DNR moose mortality researchers stink! They literally do.
The death rate of collared moose calves by predation from this study reflects a loss that seems much higher than would typically be found in nature. Moose have evolved with effective strategies to protect their young from predation.
Both bears and wolves primarily hunt with their noses and have come to associate humans with food sources. Food carried by campers, gut piles left by deer hunters and bait set out by bear hunters are tempting sources of nourishment for predators.
Collaring activity by researchers likely alerts predators to a possible food source. Researchers, while eating meals before or during their day’s activities, scent their clothing with food smells. They leave scent trails leading directly to moose calf birthing sites. They also leave food scent on and around the calves they handle.
Bears and wolves surely pick up on these scent trails during their search for food. Predators may also associate the activity of researchers with an easy meal.
If a search dog can follow the trail of a lost person by the scent of a piece of clothing, a predator that lives by its nose would easily follow food smells left by DNR researchers.
Bacon scented trails leading directly to where moose birth their young is hardly something a population in rapid decline can guard against.
As researchers influence calf mortality data results by their own activities, those results will in turn affect DNR predator management, which ultimately will impact the beneficial importance of predators on the health of the moose herd.
Man’s attempt to control nature is ultimately the culprit.
Bob LaMettry
Grand Marais
Leave a Reply