HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) – Moose are a staple of our culture here in the U.P., but research shows the population may be on the decline. <\/p>\n
The state\u2019s Natural Resources Commission was presented with the results of this year\u2019s aerial moose survey at a meeting in Houghton Thursday. The survey is conducted every two years. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur core moose estimate declined from 2025,\u201d DNR Wildlife Division Chad Stewart said. \u201cWe estimated a best estimate of 300 moose, and that\u2019s down from 426 in 2023.\u201d <\/p>\n
The core survey area spans the central U.P., from the Baraga Plains to Marquette, and is broken up into high-density and low-density areas. Stewart says in 2023, there were 426 moose, 283 in the high-density area and 143 in the low-density area. This year\u2019s survey found an estimated 300 moose. The high-density area has dropped to 257, but the low-density area has dropped significantly to only 43. Stewart says this low-density shift may be from a change in habitat preferences. <\/p>\n
\u201cMoose distribution in Michigan is broader than our current survey allows, and that moose distribution within the core has changed over time,\u201d Stewart continued. \u201cIt\u2019s very possible that moose distribution is changing to outside the core as well. Whether this is a realized decline in the moose population or a sort of redistribution of the population on the landscape is something we\u2019re wanting to find out.\u201d <\/p>\n
To investigate what could be limiting moose population growth, a research collaboration is ongoing. It is made up of the Michigan DNR, Northern Michigan University and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. This group captures and gives moose GPS collars. Using the collars, the team monitors adult moose behavior, calf survival and moose deaths <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have secured $684,000 to support two years of the project and to bring on a second graduate student,\u201d said Erin Johnston from the KBIC. \u201cWe are very committed to this project.\u201d <\/p>\n
Johnston says this money will allow research to continue into 2028. The research team hopes to increase its sample size from 20 to at least 50 moose for more results. <\/p>\n
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