The Moose is undoubtably the symbol of northern Michigan. Weighing more than a thousand pounds, standing higher than 6 feet tall at the shoulders, and with antlers that span 5 feet across, they are a near mythical animal in the local culture. It may be a shame then that there have never been more than a few in most of our lifetimes.
Starting in the 1940’s-1950’s efforts were made to reintroduce moose to northern Michigan with mixed results. But it was only in the 1980’s when they made moose fly. Ok we fibbed a little bit, they weren’t exactly paradropped down, but they were lowered by helicopter into the Upper Peninsula wilderness, we hope will blaring “Fortunate Sons” as they did so. There were few moose left in the U.P when the plan was put together in 1985 to bring 59 moose from Ontario Canada and transport them by air to release north the town of Champion (a fitting name in our opinion).
A small fleet of helicopters were assembled to transport the moose, including the “Chase Helicopters” to catch them. The process involved the very Jurassic park like practice of tranquilizing the moose from the air, then having ground teams track and get the majestic animals ready for their long journey.
A small population of moose exist in the eastern half of the peninsula today that are thought to be the direct decedents of the moose population before European settlers came. The rest in the western half being the moose that migrated there by air in the 1980’s. The latest DNR survey reports that there are about 426 in the Upper Peninsula today and that’s great to hear.
