Vermont’s moose population is still steadily declining—particularly within the Northeast Kingdom—and it’s all because of ticks. Once known for its multitude of moose, Vermont is now plagued with tons of ticks and figuring out a way to get rid of them is part of the problem. Earlier this month, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife (VDFW) officials held a public meeting to discuss the possibility of reducing the moose population, which would then, essentially, deplete the ticks’ food source and, hopefully, defeat the blood-sucking parasite, VT Digger reports.
Of course, to suggest that fewer moose would equal fewer ticks had attendees questioning the logic behind the idea. Some “called for a moratorium on moose-hunting until the tick problem is better understood;” however, according to VT Digger, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore said that the state’s moose herd “had been experiencing higher than normal mortality rates in the past few years,” which state biologists “believe is likely linked to a population explosion of winter ticks.”
Winter ticks prey on moose, especially moose calves. After feeding on the moose all winter, weakening the animals significantly and causing many deaths, the ticks drop off of their hosts in the spring as adults ready to start the cycle all over again. Mild winters have created a safe haven for ticks to thrive year-round, making them a major problem within New England. As goHUNT previously reported, Vermont (along with New Hampshire and Maine) is part of a multi-state study aimed at cow and calf survival rates using GPS-collars to keep tabs on the solitary mammals.
According to Cedric Alexander, VDFW’s moose specialist, “results from the past two years have show ticks to be the cause of death for many of the calves that did not survive the winter.” In 2017, 12 of the 30 collared calves died and, in 2018, 15 of the 29 collared calves died, which is a 52% mortality rate, VT Digger reports. Poop.
As moose numbers continue to decline so has the number of available moose tags. This year, there will be 13 bull-only permits available for the 2018 hunting season, which is a major drop compared to previous seasons held from 2005 to 2010 when more than 1,000 permits were available. Regardless, some questioned whether hunting should even be allowed to go on if the moose population continued to dwindle.
Alexander says that the number of permits for 2018 is “very conservative.”
“There could be 10 moose harvested,” said Alexander. “That’s 3,000 pounds of meat that hunters in Vermont can still get without endangering the population.”
Idadi ya mwitu wa Vermont bado inapungua kwa kasi - hasa ndani ya Ufalme wa Kaskazini-Mashariki - na yote ni kwa sababu ya vimelea. Wakati mmoja ilijulikana kwa wingi wa moose, Vermont sasa ni plagued na tani ya makapi na kufikiri nje ya njia ya kuondokana nao ni sehemu ya tatizo. Mapema mwezi huu, maafisa wa Idara ya Samaki na Wanyamapori ya Vermont (VDFW) walifanya mkutano wa umma kujadili uwezekano wa kupunguza idadi ya moose, ambayo basi, kimsingi, itapunguza chanzo cha chakula cha vimelea na, kwa matumaini, kushindwa vimelea vinavyomeza damu, VT Digger ripoti. Bila shaka, kusisitiza kwamba kuwa na nyati wachache kungemaanisha kuwa na chungu wachache kulifanya wahudhuriaji waulize sababu za wazo hilo. "Wengine waliomba kusimamishwa kwa uwindaji wa mwaloni hadi tatizo la kuvu linaeleweka vizuri, lakini kulingana na VT Digger, Katibu wa Shirika la Rasilimali Asili la Vermont Julie Moore alisema kwamba kundi la mwaloni la jimbo hilo limekuwa likipata viwango vya juu vya vifo katika miaka michache iliyopita, ambayo wanabiolojia wa jimbo hilo wanaamini inawezekana kuhusishwa na mlipuko wa idadi ya mwaloni wa majira ya baridi.""" Baada ya kulisha mwitu wakati wa majira ya baridi kali, kuharibu wanyama kwa kiasi kikubwa na kusababisha vifo vingi, vipepeo huanguka kutoka kwa wenyeji wao katika majira ya kuchipua kama watu wazima tayari kuanza mzunguko wote tena. Majira ya baridi kali yamewawezesha vipepeo hao kusitawi mwaka mzima, na hivyo kuwa tatizo kubwa katika New England. Kama GoHunt ilivyoripoti hapo awali, Vermont (pamoja na New Hampshire na Maine) ni sehemu ya utafiti wa majimbo mengi unaolenga viwango vya kuishi kwa ng'ombe na ndama kwa kutumia kola za GPS kuweka tabs kwenye mamalia wa pekee. "Kulingana na Cedric Alexander, mtaalamu wa VDFW, ""matokeo ya miaka miwili iliyopita yanaonyesha kuwa vimelea ni sababu ya kifo cha ndama wengi ambao hawakuokoka majira ya baridi kali."" ""Mwaka 2017, ndama 12 kati ya 30 waliokufa na mwaka 2018 ndama 15 kati ya 29 waliokufa, ambayo ni kiwango cha vifo cha 52%,"" VT Digger iliripoti." Kikohozi. Kadiri idadi ya wanyama hao inavyoendelea kupungua, ndivyo na idadi ya alama za wanyama hao zinazopatikana. Mwaka huu, kutakuwa na vibali 13 vya kuwinda ng'ombe wa ng'ombe kwa msimu wa uwindaji wa 2018, ambayo ni kupungua kwa kiasi kikubwa ikilinganishwa na misimu ya awali iliyofanyika kutoka 2005 hadi 2010 wakati vibali zaidi ya 1,000 vilipatikana. Hata hivyo, wengine walijiuliza ikiwa uwindaji unapaswa kuruhusiwa ikiwa idadi ya wanyama hao inaendelea kupungua. "Aleksandr anasema idadi ya vibali kwa ajili ya 2018 ni ""kihafidhina sana"" na ""inaweza kuwa 10 moose kuvunwa.""" <unk>Hiyo ni 3,000 pauni ya nyama kwamba wawindaji katika Vermont bado wanaweza kupata bila kuhatarisha idadi ya watu.<unk>