Frequently asked questions

The tick-moose-climate relationship study does not aim to develop a pest control treatment that could be administered to moose at a large scale in the wild. We are treating half the calves we captured with acaricides solely to compare the behaviour and survival of animals at contrasting levels of tick infestation in the same environment (e.g., same habitat, same climate). The products we use include a livestock pesticide and a veterinary drug, both of which are strictly controlled by Health Canada. It is necessary to handle animals to apply these products which cannot be dispersed freely in the environment.

Moose we capture and collar during winter are likely to be harvested during the following fall hunting season. Hunters can harvest a moose wearing a collar if they wish, but we seek to retrieve the collar to use it again in the upcoming years.

Note that we capture and collar moose of two age class (young adults and mature adults). The great majority of moose with a GPS collar are young adults (males and females) which are going to be 1 and ½ year old in fall. These moose are wearing a white or black collars in the following regions: Bas-St-Laurent, Capitale-Nationale, Outaouais and Laurentides. The Gaspésie region (in proximity of Forillon Natonal Park) is the only one where we captured moose of both age class. In this region, the young adults are exclusively wearing black collars while white collars were provided to 15 mature females.

According to the standards prescribed by Health Canada, all the young adults (1 and ½ year old) of the study are safe for consumption 6 months after capture. Because captures are completed before mid-February, young adults killed by hunters can be consumed as early as mid-August. However, the 15 mature females captured in Forillon National Park and equipped with a white collar require a one year withdrawal time because of the stronger immobilizer used during capture. As such, these moose should not be consumed if killed before mid-February 2021. In any cases, if you shoot a moose wearing a GPS collar or ear tag, you will find a contact number for additional information and planning the return of the collar. The GPS collar worn by moose contains valuable information for the study and is intended to be reused each year of the project. We thus seek you collaboration to retrieve the collars as soon as possible. Please do not cut the belt of the collar as this will impede its proper functioning. To remove the collar from the animal, unscrew the 2 nuts (8mm) at the base of the collar where the belt is adjustable and has a few pairs of holes (see picture below).

The New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development offers hunters who kill a moose wearing a collar or ear tag, and who do not wish to consume it, the opportunity to return the carcass and have a new tag activated to allow them to continue hunting. To do so, contact an office of the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/fr/ministeres/der/Ressources_naturelles/content/Regions.html. Nonetheless, know that according to the standards prescribed by Health Canada, all moose in the study are safe for consumption 6 months after capture. Since captures are completed before mid-February, animals killed by hunters can be consumed as early as mid-August.

If you shoot a moose wearing a GPS collar or ear tag, you will find a telephone number to contact for additional information and planning the return of the collar. The GPS collar worn by moose contains valuable information for the study and is intended to be reused each year of the project. We thus seek you collaboration to retrieve the collars as soon as possible. Please call the telephone number on the collar and we will arrange for a pick up. Please do not cut the belt of the collar as this will impeed its proper functioning. To remove the collar from the animal, unscrew the 2 nuts (8mm) at the base of the collar where the belt is ajustable and has a few pairs of holes.

If you harvest a moose throuhg hunting, you can contribute to this study by visiting the measuring stations set up by the Ministère des forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs in the various regions of Québec. We will then be able to estimate the winter tick load of animals and with your authorization take biological samples to estimate the presence of other types of parasites.

If you observe moose during late winter and spring, you will soon be able to share your observations on the condition of moose fur. In 2021, we will be initiating a collaborative citizen science platform aiming to gather these observations. The development of this tool will allow us to improve monitoring of the frequency, intensity and spatial distribution of winter tick outbreaks in eastern Canada.