If you haven’t already heard, a Moose was hit on Hwy 45 in Land O lakes last month on May 11th. I believe the person driving the vehicle wasn’t injured, but the moose had to be euthanized at that location. There are many deer that we see on the side of the road that have been hit and killed but this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a moose being hit.

At one time moose sightings in our part of the Northwoods was truly rare. In 60 some years, I never saw a moose until 3 years ago and that was also in Land O Lakes. Monica and I were surprised to see a BULL moose at the end of September north of Black Oak Lake. Then I was told that fall (September and October) is their mating season, and males will travel more frequently looking for a mate, but seeing a moose in the month of May is highly unlikely.

In the early 1990s the DNR considered introducing moose into the northern part of Wisconsin. Then chose not to mostly because of deer population. The reason for this is white tail deer carry a parasite (BRAIN WORM) which really doesn’t affect deer but can be fatal to moose. For that reason, in 1995, the DNR chose to reintroduce ELK over moose. Surprisingly the Wisconsin DNR believes there are up to 40 moose calling the Northwoods home, but that number will fluctuate because of two bordering states. Knowing that Minnesota has an estimated 4000 moose, they have been crossing into northwestern Wisconsin for years, so those sightings are expected.

So, why are we seeing the largest relative of the deer (CERVIDAE FAMILY) in our area? I do have a couple of theories on this. In the late 1980s; there were 60 moose released in Michigan’s upper peninsula and being that we are on the boarder of the U.P. moose are obviously wandering back and forth. Another reason I believe is habitat. There is a certain habitat that moose prefer which is swamp areas and small undeveloped lakes that are difficult to reach on foot. These locations mostly consist of the browsing shrubs, grasses and aquatic vegetation that moose need to survive.

Being that Land O Lakes and surrounding areas have that type of habitat and moose can travel up to 10 miles a day, our chances are better for seeing moose more often. Also, it has been confirmed that moose calves have been born in our Northwoods. So, let’s keep an eye out for moose while driving.