Sublette moose herd resisting nationwide population decline

A calf moose and its mother stop to water at the Green River in Daniel, just off the road. The Sublette herd shows stable population numbers. Andrew Setterholm photo

PINEDALE – Moose populations are experiencing serious declines in the northern U.S., drawing concerns from wildlife managers and conservationists. The situation is already severe in Minnesota, while in Montana, studies are being conducted to find out why the population is dropping.

In Wyoming, Jackson is seeing a sharp population decline. A Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) aerial survey conducted over Jackson habitats in late February showed far fewer moose than previous counts. In fact, WGFD biologist Doug Brimeyer counted just 239 moose in 22 hours – the second fewest of the animals documented in the past 28 years of record keeping.