'Conservation on Tap' wraps up with moose lecture

MERCER, Wis. - The Iron County Land and Waters Conservation Department's "Conservation on Tap" lecture series wrapped up Tuesday, at The Pines in Mercer, with a presentation by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Sam Jonas on moose populations in the Upper Midwest with a focus on Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Minnesota.

Jonas began his lecture by discussing the history of moose in the region. Historically moose populations were found in the upper midwest, Jonas said, although lax hunting laws contributed their decline in the early 1900s. There was an effort to take moose from Isle Royale and reintroduce them in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, according to Jonas, but hunting by residents during the Great Depression ended the effort.

A second reintroduction effort in the U.P. began in 1985, Jonas said, using moose from Ontario, Canada. While the effort hasn't been as successful as organizers had hoped, Jonas said, it has led to a projected 323 to 325 animals - give or take 26 percent - in the U.P.

The Minnesota population had always been historically strong, Jonas said, however the northwester part of the state began declining sooner than the northeastern part of the state.

Unfortunately Jonas said that in recent years, populations in Minnesota and Michigan have been declining sharply in recent years while Wisconsin's population - which consists largely of moose traveling to the state from neighboring areas - has been small but stable.

The decline is attributed to a number of factors, Jonas said, including disease, global warming, lower birthrates and predators.

The population declines have led officials to begin contemplating adding moose to the national endangered species list.

Of Wisconsin's moose population, the most reported sightings in recent year have been in Iron County, Jonas said.

After talking about the history of the population, Jonas discussed some basic biological facts about the species.

There are four subspecies of moose - the largest member of the deer family - with the eastern moose that includes Wisconsin as part of its habitat being the second largest moose after the subspecies found in Alaska.

Moose can stand 6 to 6.5 feet tall, Jonas said, which meant that as a 6-foot 3-inch tall man, he could walk under some full grown moose.

The moose's long legs allow the animals to travel through snow and they tend to love the cold - which was why, Jonas joked, they loved Iron County.

Moose are frequently found near water, Jonas said, because they eat the underwater plants and also use the water to cool off and remove ticks and other insects.

The animals have internal nose flaps, Jonas explained, which allows them to dive underwater to find plants.

There are several differences that distinguish males and females apart, Jonas said, including males being up to 40 percent larger and having antlers that can weigh as much as 35 to 40 pounds.

An average male moose weighs 950 to 1,000 pounds with females weighing in at 500 to 600 pounds, Jonas said, adding that moose can eat up to 30 to 40 pounds of vegetation in a day.

He ended by encouraging residents who see a moose to report the sighting to the DNR, in order to enable the department to better track the state's population numbers.

To report a moose sighting, go to dnr.wi.gov and searching for "rare mammal observation" and filling out the short form on the site.

Jonas' lecture was followed by a brief break, followed by a question and answer session.

The lecture was the fifth and final lecture in the "Conservations on Tap" series, with past topics including bats, ospreys, loons and the history of the Turtle Flambeau Flowage.

The series has been incredibly well-received, said Zach Wilson, a conservation specialist with the county's conservation department.

"It was a huge hit. Every program increased in numbers," Wilson said, adding that the total attendance figure was roughly 400 people. "... Very, very popular this year and I've heard nothing but good reviews."

Wilson said he plans on bringing the series back next year.