Declining Moose Populations

[mightyhunter]

http://billingsgazette.com/news/sta...cle_cf1fcb02-9699-56d8-9b34-9b297fd4dc5f.html

Declining moose populations are becoming common place in the West and expecially in Wyoming. The potenial causes according to this article are parasites, climate change and perhaps increased predation.

Last Friday on a hike, I saw the first bull moose I have seen in the Beartooths in over 5 years. I have yet to see a cow moose this year in this area.

 

[chipc]

I cashed in my pref points on unit 25 last year and I'm glad I did. Seems like they are trying hard to get a handle on the impact of all of the factors mentioned. They took numerous tissue, organ, tooth, etc... samples from my bull. I sure hope they get it figured out but I'm afraid that its going to get worse before it gets better.

 

[mmwb]

No doubt predation is a key factor in some areas, but the brain worm is killing a lot as well. Unfortunately, they are not immune to chronic wasting disease either.

 

[wybighorn]

I agree, I think that a lot of people will be trying to "burn" their points because of population dynamics. I think it will be even worse if we see a price hike like is proposed for 2014.

 

[30Hart]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-17-12 AT 01:08PM (MST)[p]The main problem regarding hunting is for those of us that have been in the game awhile they have us good...we are so invested already in PP cost that what are we going to do...not draw the tag already...as I've said before it'll be $3K a tag before we draw. On the declining population note, herds always go up and down. They figure it out primarily because Wyoming can't afford to loose that money in the long run. I agree though it may get a little worse before it gets better.

 

[Triple_BB]

When I drew a moose tag in 38 a number of years ago, I spoke with the moose biologist then and he advised they intended to keep the tag numbers low and were treating it more as a trophy area. Not long after that the tags started increasing significantly. I inquired about it at a spring meeting and they said we're trying to provide increased opportunity due to decreased numbers of moose elsewhere in the state.

As a result, all areas are probably taking a hit whether they have parasite and wolf problems or not...

 

[nfh]

the moose popultation went down when they brought in the wolves..

 

[Whiterock]

I hunted in unit 18 in the year 2002,took a nice bull and never saw a bear or even heard a wolf.Great hunt that I will always remember.glad I went when I did .