 Moose are an iconic symbol of British Columbia's wild spaces. They play important roles in ecosystems and provide sustenance for First Nations and licensed hunters. They are an intrinsic part of British Columbia's natural world and are appreciated by many people from near and far. Provincial wildlife biologists count moose from helicopters and monitor the number of moose harvested by licensed hunters to manage a sustainable harvest and important habitats such as moose winter range. Around 2005 surveys of moose in some areas of BC's central interior documented declining moose numbers. Some interior populations of moose are half of what they were a decade ago. The moose declines happened at the same time and in the same areas as the largest mountain pine beetle outbreak in BC history. This outbreak created salvage logging opportunities and resulted in more roads and an increase in the number and size of cut blocks. These significant landscape changes resulted in increased access for hunters and predators, reduced tree canopy protection from deep snow and altered forage quality and availability. In 2013 provincial wildlife biologists and veterinarians partnered with university researchers to begin studying how and why moose population declines could be related to human-induced landscape change. Understanding what drives moose survival is key to developing recommendations to enhance moose populations. Because cow moose are the reproductive component of the population, the research focuses on causes and rates of cow moose mortality and how a changing landscape might increase their vulnerability to mortality factors such as predation, hunting, health-related causes of death and accidents. Study areas were established outside of cam loops. Williams-like, Smithers, Prince George and Fort St. James. These areas were chosen for a gradient of landscape changes associated with mountain pine beetle pine outbreak. How do biologists determine what factors affect moose survival? They capture moose using a helicopter, attach a GPS-enabled tracking collar and collect biological samples. Samples from live and dead moose tell us about the health of the population including exposure to infectious diseases, nutritional status, stress levels and genetic relatedness. The collar data provides details on what habitats and landscape features moose use and where and when they die. To measure survival, movements of each moose are monitored. If the collar stops moving, a signal is sent via satellite to notify biologists of the mortality. When a mortality notification is received, the scene is investigated, usually within 24 hours. Prompt investigations are critical to gathering the highest quality of information to help determine the exact cause of death. Mortality site investigations are the field biology version of CSI. Biologists arrive at the scene to document the details and search for clues to explain the death. The evidence is recorded with photographs and biological samples are analyzed to determine the cause of death. The health samples collected from live and dead moose help to understand all the factors leading to the moose's death. For example, a leg bone is used to determine the fat content of the marrow. This assesses the cow's body condition. Those in poor body condition can be more susceptible to predation and health challenges. Organs and tissue samples, if available, tell biologists and veterinarians about health and the factors leading to death. After five years, biologists have collared and sampled 400 cow moose and investigated 97 mortalities. These moose died from a variety of reasons, with predation and health being the leading causes of death followed by hunting and natural accidents. Most of the cow moose that died were killed by wolves, typically very little of the carcasses left at the scene. Bones, hair, pied and stomach contents may be scattered and if the conditions are right, there will be evidence of a struggle. Although less common, bears and cougars have also killed collared cows. The second leading cause of death was what are termed health-related factors. Moose died from apparent starvation, where they were in very poor condition. In other words, very, very skinny, with no indication of trauma from predators or harvest. Apparent starvation deaths occurred in three of the five study areas. Some collared cows were harvested by hunters. In one case, there were tire tracks to the carcass in the cut block, a shell casing on the road and edible portions of the moose were removed. Some collared moose have died from natural accidents. Here, a moose died after struggling in deep mud. The lengthy and intense muscle activity caused her death from severe muscle damage, called myopathy. Cow survival rates greater than 85% are considered sufficient to support stable populations. The data shows that cow moose survival rates in BC are generally good, but survival rates have varied annually and between study areas. In some cases, survival rates are below 85%, such that low cow survival rates are likely to be contributing to population declines. So, if most survival rates of cow moose in BC are indicating generally stable populations, why are populations declining? Cows producing healthy calves are critically important to maintaining moose populations. Caves need to survive to be reproducing adults. This is called recruitment. In 2017, the research was expanded to also collar eight-month-old calves to better understand their survival and causes of death. Caves were weighed at capture. Biologists collect samples and conduct mortality investigations for calves, just like with cows. Preliminary results after following 60 calves from eight months to one year of age show that calf recruitment varies significantly between years. This is consistent with studies on deer and elk young that show high variability in survival rates between years. Through an analysis of the locations of collared moose over time, a graduate student at the University of Northern British Columbia found that cow moose select home ranges in areas with a diversity or mixture of habitats. Avoid areas with high road densities and high proportions of forest disturbance. Select areas with intermediate levels of forest disturbance and 50% mature forest. And use of cut blocks varies substantially by area and season. Moose do not select for cut blocks in dry landscapes and avoid them in the summer. Analysis of the cow and calf health data is building a baseline on overall moose population health. This includes first-time documentation of body conditions, disease exposure and stress levels. Further interpretation of health data will inform how health changes survival, resiliency, susceptibility to predation, reproductive potential, as well as guide future health sampling and management decisions. Mortality investigation and habitat use data are feeding into the detailed survival analysis that examines how landscape features help to explain mortality rates. When UNBC completes the survival analysis in 2019, specific recommendations to improve moose population and habitat management will be developed and provided to wildlife and habitat managers in BC and North America. Biologists are continuing to monitor cows and calves to better understand factors that drive population declines in BC. The team continues to collaborate with academic partners at UNBC and UVic to address a variety of key questions around moose population declines, including examining moose responses to different forest management practices that will create guidance for forest professionals to implement new practices in areas designated for moose management. Factors influencing calf recruitment, including landscape features and body condition of the cow moose. This research project continues to provide new information to guide recommendations to halt declines and enhance moose abundance. For more information, please view our 2018 Progress Report. It can be found by searching the Environmental Information Resources System for Biodiversity or Moose 2018.