Moose hunting in Minnesota has been canceled indefinitely. The decision comes after the state’s moose population has dropped by more than half since 2010, and 35 percent since last year.
According to the Star Tribune, the DNR stressed that its managed hunts have not been a factor in the animal’s decline, but suspending the hunting season is a reasonable measure until its population rebounds.
In the meantime, the agency is completing a study to understand why the moose population is declining so rapidly. It’s one of the most technologically advanced studies of its kind, using radio collars and texting to alert biologists when an animal dies.