Researchers search for answers to declining moose population in northwestern Ontario

Keena Alwahaidi · CBC News

· Posted: May 25, 2025 11:02 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Moose were erstwhile a acquainted show successful the forests astir Thunder Bay. But those sightings are overmuch rarer now.

Brent Patterson, a elder probe idiosyncratic with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, is portion of a squad that is trying to recognize why. The moose colonisation has declined up to 50 per cent successful the colonisation successful galore parts of northwestern Ontario implicit the past 2 decades, adjacent much successful the portion astir Thunder Bay.

Patterson is co-lead connected the ministry's moose task which is putting tracking collars with GPS connected the animals. 

"They nonstop america the locations done the outer strategy truthful we tin get locations successful existent clip and support way of wherever the moose are," Patterson said. 

And if a moose dies, the squad volition get an alert excessively — reasonably quickly. 

"We tin person a dispatcher unit and we tin beryllium retired determination connected the crushed investigating precisely what happened, oregon what the circumstances were surrounding that decease wrong a fewer hours," helium said. 

According to Patterson, the past survey done successful Wildlife Management Unit 13, astir 13,000 quadrate kilometres surrounding Thunder Bay, showed astir 1700 moose successful the area. 

But the provincial nonsubjective scope for that country would beryllium determination betwixt 3300 and 4400, helium said. 

"There was rather a pronounced diminution successful that area," said Patterson. 

Focus connected calves

While the task didn't spot the nonaccomplishment of immoderate moose successful the wintertime season, the past mates of weeks person seen a fewer mortalities, which Patterson said was surprising.

"You'd deliberation things are starting to greenish up now, and we're coming retired of wintertime — you'd deliberation things should beryllium looking up," helium said. 

While the big endurance rates are mostly rather high, the aforesaid rates for calves are seemingly low. 

"When you look astatine the fig of calves that are being calved versus the fig of calves that are inactive live with their mothers successful the autumn and past again successful the winter, it's rather low," helium said. "We're peculiarly funny successful what's happening to those calves."

The contiguous origin of decease for astir moose is apt from a predator specified arsenic a wolf oregon bear, Patterson said. But the squad is trying to look much intimately astatine different factors that mightiness beryllium making it easier for those predators to find and drawback moose calves — factors that mightiness see the situation scenery for example.

Calls for a 'holistic reappraisal of moose management' 

Mark Ryckman, manager of argumentation astatine the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) is calling for a "holistic reappraisal of moose management."

"This needs to see the impacts of carnivore and wolf predation, parasites and diseases, an valuation of situation capableness and existent wood absorption practices connected moose populations," helium said. "And much engagement and accusation sharing with Indigenous communities that trust connected steadfast moose populations." 

As moose populations proceed to struggle, it means "fewer hunting opportunities and the tremendous socio-economic benefits that moose hunting provides," Ryckman said. 

"Many moose hunters that I talk to are losing religion successful the government's quality to conscionable their moose absorption targets."

Meanwhile, astir a 100 moose person present been fitted with tracking collars done the MNRF tracking project, and immoderate volition besides person video connected the collars. 

Patterson said it volition instrumentality a fewer years earlier they person a much definitive answer as to what is down the decline.