Minnesota Moose problems

[teejk]

I know you guys are going to jump all over the premise of this article, but I can confirm first hand the spread of ticks and parasites into southern Canada, where they used to be fairly rare.

Rapid-climate-changes-turn-north-woods-into-moose-graveyard/

Not to burst your bubble, but I recently saw an article about a study suggesting that the increased spread of ticks might be related to the increased range of coyotes. The "bad" ticks get their poison (Lyme/anaplasmosis etc.) from the white-foot mouse. Then they attach to a bigger host. For decades we've killed deer that will shed hundreds of ticks (central Wis, hardly "tropical" and probably colder than you are) once the carcass cools down. Rather than automatically pointing to "climate change" theories, please consider that it might be a function of wildlife management practices and the fact that fewer people are persuing varmints.

 

[tcartwri]

Unfortunately the same thing is happening with other pests as well, not just the tics. In the west the forests are being decimated by the Western Pine Beetle, as their range expands every year due to warmer winters. In the really far north, the locals are coming across pests they have never seen.

 

[dave1949]

Not to burst your bubble, but I recently saw an article about a study suggesting that the increased spread of ticks might be related to the increased range of coyotes. The "bad" ticks get their poison (Lyme/anaplasmosis etc.) from the white-foot mouse. Then they attach to a bigger host. For decades we've killed deer that will shed hundreds of ticks (central Wis, hardly "tropical" and probably colder than you are) once the carcass cools down. Rather than automatically pointing to "climate change" theories, please consider that it might be a function of wildlife management practices and the fact that fewer people are persuing varmints.

Unfortunately the same thing is happening with other pests as well, not just the tics. In the west the forests are being decimated by the Western Pine Beetle, as their range expands every year due to warmer winters. In the really far north, the locals are coming across pests they have never seen.

There are lot of factors involved in wildlife populations. To begin with, it isn't easy to define "normal" in historical terms across the northern tier of states that have been logged heavily.

Deer populations exploded following the extensive clear-cut logging in the Northeast because it allowed new growth forests. The Wood Caribou is long gone from Maine however.

Moose are not going to do well in warming climates, they are not adapted to that, ticks or no ticks. The ability of coyotes to expand out of their native range in the Southwest may well be enhanced by warming climates. The populations of white footed mice go in boom and crash cycles. I'll bet coyotes eat a few whenever they can.

Some wildlife biologists feel that ticks are more of a problem when the white-footed mice population is low, based on the reasoning that there are lots of ticks with no readily available mouse hosts. They are then more prone to be found on people and other hosts.

A good percentage of coyotes in the Northeast carry gray wolf DNA, supposedly from interbreeding with Canadian wolves. That makes a "new normal" for coyotes and their abilities and behavior.

As long and cold as our winter has been this year (by comparison to recent trends), we've only hit -20F one or two nights. The previous three winters never exceeded -10F. That isn't enough cold to sustain the "old normal."

People are of mixed opinions on efforts to sustain what became normal following massive human alterations--which produced results that were anything but normal, or let normal be a moving target that we try to optimize for diversity and sustainability. The combinations of climate change, biodiversity and habitat alterations are driving those changes.

 

[teejk]

Unfortunately the same thing is happening with other pests as well, not just the tics. In the west the forests are being decimated by the Western Pine Beetle, as their range expands every year due to warmer winters. In the really far north, the locals are coming across pests they have never seen.

We have a big problem with asian lady bugs (apparently introduced by the USDA to combat aphids in the alfalfa fields). We are now fighting the emerald ash beetle that will likely kill all ash trees in the country (apparently came in with chinese pallets). Australia brought in cane toads from south america to combat something attacking their sugar canes. The list keeps going if you want more. Here in Wisconsin, we are experiencing a brutal winter that was predicted based on a pattern seen in 1917 and again in 1948. Frost depths are down to an unheard depth of 8' and water mains are popping everywhere. I'll add that last year and the year before that and the year before that were hardly tropical either. My point is that before you blame "climate change" for new "bugs/pests", please look around to see what else might have happened.

 

[teejk]

There are lot of factors involved in wildlife populations. To begin with, it isn't easy to define "normal" in historical terms across the northern tier of states that have been logged heavily.

Deer populations exploded following the extensive clear-cut logging in the Northeast because it allowed new growth forests. The Wood Caribou is long gone from Maine however.

Moose are not going to do well in warming climates, they are not adapted to that, ticks or no ticks. The ability of coyotes to expand out of their native range in the Southwest may well be enhanced by warming climates. The populations of white footed mice go in boom and crash cycles. I'll bet coyotes eat a few whenever they can.

Some wildlife biologists feel that ticks are more of a problem when the white-footed mice population is low, based on the reasoning that there are lots of ticks with no readily available mouse hosts. They are then more prone to be found on people and other hosts.

A good percentage of coyotes in the Northeast carry gray wolf DNA, supposedly from interbreeding with Canadian wolves. That makes a "new normal" for coyotes and their abilities and behavior.

As long and cold as our winter has been this year (by comparison to recent trends), we've only hit -20F one or two nights. The previous three winters never exceeded -10F. That isn't enough cold to sustain the "old normal."

People are of mixed opinions on efforts to sustain what became normal following massive human alterations--which produced results that were anything but normal, or let normal be a moving target that we try to optimize for diversity and sustainability. The combinations of climate change, biodiversity and habitat alterations are driving those changes.

You include a lot of "might be"'s there. As you point out, there are a pile of factors that can explain a pile of the dominoes that follow, perhaps due to climate change, perhaps not. Case in point...I lived in Westchester Co NY and it was not unusual to have several deer eating on the lawn 5' from the front door when I left for work at 6am. It was illegal to hunt anything with a gun in the entire county. A few years later, we started to see coyotes. I'm not a biologist but do recall rules on peaks and valleys on ruffed grouse and rabbit populations. The population increases, the predators move in a few years later, their food supply goes down and the predator population dies off for lack of food. Then it starts again.

I can't buy into the easy excuse of climate change for new bugs and animal behavior. We could put all our efforts down that road and then figure out that there are other factors.

 

[lockhaven]

the genie has escaped from the bottle, with air travel and world trade bugs and disease will continue to spread worldwide. As long as people desire the exotic in pets and plants additional problems will surface.

 

[dave1949]

You include a lot of "might be"'s there. As you point out, there are a pile of factors that can explain a pile of the dominoes that follow, perhaps due to climate change, perhaps not. Case in point...I lived in Westchester Co NY and it was not unusual to have several deer eating on the lawn 5' from the front door when I left for work at 6am. It was illegal to hunt anything with a gun in the entire county. A few years later, we started to see coyotes. I'm not a biologist but do recall rules on peaks and valleys on ruffed grouse and rabbit populations. The population increases, the predators move in a few years later, their food supply goes down and the predator population dies off for lack of food. Then it starts again.

I can't buy into the easy excuse of climate change for new bugs and animal behavior. We could put all our efforts down that road and then figure out that there are other factors.

I think it is complex, inter-related, and always changing, that's the thought in my last sentence:
The combinations of climate change, biodiversity and habitat alterations are driving those changes.

That said, it is undeniably true that invasive plants and animals expand or contract their ranges with the climate they are adapted to. The introduction of an invasive, and its ability to survive and spread are three different things.

I could turn a Florida gator loose in my woods, but it won't survive.

There are areas where a transplanted conifer will survive and grow, but it is very rare to see a successful natural germination of any seeds dropped. The soil, moisture, shading, seasonal temperature versus daylight duration, the absence of a bird that opens the cone, or competing species conditions don't favor that.

Marginal organisms (for the local climate) such as Hemlock Wooly Adelgid might invade my woods if the temperature warms enough to allow that. It is already common south of here and along the coast where temperatures are moderated by the ocean.

If that happens, there will be hemlock mortality, which in turn alters the area biodiversity. Those things which depend on hemlock will be impacted, and that which depends on the affected, will be also be impacted in a chain reaction.

Habitat alterations also include the after-effects of pollutants. Through mechanisms such as acid rain, the soils and water become more or less amenable to various species of plants. Over time, acid rain changes forest plant species composition, which in turn changes support for forest dwelling animals, which in turn has an impact on plant use. Changes in plant use lead to changes in plant population composition which benefits some things and is detrimental to others.

There are endless feedback loops. The overall complexity is such that no one has even half of the answers to the known questions.

 

[mscheer772]

Wolves were never reintroduced into the GL states. Out west yes GL no way.

 

[foggy1111]

I live in Northern MN. I have hunted moose and seen the territory. Also have read a recent article on the mortality study on young moose. Over 70% of calves are killed in the first 5 months of their lives?by you guessed it: WOLVES. No rocket science or tick problems here, it's simply too many WOLVES. Each wolf is good for killing 20+ big game animals each year. Duh. With our wolf population the moose situation is NOT sustainable. We get to choose. More wolves or more moose and deer. I say lets keep moose and deer. What benefit are more wolves? To **** with wolves. SSS

 

[texasjohn]

Well, to add to the litany of how the "times, they are a'changin'"

Axis deer were introduced into Texas as an exotic animal for high priced hunting. They escaped and have become widespread in the Texas hill country. They are competitive with the native white tail population, reducing their numbers. I'm told that Axis bucks will attack white tail bucks but have not personally experienced this. However, on the family ranch, the ratio is now about half axis and half whitetail. Seems this happened in about 15 years.

When I was in high school in the late 50's, I never saw a feral hog, coyote or porcupine. All are now common in the Texas hill country. Armadillo's were everywhere then, yet my hunt this year, many hours spent out in a blind, early and late and at night, I SAW NOT ONE armadillo.... I dunno where they went...do you?

We're in a long term drought now... Lake Travis Water Level ...been going on for 3+ years now...lake levels for lots of Texas lakes are really low, water rationing in place for Austin, numerous other areas. Lake Levels

I'm going out in the morning to hunt coyotes on my property...it's calving time and I need to avoid predation as much as possible. Three have been killed in the last month and 2 more have been seen. Neighbor killed a number of hogs last year.

So, things are changing at many levels.