Moose along Powdermill Road, April 2018. (Image courtesy of Steve Lindberg)

By ANN HILTON

FISHER

Marquette Regional

History Center

Special to the Journal

An article a few weeks ago talked about the fall and rise again of Michigan wild turkey populations, to the point where a recent count estimated there are more than 200,000 birds in the state.  The successful reintroduction of turkeys, which began in the 1950s with 50 wild turkeys brought in from Pennsylvania, turned out to be an integral part of the much more complex reintroduction of a much larger species, moose.  

Moose were once native to the U.P. but disappeared during the lumber booms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at least in part because deer attracted to the land opened up by lumbering carried a parasite fatal to moose. In the mid-1930s more than 60 moose were brought over from Isle Royale and introduced into Delta, Alger, and Keweenaw counties, but none were able to reach sustaining levels so that by 1951 a Mining Journal article asked “Has Last Moose Gone From Upper Peninsula?” Similarly, although individual Canadian moose sometimes crossed the ice near Sault Ste. Marie and made their way west as far as the area around Tahquamenon Falls, they, too, never established breeding populations. 

The hope of restoring moose to the U.P. never died, however.  In 1972 Ralph Bailey, the regional game biologist for the DNR, said the department was giving “cautious consideration” to the possibility, but added “we have no thoughts at this time of actually introducing them.”

A decade later things did not appear to have progressed much.  Bailey again downplayed expectations, saying in a March 1983 article that although the project appeared to be “biologically feasible” it was not imminent.  “We’ve got a long way to go and it’s only in the proposal stages.”  

But behind the scenes things were moving right along.  Just a year later, in March 1984, Bailey’s successor, Bob Strong, announced that Michigan had reached a deal with Ontario wildlife officials and in fact the first trade had already been made.  Michigan’s part of that trade?  One hundred and fifty wild turkeys, which had been captured near Mio and sent to southern Ontario, where wildlife managers were hoping to build a turkey population. 

In exchange, Michigan now had “draft rights” to 30 Ontario moose out of an Algonquin Park herd estimated to be several thousand.  A DNR official acknowledged the obvious, stating,  “It’s not a pound-for-pound exchange.” In the meantime, sportsmen’s groups, including the Safari Club and the U.P. Sportsman’s Alliance, were raising money to help cover the approximately $60,000 cost  of the operation.  Canadian wildlife experts helped the DNR locate some ideal habitat, no longer suitable for deer, north of Lake Michigamme.  

All eyes then turned to Algonquin Park. Larry Powell, assistant superintendent there, explained the challenges.  The moose hunters would be in small helicopters, hoping to find a moose they could herd into a relatively open area and then shoot with a tranquilizer gun. “They’ll be darting the moose in the bush.  The moose falls down. That’s the easy part,” Powell said. 

Then another group of wildlife experts would arrive in a larger helicopter.  Their task would be to check the animal’s medical condition, blindfold it, attach a tracking collar, and, most challenging of all, get a sling under it so the helicopter could take it to a staging area as far as 14 miles away.. Staff at the staging area would then crate the moose for transport to its new home.  

The operation was made even more challenging by the weather. The “moose lift” had to be done in winter, because the snow made it easier to get the slings around the tranquilized animals. Windchill temperatures during the operation reached almost 100 degrees below zero.

On January 23, 1985, the first moose, a 965-pound pregnant cow, arrived in Marquette County after her 16-hour overnight journey from Ontario.  DNR employees at the site, including a delighted Ralph Bailey, joined a large media contingent that day. Bailey described the day as, “it’s great, just great.  It shows that perseverance pays off.”  Even though it was 35 degrees below zero, almost 400 people showed up to watch the release. That first cow was part of a group of 29 (10 bulls and 19 cows) that were reintroduced that winter.

Two years later, in February 1987, another 30 moose were released in the same area.  This time some changes were made to accommodate the anticipated crowd of onlookers who wanted to watch the releases. A larger area closer to the main road was chosen, fencing was put in place, and stands were set up for observers.  Even though somewhere between 500 and 700 people watched from the stands, DNR officials reported that cars were backed up all six miles along the Peshekee Grade to U.S. 41 from the site, as well as a mile down the highway, and ultimately another 200 or 300 people who hoped to watch the release were turned away.  For the additional releases that week, including the VIP Day attended by Michigan Governor James Blanchard, the DNR ran shuttle buses between Van Riper Park and the release site.  

Thirty-five years later, it is clear that the “moose lift” (not a “moose drop” as some have been known to call it) was a success.  Although Bailey initially predicted the population could reach 1000 by the year 2000, the growth has been slower than that–about 1% per year.  The 2023 DNR survey counted 426 individuals.  

But success is not measured simply by numbers. Moose are considered “charismatic megafauna” — large animals that inspire public affection. Judging by the delight with which people post photos of moose they spot crossing the road or hanging out, as one did a few years back, in the lily pond at Park Cemetery, and by the number of moose hats, moose stickers, and moose magnets sold each year in local shops, the moose are definitely welcomed back into the U.P.