Enhancing Moose Acceptance Through Improved Forage Availability
Mikael Wikström1,
Anna Jokinen2,
Marko Svensberg3,
Joni Saunaluoma3
Finnish Wildlife Agency, Sompiovägen 1, 00730 Helsingfors, Finland
University of Helsinki
Finnish Wildlife Agency
Abstract Finnish forestry has long focused on efficiently producing lumber and pulpwood, primarily by cultivating pine and spruce in a homogenous manner. To mitigate browsing damages, the moose population in Finland has been deliberately reduced by forty percent over the past three moose generations (21 years). Today hunters have ceased hunting in some areas due to what they perceive as excessively low moose densities.
Despite this, the guardian of forest owners´ interests continue to pressure maintenance of low populations or further reductions to mitigate pine damage. In 2024, damages on 1 800 hectares were compensated with 1 million euro from moose hunting licenses paid by 100 000 moose hunters. Authorities are exploring new ways to keep damage levels low without further reducing moose densities.
A major drawback of ceasing hunting is the increased difficulty in collecting data on population size, structure, and recruitment rates. Maintaining a huntable moose population across its entire range is essential for data collection, population management, and ensuring a healthy, reproductively successful population.
Since adequate access to diverse nutrition at landscape level is known to reduce browsing damages, increasing alternative forage availability could help mitigate damage and improve moose acceptance. The Finnish Wildlife Agency and the Finnish Forest Centre have collaborated to develop guidelines for forest owners and professionals to increase browse availability at landscape level. The four most recommended activities are:
• Avoid unnecessary cleaning of young forest stands. Broadleaves like rowan and willow are especially important forage for all cervids.
• Favor regeneration of pine on suitable soils, avoid substituting pine with spruce. Greater overall availability of pine alleviates browsing pressure and concentration of damages. Planting spruce on nutrient-poor sites can lead to financial losses.
• Regenerate spruce with a mixture of broadleaves. This allows more light to penetrate and promote growth of important forage like bilberry and lingonberry. This is especially important if competition from smaller cervids.
• Grow pine at higher densities with higher stocking rate, natural regeneration or seed regeneration. Higher density of seedlings will help dilute damages and allow for enough healthy seedlings suitable for lumber to remain even after damage.