Moose Management and Research
Publications & Reports
Management
Managing moose involves looking at predators, habitat, human harvest, other non-harvest mortality (severe winters, vehicles and trains), and the composition of populations – cows, calves and bulls – and these elements are touched upon in this section. Population density, habitat, and harvest vary from area to area, so each Game Management Unit (GMU) is presented separately in this section.
In some areas, habitat limits the potential size of moose populations, and concentration of moose and open habitat creates the potential for excessive harvests in accessible areas. In other regions it is unknown whether predators or habitat are more limiting moose populations, although some are clearly held back by bear and wolf predation. Moose mortality due to vehicles is significant in some areas where human population and vehicle traffic continues to increase. Land clearing activities associated with agriculture, development and road construction has been responsible for the increase in moose browse that attract moose to highways. The number of moose killed by trains seems to be related to snowfall and varies widely from year to year.
Without fire or other disturbance, forests mature and browse - and moose populations - decrease. Fire, mechanical manipulation, and post-logging site work, which encourage hardwood regeneration, are beneficial for moose habitat and have been conducted on some sites. Ice-scouring also helps to rejuvenate willow stands. After logging, if site preparation is not conducted or is done inadequately, blue-joint grass initially crowd out hardwood and spruce seedlings, creating less desirable moose habitat and slowing forest succession.
Currently, ADF&G has intensive management areas in Units 9D, 13, 16B, 19A, 19D-East, 20E and parts of parts of 12, 20B, 20D, and 25C, where the primary management objective is to provide high harvests of ungulates for human use.
See the status and trends section for details about management practices in specific areas.
Research
A number of moose research projects are being conducted in Alaska, looking at nutritional needs, habitat use, and predator-prey relationships. Alaska has been a leader in moose research. The Kenai Moose Research Center has captive moose and over the past three decades, hundreds of moose research projects have been conducted there. See Alaska's Kenai Moose Research Center, a World Leader in Moose Science.
- GeoSpatial Survey Operations Manual (PDF 7.3 MB)
- Moose nutrition
- Moose research in Gustavus
- Assessing moose habitat
Working for Wildlife Video
Additional Research Projects
- Age-specific natural mortality rates of male vs. female moose
- Comparative nutritional status among 6 high-density, high-yield moose subpopulations in Interior Alaska
- Evaluation of moose-habitat relationships in Southeast Alaska
- Identification of factors affecting calf production, calf survival, and survival of female adult moose in Game Management Unit 13
- Response of moose and their predators to wolf reduction and short-term bear removal in a portion of Unit 19D East
Project Information
Response of moose and their predators to wolf reduction and short-term bear removal in a portion of Unit 19D East
Project 1.62, Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant. Project Duration: July 1, 2005–June 30, 2010. Principal Investigator: Mark A. Keech, Fairbanks.
During the 5 years of this project we will continue to study moose and their habitat, wolves, and bears in Unit 19D East with an approach similar to that taken during the preceding study – Project 1.58. Data from project 1.58 documented predator-prey dynamics during the pre-treatment, and treatment phases of the wolf and bear removal programs and included information on a) moose calf mortality, b) adult moose reproduction, c) moose condition d) moose browse use and availability and e) population size and trends for moose, bears, and wolves. The proposed study will gather additional information on post treatment dynamics of both moose and their predators. We expect many population level responses to occur during this period. Consequently this study is necessary to evaluate the ultimate affects of predator removal and to prescribe management actions to increase the harvest of moose.
We will conduct moose calf mortality studies and bear population estimates in alternating years within our intensive study area. Yearling moose will be captured annually for the duration of the project to monitor condition. Yearling captures will also facilitate estimates of adult mortality and productivity because fitted transmitters will last up to 6 years and thereby allow us to monitor known cohorts of adults. All collared moose will be monitored each year for survival and movement data, and adult cows will be intensively monitored annually during the calving season to collect reproductive indices. Twinning surveys of non-collared cows will be conducted opportunistically within the study area during annual spring flights. Hair or tissue samples taken from captured bears, or from mortality sites of moose calves, will be submitted for DNA analysis in alternating years.
Few projects in North America have monitored moose, bear, and wolf populations continuously throughout pre-treatment, treatment, and post treatment phases of management. Therefore, the combined information from project 1.58 and this proposed study will be valuable to managers of similar predator-prey systems in other areas of Alaska and northern Canada.