Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Alaska
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Moose populations in portions of the Seward Peninsula have declined substantially since the early 2000's. The mechanism for this decline is unknown, as 6-month old moose in this region are among the heaviest (and presumably least nutritionally stressed) in the state of Alaska, yet lose the highest proportion of body weight over-winter compared to other moose populations. In collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, we will be using a combination of radio-telemetry, demographic surveys, and both in-situ and remote-sensing derived metrics of forage to better understand the causal mechanism behind these declines in moose abundance. Our ultimate objective is to identify management actions that could ultimately reverse these declines and improve moose harvest opportunities in the region.