Moose Twinning Rates: A Possible Population Condition Assessment

Wildlife managers have used a variety of measures to assess the condition or health of moose (Alces alces ) populations, including body weight and dimensions, fat stores, antler growth, blood parameters, and subjective judgements (Franzmann 1977). A measure, which qualifies as an indicator but which is seldom used by moose managers, is natality. Moose managers use calf/cow counts, but most of these determinations are made in late autumn during population composition counts. Frequency of twinning (a component of natality) in moose was related to climate and nutrition in other studies. The problems associated with obtaining natality information were outlined by Downing (1980). Nevertheless, the authors believe the data herein may justify an additional effort to obtain twinning rates in moose. In this paper the authors compare twinning rate on a 30-31-year-old burn (poor moose habitat) and a 14-15-year-old burn (good moose habitat).