The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has hired a biologist to conduct a study of moose population in three different regions to try and determine what has caused a drop in the number of the big beasts. Moose are the largest member of the deer family. The type that lives in Montana is the Shiras moose. It is the smallest in North America. The largest is the Alaskan moose. A big Alaskan moose bull can top the scales at 1,200 pounds. A big Shiras weighs about 200 pounds less, on average.

Wyoming has long been investigating the drop in moose in northwestern Wyoming, but researchers still can’t blame any one particular cause. Some of the culprits include warmer weather, more predators and parasites. Minnesota saw a huge drop in its northwestern moose populations, from more than 4,000 to less than 100. As part of its work to keep its northeastern moose population alive, the state’s Department of Natural Resources is not allowing deer feeders and is cutting the whitetail numbers down through hunting. Whitetails are known to harbor a parasite that infects moose.

This post was written by Brett French, Outdoors Editor for the Billings Gazette

Have you noticed a smaller moose population in your area of the country?  What do you think would cause this?  Leave you comments  below.