A COLLARED MOOSE is shown having its vital signs taken by a research team in western Marquette County. Wildlife researchers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Northern Michigan University fitted 20 moose with GPS collars as part of a study to investigate the movements and mortality of the iconic species in the western Upper Peninsula. (Michigan Department of Natural Resources photo)

The moose population in the western Upper Peninsula has been a subject of great interest and conversation for decades. People want to know how many moose there are, where they are located and whether there will ever be an opportunity to hunt them.

This curiosity stems from Michigan’s efforts to restore moose to the region and the iconic status of the animal — a species many people have never seen.

Once on the verge of disappearing from the state, moose were successfully reintroduced in the western Upper Peninsula from Canada in the mid-1980s.

Forty years later, their population has grown but failed to reach the goal initially hoped for of 1,000 animals by the year 2000. The population grew steadily between 1997 and 2007 before slowing significantly.

The 2023 biennial aerial survey estimated 426 moose.

A HELICOPTER IS SHOWN following three moose in Marquette County during the recent moose capture and collaring effort in the western Upper Peninsula. (Michigan Department of Natural Resources photo)

To better understand why the population has faltered, researchers recently embarked on a study to investigate the movements and mortality of moose in the western U.P.

In late February, wildlife researchers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Northern Michigan University fitted 20 moose with GPS collars to track their location.

With the help of a skilled helicopter crew and fixed-wing spotter planes, the moose were located among snow-covered wetlands and forests.

“It was incredible,” said Tyler Petroelje, northern Michigan wildlife research specialist for the DNR. “In just 13 hours, the team successfully captured, collared and released the moose. Now, we have valuable data to refine our population model and frequent location updates that offer deeper insight into the life of a Michigan moose.”

The effort will continue next winter when 40 more moose will be collared.

A CLOSE-UP VIEW shows a research team worker and his tools of the trade in the field while putting tracking collars on moose for a study in the Upper Peninsula. (Michigan Department of Natural Resources photo)

This collaborative U.P. moose study is the first of its kind in Michigan to investigate cause-specific mortality to help uncover why the moose population growth has become stagnant.

Since the collars were attached, moose have already transmitted more than 10,500 GPS locations, detailing their movements.

“This GPS data allows us to monitor the moose’s well-being after handling and provide insight into their response post-capture,” Petroelje said. “In the long run, their location data will reveal the causes of mortality, habitats they rely on and their distribution across the land.”

When combined, this data could reveal why the moose population remains below 500 animals.

A swift operation

A VIEW FROM a helicopter shows a moose during the recent capture and collaring field project in western Marquette County. (Michigan Department of Natural Resources photo)

The team’s success in capturing 20 moose — five calves, five bulls and 10 cows — was the result of careful planning and exceptional teamwork.

The process was straightforward: locate and sedate, collect data, revive and monitor.

Planes carried moose spotters across a 200-square-mile wilderness west of Marquette, who scanned the landscape below for large, dark brown, oblong shapes — potential moose.

Once spotted, the information was relayed to the helicopter team, HeliWild, a group of trained professionals from Austin, Texas, who moved in quickly to dart and sedate the moose.

“The helicopter provided an efficient way to reach the moose, especially in the Upper Peninsula’s winter conditions, where deep snow made travel by truck or snowmobile very difficult,” said Erin Largent, a DNR research technician from the customer service center in Marquette.

Aerial crews collected samples and attached the moose tracking collars. In accessible areas, ground crews on snowmobiles arrived to relieve the aerial team, who could then move on to the next capture.

The operation hinged on coordination between teams.

“Staff at the base station provided critical communications between the plane pilots, helicopter crews and ground teams,” Largent said. “Each role was vital in keeping the project moving smoothly.”

Researchers collected vital biological data throughout the operation.

“The blood, fecal, hair and ectoparasite samples will provide us information on DNA, pregnancy rates, parasites, disease and overall health,” Largent said. “That data will be incorporated into our population model and used to estimate the (moose) population’s trajectory and inform future management efforts.”

As part of a long-term mortality study, the collars placed on adult moose will remain for their lifetime, transmitting location data every hour for the next seven to 14 years. Calf collars, designed with expandable features to accommodate growth, will automatically detach after 14 months.

On average, researchers took 35 to 45 minutes to collect information and collar each moose. Once the data was gathered, the sedation drug was reversed, and crews observed from a safe distance as the moose awoke, staggered to their feet and then left the area.

“Watching the moose wake up and return to the wild was powerful,” said Diana Lafferty, associate professor in biology at NMU in Marquette. “This team had the unique opportunity to address the stagnation of a native species’ population through research and partnerships. This project is an essential step toward ensuring the long-term survival of moose in Michigan for generations to come.”

But the efforts were not without challenge.

Weather played a major role in the operation, as aerial crews could only fly in clear conditions. Fresh snowfall and cold temperatures created chest-deep snow and ground conditions that were less than ideal.

“On our first moose, we left the snowmobiles 250 meters away to reduce noise during the work-up,” Lafferty said. “Even with snowshoes, it was enormously challenging to move across that distance in the snow. It was definitely humbling but also invigorating.”

After a morning snow delay, the operation commenced in early afternoon on Feb. 20, and in just a day and a half, the team achieved its goal of fitting 20 moose with GPS collars.

A collaboration with impact

The “Factors Limiting Moose Population Growth in the Western Upper Peninsula” project isn’t only an important scientific endeavor but also a testament to the power of collaboration.

Bringing together staff, skills and funding from the DNR, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and NMU, it reflects a shared commitment to conservation and understanding the wildlife and ecology of the U.P.

Like many research projects, this one began over dinner after a conference.

From those discussions, the DNR developed a new research proposal, and with remaining funds from the previous Tribal Moose Collaborative, KBIC supported the initial collaring of 20 moose and is seeking funding to support additional years.

NMU contributed key expertise and resources while creating opportunities for student involvement and graduate-level research.

“For people, moose are more than just an animal. They represent the wild, rugged beauty of the Upper Peninsula,” Lafferty said. “People travel here hoping to catch a glimpse of one, and over time moose have become ingrained in the cultural fabric of the region. We want to help it stay that way.”

If you’ve ever traveled along U.S. 2 after crossing the Mackinac Bridge, you’ve seen it firsthand — mailboxes, signs and flags adorned with the iconic silhouette of a bull moose.

This collaboration aligns with KBIC’s long-term conservation priorities, particularly its efforts to expand knowledge of wildlife populations within and around the L’Anse Reservation in Baraga County.

“Our Wildlife Stewardship Plan includes objectives that focus on monitoring wildlife populations, partnering on research and using aligned methodologies to assess species of greatest concern,” said Erin Johnston, wildlife and habitat manager for the KBIC’s Natural Resources Department. “This project directly supports these objectives and strengthens our ability to make informed conservation decisions for the future.”

Moose are especially important to tribal communities like the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, which have a deep cultural connection to the moose population on their land.

Johnston shared an excerpt from the KBIC Wildlife Stewardship Plan that describes this relationship:

“Moose is a symbol of courage and determination for the community. Those who follow moose see life situations with clarity and can see into the beyond. Moose antlers protect them in battle and represent the tree of knowledge. This teaches us to shield ourselves with truth and spiritual understanding.”

As the moose population grew following the reintroduction effort, interest among hunters in the possibility of a moose hunt also began to rise.

While moose are considered a game species in Michigan, there hasn’t been a moose hunt in the state since the 1800s. Though the current population is growing — albeit at a decreased rate — any discussion about a potential hunting season is tied to the health and stability of the population.

“In 2011, the Moose Hunting Advisory Council recommended that a moose hunt should only be considered if the population maintains an annual growth rate of 3% or more,” Petroelje said. “For the continued recovery and growth of Michigan’s moose population, the state has established strict guidelines for any future hunting seasons.”

Currently, fewer than 500 moose remain in the Upper Peninsula, half the number researchers anticipated after the 1980s reintroduction. As a result of the slow population growth, wildlife managers have been cautious about the possibility of a hunt.

In 2020, members of the DNR’s Western U.P. Citizens’ Advisory Council passed a resolution asking the DNR to create a comprehensive moose management plan for the region.

In 2021, the DNR responded saying, in part:

“The cause of the slow growth rate in Michigan’s moose herd is not known. Developing a management strategy will have unknown effects on Michigan’s moose given the current lack of understanding in variables affecting their growth rate.

“The only Great Lakes states with moose populations are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York. It appears that only Minnesota, which has between 2,400 and 4,320 moose (significantly more than Michigan is estimated to have) and has had hunting seasons previously, has a comprehensive management plan.

“The Minnesota plan includes provisions for deer management (keeping deer populations below 10 deer per square-mile) and eliminating recreational feeding, both topics that are likely to result in opposition from many sportspeople in the U.P.

“The department currently plans to continue to monitor the core U.P. moose population and follow the guidance from the Moose Hunting Advisory Council in terms of recommending a future hunt. Should the moose population begin to increase at rates outlined by the council, the department will begin to further explore the development of a comprehensive moose plan.”

In 2023, the DNR’s western and eastern citizen’s advisory councils — each composed of 20 members representing a wide range of public interest in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues — passed a resolution asking the DNR to establish a “very limited moose hunt in the U.P. of Michigan with up to five possible bull moose tags. Possibly using the Pure Michigan Hunt, and a separate lottery, much like the current elk lottery, with monies derived going to sustaining and growing this iconic species in Michigan.”

In January 2025, DNR Wildlife Division Chief Sara Thompson responded in a letter saying, “…although the Councils suggested a hunt be held to provide research dollars, without first conducting a research project to investigate factors influencing the slowed growth rate, and with climate change projections unlikely to favor moose in the long-term, we feel it is not prudent to consider a hunt currently.”

The councils were provided with information on the trajectory of the moose population in the U.P. and some of the factors affecting the species.

The councils’ requests help illustrate the need for the DNR’s moose study, which is slated to collar another 40 moose next winter.

“This study is crucial for investigating the long-term potential of the population,” Petroelje said.

By examining factors that limit growth, like disease, habitat, predation and human disturbances, wildlife managers will have the data they need to make informed decisions.

“Only with a clear picture of the moose population’s health and trajectory will we be able to consider revisiting the question of a moose hunt,” Petroelje said.

This project is an example of how bringing different perspectives, experiences and expertise together can strengthen collaboration.

“While we may not always approach wildlife management the same way, we share similar goals and desired outcomes for stewardship,” Johnston said. “It’s that diversity of approach that makes these partnerships stronger and helps us explore and comprehend the natural world.”

Looking ahead

As this project continues, the team will be closely monitoring the data sent by the GPS collars to examine the moose’s movements, habitat preferences, mortality and interactions with the environment.

This data will guide future conservation efforts and help refine management practices that promote a sustainable moose population in Michigan.

———

To learn more about the project and Michigan’s moose population, tune into the latest episode of the DNR’s “Wildtalk” podcast, featuring insights from Petroelje and Caleb Eckloff, the DNR’s moose survey coordinator.