Last week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced a new study, along with Northern Michigan University and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, to try and get answers as to why the moose population of the Upper Peninsula is struggling to grow.

The study will hopefully give researchers the ability to get a handle on the problem here in the U.P.

While seeing a moose is quite rare, they are an important part of not only the identity of the U.P. but its habitat and ecosystem. One does not have to look far in the Upper Peninsula to see moose iconography on restaurants, bumper stickers and many other items that signify U.P. pride.

“There is a need to examine why moose population growth in the Upper Peninsula has been stagnant over the past decade,” NMU associate professor of biology Diana Lafferty said.

“As such, measuring vital rates like reproduction, survival, immigration, emigration; as well as identifying factors that may be limiting moose population growth, such as parasites, disease, predation, vehicle collisions and habitat alteration are essential for understanding and modeling population dynamics.”

Over the course of the study, helicopters and planes will fly across the Michigamme Highlands area where the study is taking place.

Moose will be captured and equipped with radio collars before being released. As such, people are advised to avoid these capture areas for safety of the crew and the public.

We hope that this study will help to protect the moose, one of the U.P.’s most iconic and beloved residents.