Northern Ontario Moose Project
STUDENTS WORKING TO UNDERSTAND
factors limiting MOOSE populations
in northern ontario
Ontario Moose Population Estimate
From Aerial Ungulate Surveys
# of Moose
YeaR
Moose Hunter harvest
From reported harvest
# of Moose
YeaR
THE PROJECT
Indigenous communities, the Provincial government, and non-government institutions have reported moose declines in northern Ontario since the early 2000’s (1,2,3).
In response, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has implemented management interventions, including reducing non-Indigenous hunting quotas, yet moose decline persists (1). Populations are often limited due to multiple factors (4). These patterns can be difficult to uncover in large mammal populations due to small sample sizes.
Our research aims to disentangle the factors limiting moose populations in Northern Ontario
The impact of these findings will extend across Northern Ontario, including Crown Land Management and Forest Harvest.
Data
Over the next two years, we will deploy global positioning system (GPS) collars on moose, as well as their major predators and competitors. Specifically, we will collect GPS and genetic data from 350 moose, 25 bears, 30 wolves, and 50 deer. In addition to GPS collars, we will do aerial counts of all species in question to collect animal density and distribution data, and will deploy a remote camera array to monitor species activity.
GPS collared moose
GPS collared wolves
Bear hair snares
Remote
cameras
STUDY AREA
We conduct our work in Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 13 in North Western Ontario. WMU 13 has low regulated hunter harvest of moose, active Indigenous moose harvest, variable densities of competitors to moose (white-tailed deer), and both primary predators of moose in North America (wolves and black bears). From the area around Thunder Bay to the remote portions of the northern part of WMU 13, there is substantial variation in land cover, human development, and forestry activities.
This ecological variation serves as a natural laboratory to understand factors influencing moose POPULATIONS.
RESOURCES CITED
1. Marrotte RR, Patterson BR, Northrup JM. Harvest and density‐dependent predation drive long‐term population decline in a northern ungulate. Ecol Appl. 2022 Sep;32(6):e2629.
2. Priadka P, Moses B, Kozmik C, Kell S, Popp JN. Impacts of harvested species declines on Indigenous Peoples food sovereignty, well-being and ways of life: a case study of Anishinaabe perspectives and moose. Ecol Soc. 2022;27(1):art30.
3. Timmermann HR, Rodgers AR. The status and management of moose in North America - Circa 2015. ALCES VOL. 2015;53.
4. Schwartz CC. Reproductive biology of north American moose. Alces. 1992;28:165–73.