Moose On The Loose In The Upper Peninsula Gets Assist From DNR

Every now and then a wayward moose on the loose needs a little help getting off the road and that is where the Department of Natural Resources steps in.

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Michigan Moose

Moose have been in Michigan since people have been keeping records. At one time, moose were found all over the state except for the southwest corner of the Lower Peninsula.

When Europeans settled in Michigan the moose population was pretty much wiped out in the Lower Peninsula in the 1890s, and only a few managed to survive in the Upper Peninsula.

It wasn't until 1934 that moose were reintroduced to the Upper Peninsula but poaching and circling disease made it tough for the population to take hold. It was in the mid-1980s that more moose were released which helped the herd reach a self-sustaining population. There are now over 500 moose roaming the western side of the Upper Peninsula.

Moose vs Vehicles

If you have ever hit a deer with your car you know the damage that can be done to your ride, can you imagine hitting a moose? When I traveled to Canada for bear hunting I witnessed a couple of vehicles that hit a moose and it's pretty ugly what happens to the vehicle and to the moose.

Moose are a delicacy in Canada, and in one of the accidents I witnessed, we stopped, and the driver was more concerned about getting the moose cut up before the bears arrived than the damage done to his vehicle.

Michigan Moose on the Loose

First I will say do not approach a young moose or an adult moose. They are highly unpredictable and adults are much bigger than horses and they can do some real damage, especially if it's a young moose and the mother is nearby.

According to MLive, a young bull moose was having trouble finding a pathway from the road and because the snow was so deep in Marquette County, he needed a little guidance to get back on the trail. Some DNR officers were able to get the young bull pointed down a two-track and lead him away from the road and back into the national forest.