New Hampshire’s moose population is toughing it out

New Hampshire’s moose population, for many years a common part of the Granite State landscape, is toughing it out.Today, the number one threat to the largest land mammal in New Hampshire remains the winter tick, which can attach to individual moose in the tens of thousands, particularly during warm autumns, which the state has been experiencing more and more. For young moose and cow moose, the result is blood loss and anemia. The result during high tick years, when warm autumns allow the parasites to hang on later into the year, is increased calf mortality and reduced reproductivity. Henry Jones, a moose biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game, gave the latest population numbers and the projections going forward and spoke of other factors that also impact the moose population and if it is all doom and gloom or if there is hope.