LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Michigan’s moose are surviving and reproducing, but still not growing in number. Now, wildlife researchers are heading back into the Upper Peninsula to figure out why.

Later this month, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and its partners will launch a second round of moose captures, fitting up to 43 animals with GPS collars across the western U.P. The effort follows an initial capture last year, when 20 moose were collared to track survival, movement, and reproduction.

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Early results offered mixed signals. Most collared moose survived the year, and many females gave birth, but deaths from predators, vehicle strikes, and other causes continue to offset gains.

The broader picture remains stubborn: Michigan’s core moose population is estimated at about 300 animals—well short of the roughly 1,000 biologists once hoped for when the species was reintroduced in the 1980s. 

Scientists are studying a long list of possible factors, including disease, nutrition, predators, vehicle collisions, habitat changes, and winter ticks—parasites that can weaken or kill moose during harsh seasons.

The project is a collaboration among the DNR, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, and Northern Michigan University, with most funding coming from federal conservation grants and tribal partnerships rather than hunting license revenue.

Researchers say the next round of collar data should help clarify what’s holding Michigan’s moose back, and whether the population can ever move beyond survival mode into real growth.

“We’re attempting to identify the potential factors that are most likely affecting Michigan’s moose herd,” Tyler Petroelje, a DNR wildlife researcher, said. “This collaborative research will help us understand the cumulative or compounding effects.”