great lecture on moose

[st99]

It seems a regenerating cut block full of food is actually really poor quality.

https://video.unbc.ca/media/The+abun...61syu0pbaLdFtQ

[Moosetalker]

Video would not load for me so I took a roundabout path and found the pdf format for the actual study.

Good read plenty of information mostly consistent with my own theory's as to when where and why moose are where they are at, interesting point about predatory deaths being lower in areas with more roads.

Too bad the study area information was incomplete as to forage plant growth rates in each location or a comparison of cutover to burn so I was unable to ascertain commonality with Alberta.

They mentioned cutblock spraying but did not find a correlation to its effect on moose. Here in Alberta they seem to hit cut overs at year 3-5 of their regenerative cycle so in effect just as they are getting good food wise the spraying clobbers ungulate forage .

[Big Grey Wolf]

Interesting presentation, not just wolves killing and bears eating calves resulting in low moose numbers. The quality of shrubs in large cutblocks, lower digestible protien levels are causing our moose population to starve.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Had presentation at ATA Alberta trappers meeting few years back that Roundup spraying of cut blocks also resulted in starving moose. It makes sense no browse no food.

[Moosetalker]

I agree with you a 100% BGW

Spraying Roundup or any kind of herbicide in cut-blocks is something I wish they would stop doing all together. the fact it has to be done when conifers go dormant in late summer the deciduous vegetation still actively growing at that time takes up the product and is dead wood with no food value for that winter, Blue berries are especially susceptible to that stuff they never come back no berries and bears gotta eat so no doubt necessitates predation on ungulates in fall.

A few seasons ago a 4 or 5yr old 1000+ acre remote low access cut block I frequented had a population of at least 6 cow and calf pairs as well as 2 resident 1.5 yr old bulls that I would see regularly, the next fall I noticed a sign stapled to a tree stating a herbicide had been used mid august
I hiked the perimeter only thing green were the pine transplants everything else was dead including grass I did find a dead calf moose that had no evidence of being fed upon by anything in one back corner Gotta say I got a bit angry over this 4 years later all that's growing is pine spruce and some tough grasses.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Moose, I always thought cutblocks were great "Kitchens" for moose. Now it seems they are "Kool aide" for them. Helps explain the major reduction in moose population in Boreal forest areas of Alberta.

[Moosetalker]

Be interesting to see an actual study on the forage base value in clear-cuts as opposed to natural clearings like beaver ponds and Burned over areas.


My personal observation in an area I hunted in many years in the early 80s was manually logged in one area along the river Old timer advised us it was done pre 1930 with on site saw mills to processed timber {we found a few locations with huge sawdust piles in seemingly out of the way places} The best moose hunting was hard access down along the river, very few people had quads back then either seldom saw anything but the odd traveling bull during the rut up top.

Let a few years pass and the oil and logging company's were very busy in the area lots of slash piles were never burned of and some areas never replanted and left to regrow naturally by the early to mid 90's the moose populations had exploded one year saw 3 different cows many miles apart in fall with 3 calves each. Sadly the Grizz draw was done away with I am sure the calf survival rate tanked.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Moosetracker, you are right about the grizz being one of the major problems. A grizzly bear in Alaska with a collar killed near 40 moose calves in one spring feast.

[eltorro]

Thank you for posting this lecture.

[Moosetalker]

I will extend that sentiment to any bear!!! black or grizzly over 160 kilo's. add in wolves and cougars {Called in a few of both as well}

[kujoseto]

Makes me wonder if anything is managed well.
It’s a disgrace

[kurthunter]

interesting