STATUS AND TRENDS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES
We review the state of knowledge of moose (Alces alces shirasi) in the western US with respect to the species’ range, population monitoring and management, vegetative associations, licensed hunting opportunity and hunter harvest success, and hypothesized limiting factors. Most moose monitoring progr...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:95cd0c3be6ea470bbec51638eb1542a4 2023-05-15T13:13:06+02:00 STATUS AND TRENDS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES M. Steven Nadeau Nicholas J. DeCesare Douglas G. Brimeyer Eric J. Bergman Richard B. Harris Kent R. Hersey Kari K. Huebner Patrick E. Matthews Timothy P. Thomas 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doaj.org/article/95cd0c3be6ea470bbec51638eb1542a4 EN eng Lakehead University http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/182/255 https://doaj.org/toc/0835-5851 0835-5851 https://doaj.org/article/95cd0c3be6ea470bbec51638eb1542a4 Alces, Vol 53, Pp 99-112 (2017) Alces alces shirasi Colorado hunter harvest Idaho Montana Nevada Oregon population trends range Shiras moose Utah Washington Wyoming Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2017 ftdoajarticles 2022-12-30T21:24:22Z We review the state of knowledge of moose (Alces alces shirasi) in the western US with respect to the species’ range, population monitoring and management, vegetative associations, licensed hunting opportunity and hunter harvest success, and hypothesized limiting factors. Most moose monitoring programs in this region rely on a mixture of aerial surveys of various formats and hunter harvest statistics. However, given the many challenges of funding and collecting rigorous aerial survey data for small and widespread moose populations, biologists in many western states are currently exploring other potential avenues for future population monitoring. In 2015, a total of 2,263 hunting permits were offered among 6 states, with 1,811 moose harvested and an average success rate per permit-holder of 80%. The spatial distribution of permits across the region shows an uneven gradient of hunting opportunity, with some local concentrations of opportunity appearing consistent across state boundaries. On average, hunting opportunity has decreased across 56% of the western US, remained stable across 17%, and increased across 27% during 2005–2015. Generally, declines in hunting opportunity for moose are evident across large portions (62–89%) of the “stronghold” states where moose have been hunted for the longest period of time (e.g., Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming). In contrast, increases in opportunity appear more common at peripheries of the range where populations have expanded, including most of Colorado, northeastern Washington, southern Idaho, and eastern Montana. There are many factors of potential importance to moose in this region, including parasites, predators, climate, forage quality, forage quantity, and humans. State wildlife agencies are currently conducting a variety of research focused on population vital rates, the development of monitoring techniques, forage quality, trace mineral levels, and evaluation of relative impacts among potential limiting factors. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Alces alces shirasi Colorado hunter harvest Idaho Montana Nevada Oregon population trends range Shiras moose Utah Washington Wyoming Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Alces alces shirasi Colorado hunter harvest Idaho Montana Nevada Oregon population trends range Shiras moose Utah Washington Wyoming Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 M. Steven Nadeau Nicholas J. DeCesare Douglas G. Brimeyer Eric J. Bergman Richard B. Harris Kent R. Hersey Kari K. Huebner Patrick E. Matthews Timothy P. Thomas STATUS AND TRENDS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES |
topic_facet |
Alces alces shirasi Colorado hunter harvest Idaho Montana Nevada Oregon population trends range Shiras moose Utah Washington Wyoming Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
We review the state of knowledge of moose (Alces alces shirasi) in the western US with respect to the species’ range, population monitoring and management, vegetative associations, licensed hunting opportunity and hunter harvest success, and hypothesized limiting factors. Most moose monitoring programs in this region rely on a mixture of aerial surveys of various formats and hunter harvest statistics. However, given the many challenges of funding and collecting rigorous aerial survey data for small and widespread moose populations, biologists in many western states are currently exploring other potential avenues for future population monitoring. In 2015, a total of 2,263 hunting permits were offered among 6 states, with 1,811 moose harvested and an average success rate per permit-holder of 80%. The spatial distribution of permits across the region shows an uneven gradient of hunting opportunity, with some local concentrations of opportunity appearing consistent across state boundaries. On average, hunting opportunity has decreased across 56% of the western US, remained stable across 17%, and increased across 27% during 2005–2015. Generally, declines in hunting opportunity for moose are evident across large portions (62–89%) of the “stronghold” states where moose have been hunted for the longest period of time (e.g., Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming). In contrast, increases in opportunity appear more common at peripheries of the range where populations have expanded, including most of Colorado, northeastern Washington, southern Idaho, and eastern Montana. There are many factors of potential importance to moose in this region, including parasites, predators, climate, forage quality, forage quantity, and humans. State wildlife agencies are currently conducting a variety of research focused on population vital rates, the development of monitoring techniques, forage quality, trace mineral levels, and evaluation of relative impacts among potential limiting factors. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
M. Steven Nadeau Nicholas J. DeCesare Douglas G. Brimeyer Eric J. Bergman Richard B. Harris Kent R. Hersey Kari K. Huebner Patrick E. Matthews Timothy P. Thomas |
author_facet |
M. Steven Nadeau Nicholas J. DeCesare Douglas G. Brimeyer Eric J. Bergman Richard B. Harris Kent R. Hersey Kari K. Huebner Patrick E. Matthews Timothy P. Thomas |
author_sort |
M. Steven Nadeau |
title |
STATUS AND TRENDS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES |
title_short |
STATUS AND TRENDS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES |
title_full |
STATUS AND TRENDS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES |
title_fullStr |
STATUS AND TRENDS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES |
title_full_unstemmed |
STATUS AND TRENDS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES |
title_sort |
status and trends of moose populations and hunting opportunity in the western united states |
publisher |
Lakehead University |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doaj.org/article/95cd0c3be6ea470bbec51638eb1542a4 |
genre |
Alces alces |
genre_facet |
Alces alces |
op_source |
Alces, Vol 53, Pp 99-112 (2017) |
op_relation |
http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/182/255 https://doaj.org/toc/0835-5851 0835-5851 https://doaj.org/article/95cd0c3be6ea470bbec51638eb1542a4 |
_version_ |
1766256012800557056 |