Show Biologists Completing Three-Phase Three Study Of Utah's Moose Herd Division of Wildlife Resources biologists are now in the last of a three phase study of Utah's moose herd One of the main objectives of the third phase is to determine the effects of the ratio on calf pro pro- The Division has been attempting attempt attempt- ing to widen the ratio by harvesting more bulls and allowing cow numbers to in in- in crease Many researchers feel that if the ratio becomes too wide calf production will de de- de cline Thus the Division Issued only enough permits to widen the ratio to 1 t cow Any Anyone one years year's calf productivity productivity productivity Is not conclusive of what effect the ratio has Aerial trend counts later this winter will however show to what extent the Divisions Division's objective ob objective objective ob- ob has been reached thus far Over the long term of the study the highest ratio has been 66 calves per cows and the lowest has lias been 53 calves to cows Utah's moose herd is possibly the most productive in the United States according to Division biolo biolo- Aerial trend counts In 73 1972 showed that the sex ratio had dropped from 66 to Moose live in small groups say three or four animals animals animals ani ani- mals and these groups general general- ly Include young animals Elk on the other hand are more gregarious which allows al allows al- al lows them to have a wider ratio without affecting calf production Little research has been done on the ratio of moose in a comparatively new herd such as Utah's The first phase of the study included historical facts regarding re regarding regarding re- re garding moose In Utah and the determination of the carrying capacity of the Uinta slopes The first reports of moose venturing into Utah occurred in either 1906 or 1907 when re records records records re- re cords show one was killed at atthe atthe atthe the head of Spanish Fork Can Can- yon A cow and calf calC were spotted spotted spotted spot spot- ted in the Uinta Mountains near the Wyoming-Utah Wyoming border in 1918 However even as late as 1944 the southern limits of moose were still considered to be around Lander and Ke Kemmerer Kemmerer Kem- Kem m- m Wyoming By 1956 the herd had begun to drift more Into the so Division biologists began a more intense study of the population The rate of Increase had accelerated ed dramatically by 1966 |