first survey completed since 2019 due to scheduling conflicts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey estimated there were 426 moose in the western U.P., and in 2019 there was an estimated 509 moose.
Typically, the DNR surveys the western U.P.'s core moose population since 1997, typically every other winter.
“This continues the trend of plateauing abundance where population growth over the last 12 years is now less than 1%," Tyler Petroelje, a northern Michigan wildlife research specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in Marquette, said in a statement.
According to the DNR, the moose surveys are conducted over core moose habitat areas during winter to identify and tally bulls, cows and calves. This year's survey was conducted in January and February across 1,400 square miles in parts of Marquette, Baraga and Iron counties.
The DNR said the remainder of the U.P. is not surveyed for moose, but some pockets of higher-quality habitat are occupied by lesser numbers of moose in the eastern U.P.
In this year's survey, researchers tallied 212 individual moose, which was 20% fewer than the 266 moose observed in the 2019 survey.
“Looking at demographic data, with respect to previous surveys, we observed a comparable – but low – cow-to-calf ratio and percentage of calf numbers,” Petroelje said. “A potentially concerning observation is the lesser percentage of twins seen during this survey (9%) compared to the 10-year average of 15%.”
According to Petroelje, fewer twins, in combination with a lesser bull-to-cow ratio, could be the reason for the drop.
“Another factor that has affected the moose in the western U.P. is that 2022 was a high year for moose-vehicle crashes,” said John Pepin, DNR deputy public information officer in Marquette. “Collisions involved at least 20 moose last year in the western U.P. We remind motorists to watch for moose, especially when traveling at night.
