Few animals represent the untamed North like the moose. Towering over 6 feet at the shoulder and weighing up to 1,500 pounds, these giants of the boreal forest are icons of northern wilderness. But across their range, moose populations are facing growing pressure from environmental shifts, parasites, and expanding competition.
Over the past two decades, regions in the northeastern U.S. and southern Canada have seen moose numbers decline by as much as 50%. One major factor: the growing prevalence of winter ticks – tiny parasites that can overwhelm even the largest moose.
Milder winters and shorter snow seasons are contributing to tick survival and reproduction. Historically, long periods of cold and snow would reduce tick populations by killing off larvae before they could attach to a host. Today, more ticks are surviving through the winter, leading to heavy infestations. A single moose can carry tens of thousands of ticks, resulting in blood loss, hair loss, and high mortality – particularly among calves.
This is more than a seasonal problem. In some areas, like New Hampshire and Maine, biologists have recorded calf mortality rates as high as 70% during peak tick years. These weakened animals become more vulnerable to disease, predators, and other environmental stresses.
At the same time, changes in vegetation and land cover are affecting habitat quality. Warmer regions are seeing a shift from spruce-fir forests to more mixed hardwood stands. Some wetlands are drying, reducing important moose foraging areas. Meanwhile, animals like white-tailed deer are expanding into the traditional moose range, bringing with them parasites like brainworm that don’t affect deer but are lethal to moose.
Moose are gradually moving northward in search of more suitable conditions – often into more marginal habitats with fewer resources. This shift raises concerns not just for biologists and the local residents who traditionally harvest a moose each year for the healthy meat, but for the entire northern ecosystem.
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Despite these challenges, there is reason for optimism. Wildlife biologists, Indigenous communities, and conservationists are working together to track moose health, improve habitat conditions, and adjust management practices. New tools like satellite tracking and regional tick monitoring are helping predict risks and guide response efforts. Public engagement is growing too, as more people recognize the moose as a sentinel of the changing North.
This story is more than a warning – it’s a call to action. The moose’s future depends on how well we understand and respond to these shifting conditions. Protecting this iconic species will require collaboration, research, and a deep respect for the complex web of life they represent.