Winter ticks affecting Maine moose population

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/state/2011/11/06/winter-ticks-affecting-maine-moose-population/1111744

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Winter tick "cluster bombs" in the tens of thousands have ambushed moose this month and last. The arachnids are taking their first blood meal and settling in for the winter.

Maine wildlife biologists Chuck Hulsey and Lee Kantar are hoping for a long, cold winter with snow lingering on the ground through April.

"Winter ticks are affected by what the previous winter was," Hulsey said Friday. "If you have a lot of snow and a lot of cold, that's not good for the ticks. If you have less snow and more warmth, it's really good for the ticks."

That's what happened this past winter, and it's why the biologists have heard many reports this spring of people finding more moose carcasses than usual in the woods.

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http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/field-notes/2011/08/minnesota-moose-population-could-be-doomed

Minnesota Moose Population May Be Doomed

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"But no one knows what factors led to the decline. Climate and habitat changes, parasites, impacts from deer and predation all could be causes. About 5,000 moose roamed northeast Minnesota last winter. In the northwest, the population has dropped from 4,000 to fewer than 100."

Kiss the moose goodbye in the lower 48 :cry:

:sarcasm: