30/12/2023
The MICHIGAN MOOSE LIFT - Back 38 years ago the Upper Peninsula Moose population grew from a hundred or so around these Tahquamenon Woods, when on Jan. 20, 1985 men and equipment set out from Michigan on a mission to bring 29 Moose from north of Sault St Marie, Canada back to the western Upper Peninsula. The team of wildlife biologists and veterinarians from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, working with a team of Canadian specialists from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, would locate, capture, transport and release a number of wild moose to form the nucleus of a new population in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Today it is believed there are over 600 moose in the U.P. including about 100 in this eastern U.P. where LUCE COUNTY is recognized as the MOOSE CAPITAL of MICHIGAN in these Tahquamenon Woods.
It was an unprecedented, historic operation back in 1985. The wind chill at times approached 100 degrees below zero. Utilizing helicopters, tranquilizing dart guns and slings, some of these Canadian moose were air-lifted as far as 14 miles from the capture area to base camp. Multiple helicopters were involved.
The first was called the “chase helicopter.” It would locate a moose in an easy-to-access location, such as a frozen lake and a Michigan DNR wildlife veterinarian would tranquilize the animal with a narcotic from the air. The first moose was found within eight minutes of that first flight out. The next helicopter, known as the “lift helicopter,” would then arrive with the sling crew. The sling crew had one of the most difficult jobs – to fasten a harness around the moose. Three people had to arrange the groggy moose into a specially designed harness that would allow the helicopter to carry the animal back to the base camp.
At base camp, each animal was subjected to thorough medical testing and was fitted with a sophisticated radio collar, before being lifted into a shipping crate and placed onto a transport truck for the non-stop 600-mile overnight journey back to Michigan to be introduced west of Marquette.
The remarkable effort was called "moose lift." A total of 29 moose (10 bulls, 19 cows), ranging in size from 750 to 1,250 pounds, survived the arduous journey. In gratitude, Michigan sent 150 wild turkeys to the Algonquin Park, where there are now 700 birds and limited hunting of turkeys has started. And the endeavor worked well enough so that a subsequent lift of 30 additional animals took place in 1987. In all, 25 adult Bull Moose and 34 adult cows, many of them pregnant, were introduced.
The largest moose moved by the DNR in 1985, and 1987 was originally known as Bull # 29. “Gulliver” as he became known, was brought from Ontario in 1985 the last day of Michigan’s first moose lift to transfer moose from Canada to Michigan. He immediately claimed fame being the heaviest at 1,195 lbs. He was trucked to Marquette and with a radio collared was released on Feb 2.
During the following mating season the “Gulliver” started looking for females along a zig zag route eastward that took him through the village of Gulliver near Manistique where he received his new name. That was 163 miles from where he had been released! He proceeded towards Sault St Marie but turned back to spend the rest of his life near the Tahquamenon Falls nearly 200 miles from where he had started. He was collared so he could be easily tracked. He lived a natural life with some pictures taken by those exploring the Tahquamenon Woods area until his body was found September 23, 1996 about a mile west of the mouth of the Tahquamenon River. Gulliver was then thought be 16 years old. A display telling more about “Gulliver” is at the Mouth of the Tahquamenon River State Camping Park. Personally, I did get to see "Gulliver" one time while fishing a couple miles from the mouth of the Tahquamenon River. It's one of those times you wished you had a camera !
Since the first moose lift in 1985 the DNR has closely monitored the reintroduced moose population. At first, the size and growth of the herd was determined through a simple process because all moose were radio-collared and biologists could monitor each animal and tell when it died, and they could follow cows to record any births. The population could be tracked simply by adding the number of calves born and subtracting the number of animals that died. As the population grew, the new animals in the herd did not have radio collars.
In 1996 and 1997, the DNR conducted aerial surveys, which are the most common method of estimating moose numbers. Unfortunately, the population estimates from the aerial surveys were lower than estimates from the population model. With the help of the Michigan Involvement Committee of Safari Club International, which also provided the single largest financial contribution to the first moose lift, the DNR began a more intensive study of the reintroduced population in 1999, in cooperation with Michigan State University.
When these moose were reintroduced into the western Upper Peninsula, biologists hoped the population would grow to 1,000 animals by the year 2000. Although that objective has not reached, results of a current study indicate the population is growing. The herd ranges over approximately 1,800 square miles in Marquette, Baraga and Iron counties. The original Moose populations before the “Lift” are still found in several parts of the eastern U.P., most notably around the Tahquamenon Woods area. Luce County is officially known as “the Moose Capital of Michigan”.
Although records from the early explorers show that moose were common throughout Michigan, by the late 1800s moose numbers were very low. The small number that survived in the U.P. perhaps were also supplemented by animals coming in from Minnesota and Canada.
