NEWPORT — Essex County residents may soon see a helicopter flying low overhead as the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department begins collaring up to 60 moose for a three-year study.
The radio-collaring will be carried out primarily within Essex County, and should start this week, depending on weather conditions.
Capture efforts require flying just above tree height and are expected to take one to two weeks.
Wildlife experts with will be using nets to capture moose from the helicopter, and handling it without the use of tranquilizers.
The processing of a captured moose is completed in minutes and is done using well-established wildlife handling techniques that minimize stress and harm to the animal.
Department staff will track collared moose for several years using the GPS points gathered by the collars, and by visiting moose directly in the field to record observations.
Vermont is the fourth northeastern state to partake in such a study. State fish and wildlife agencies in New Hampshire, Maine, and New York are currently using the same methods to examine their moose herds.
The study will run through 2019.
“We have advised many of the larger landowners within the capture area, but we felt all Essex County citizens and landowners should be made aware of this activity,” said Cedric Alexander, Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s lead moose biologist. “Moose are facing a variety of threats ranging from a warming climate to increasing winter tick loads, and we appreciate the public’s support as we study how these factors are impacting Vermont’s moose population.”
