Since the beginning of the 2000s, Ontario’s moose population has experienced a decline of approximately 20 percent overall, with some northern areas seeing reductions of more than 50 percent. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is currently investigating the reasons behind this trend.
Nick Luymes, a research scientist with the ministry, recently presented the latest results from a multi-year moose study conducted by his team in Wildlife Management Unit 13, located near Thunder Bay.
Launched in 2024, the project aims to identify various factors contributing to the decrease in moose populations, including interactions between predators and prey, disease and pests, calf survival rates, road construction effects, and forestry operations.
Despite the significant reduction in hunting permits issued over the years, Luymes noted that moose populations have not substantially increased in nearly twenty years.
“Our goal is to understand how these limiting factors influence the population dynamics so we can focus on those areas in our experimental studies,” he stated.
“We aim for our research findings to be applicable to other regions of the province and to shed light on the factors affecting moose populations.”
Research scientist Nick Luymes discusses moose population research during the recent Northern Ontario Tourism Summit held in Sault Ste. Marie. (Alex Flood/CBC)
Insights from the ministry’s preliminary findings
Over the past two years, biologists and technicians from the ministry have successfully captured and fitted GPS collars on more than 200 moose in the Thunder Bay vicinity to track their movements, behaviors, and habits.
“During the capture process, we gather extensive data, including pregnancy status, health metrics, parasite loads, body conditions, and genetic information,” Luymes explained.
Luymes highlighted that a significant factor in the moose population decline is low calf survival, primarily due to active predators such as wolves and black bears, with only about one-third surviving their first year.
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The team estimates that adult cow survival rates hover around 95 percent, while adult bulls have a survival rate of approximately 70 percent.
“We receive alerts if a moose is suspected to be deceased. In such cases, we can collect samples and conduct investigations at the site to determine the cause of death,” Luymes added.
So far, 36 of the collared moose in the study area have died.
The primary causes of death for adult males were vehicle collisions and hunting, while predation was most prevalent among calves and yearlings older than eight months.
For adult females, the leading cause was categorized as “unknown health issues.”
“We are aiming to gain clearer insights into the precise causes of these fatalities,” Luymes said.
“We have submitted bodily samples to laboratories for more detailed analyses to identify the underlying reasons for those deaths.”
A moose is collared as part of the ministry’s ongoing study near Thunder Bay. (Ontario Fish and Wildlife)
Conservationist calls predator control a temporary fix
Dave Pearce, a senior forest conservation manager with Wildlands League, a conservation organization based in Toronto and a partner of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, acknowledges the role of wolves and bears in impacting moose populations but believes they should not bear the full responsibility.
“It’s simplistic to attribute moose population changes solely to them and propose reducing predator numbers,” he said. “That approach is merely a temporary fix and does not tackle the underlying issues.”
Pearce argues that climate change is a significant factor contributing to stagnant moose numbers.
He points to increasing temperatures, particularly in the spring, as a critical reason why these large mammals are struggling to thrive.
“We have been experiencing sudden spikes in temperature that resemble summer conditions, and moose can quickly become hyperthermic and overheat,” he elaborated.
“Animals under heat stress tend to be less active and feed less, which adversely affects both them and their calves.”
Despite fewer hunting permits issued in previous years, Ontario’s moose populations continue to decline. (CBC)
Pearce also noted that a warming climate benefits white-tailed deer. An increase in their population could attract more predators to the area, ultimately impacting moose as well.
Additionally, he mentioned the problem of winter ticks that heavily infest moose, although Luymes indicated during his presentation that the ministry has not observed significant concerns regarding ticks in the study area.
Sault hunter’s experience highlights challenges
Jeremy Coulis has been hunting moose in northern Ontario since childhood.
As an Indigenous hunter from Batchewana First Nation and Sault Ste. Marie, Coulis also engages in the government-regulated tag system with his non-Indigenous friends.
“It’s about the social experience and connecting with nature,” he remarked. “Spending time with family and friends, unplugging from technology for a few days, is refreshing.”
However, in recent years, he and his group have faced increasing challenges in the sport.
On a recent hunting expedition just north of Aubrey Falls, he and seven companions spotted four moose—three cows and one bull—during their week-long trip.
In contrast, last year, that same group only encountered a single moose over ten days of hunting.
“It’s definitely more difficult now,” he shared. “You can spend days out there, but the moose simply aren’t present.”
“Seeing one has become a rare surprise,” he added.
Jeremy Coulis and his friends enjoy hunting for moose north of Aubrey Falls each fall. (Submitted by Jeremy Coulis)
With the reduction in hunting tags in recent years, Coulis has also observed a noticeable decline in the number of camps and hunters in the wilderness.
When asked for his thoughts on the lack of recovery in moose populations, Coulis expressed concern over forestry companies that apply herbicides to forests.
These applications aim to eliminate broadleaf plants that compete with conifers such as spruce and pine, which are harvested for lumber. Environmentalists have raised concerns about this practice in recent years.
“Quebec has demonstrated significant recovery in their moose population after ceasing spraying,” Coulis remarked. “However, Ontario shows no willingness to halt this practice.”
