Expect More Moose in Southern Saskatchewan

A few moose have been spotted around Swift Current, and that may become a common occurence.

There are about 50,000 moose currently in the province, and over the last thirty years they have been moving south, according to Population Ecologist with the Ministry of the Environment, Katherine Conkin.

"They've been consistently seen in southern areas for quite a while now, particularly the last ten years. Historically moose were actually in the south, pre-settlement. They're kind of moving back to the areas, and I think they're just finding that they've got resources that they can utilize," she said.

"They tend to be fairly good at capitalizing on their resources," she added. "You'll often find them in little-rained wetlands and that sort of thing. They tend to start moving more in April to June. The movement increases as temperatures rise and travel becomes easier after the winter, they move seasonally to forage new areas within their home ranges. Also what happens in the spring is the young of the previous years are leaving their mothers and disperse to find their own home ranges, while the mother is now having another calf or two."

While the peak season for travel has passed, Conkin says communities in the southern half of the province are going to start seeing moose more regularly than they may have 30 years ago.

"As moose are moving to find suitable habitats, food, mates, they will occasionally cross highways and roads or enter into towns or cities. We do ask that people be more vigilant, especially around dusk in the evening because that's when the movement increases particularly after dark. They are large animals, so being vigilant is a good thing, driving at the speed limit is a very good thing, and just generally being aware or your surroundings," Conkin said.

The Ministry of Environment supports the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation's "Moose on the Loose" campaign, which utilizes radio, television, and billboards to remind motorists to slow down and watch for wildlife.