Wildlife

Each year 1854 partners with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Fond du Lac Band to survey the moose population in the Arrowhead Region. The survey began in the early 1970’s to monitor the trends in moose population, whose range almost overlaps the 1854 Ceded Territory entirely. Flown with DNR helicopters, the survey is targeted to start the first working day in January if snow conditions are suitable (ie, snow provides a nice white backdrop to see moose).

In 2011, the survey crew began flying an additional nine habitat plots every year, in areas where management is focused on creating and maintaining moose habitat. They include areas burned in wildfires (Cavity, Ham, Pagami), areas being managed with prescribed fire, and areas with timber management focused on creating and maintaining suitable habitat. Hopefully surveying these habitat plots annually will shed some light on the most beneficial means of creating moose habitat and how quickly they respond to those efforts.

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was officially listed as a federally endangered species in 1974 due to severe overharvest resulting from fur trapping, bounties, and livestock protection efforts. In 1978, wolves in Minnesota were reclassified as threatened, allowing state and federal authorities to manage for wolves praying on livestock. In the past three decades, Minnesota's keystone predator population has rebounded from an estimated low of 350 wolves to more than 3,000 wolves. Satisfying federal recovery criteria the gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes region were officially removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species on March 12, 2007. At that point the management responsibility for Ma’iingan (wolf) returned to the states and tribes. Since 2007 there have been a series of delisting and relisting events for the gray wolf but as of today they remain a federally threatened species in Minnesota.

In autumn every year 1854 Treaty Authority coordinates a small mammal survey, to monitor trends in annual abundance of small animals like mice, voles, and shrews that are important in the diets of predators. There appears to be fairly good correlation between years of abundant small mammals in the woods and good numbers of juvenile fisher and pine marten in the fall trapping harvest.

During a ten-day period in early July, program partners like 1854 and volunteers take to over 600 lakes throughout Minnesota to observe Maang (loon). Adult and juvenile loons are counted to analyze reproductive success and the data is reported to the DNR for a population analysis.

1854 Treaty Authority has been collaborating on a project led by researchers from the University of Minnesota Duluth – Natural Resources Research Institute, to determine if artificial den boxes might be beneficial for fishers. Fisher populations in Minnesota have declined over the last 20 years, and experts believe that den cavities large enough for these animals may be limited across the landscape. Because fishers are relatively large animals, a female fisher needs a large cavity (in a large tree) in which to give birth and raise her young (kits). Artificial den boxes were installed in the Superior National Forest in the fall of 2019. 1854 Treaty Authority biologists are helping to monitor these boxes to determine if they are being visited by fishers and/or other animals, and if they will be used by female fishers during the denning period (March-May).