Moose - Maintaining forest balance

Initial estimates after the park’s creation put the number of moose at around 50. Thereafter, the population remained between 100 and 150 individuals until a significant increase was noted in 2009. In 2017, the population reached a peak of over 840 individuals, or approximately 35 moose/10 km2.

Based on the data from the 2023 aerial survey, the Forillon National Park’s moose population is estimated at around 530 individuals, i.e., 22 moose/10 km2.

The results of the most recent aerial survey, conducted in February 2025, indicate that the moose population in Forillon National Park continues to decline. The population density per 10 km2 has decreased from 22 moose in 2023 to 17 moose in 2025, representing a population of approximately 400 individuals.

Under the management plan, Parks Canada is maintaining its efforts to acquire knowledge and continue to monitor the evolution of the moose population and its impact on the Forillon National Park Forest.

Monitoring Data, aerial inventory: 1997, 2009, 2017, 2020, 2023 (Open Government)

According to the 2023 data aerial inventory, the moose population in Forillon National Park numbers about 530 individuals, or 22 animals per 10 km2.

With the variations in moose numbers, Parks Canada is increasing the frequency of data collection to monitor both moose and their impact on the park’s forest.

All wildlife populations are likely to experience declines and increases in their numbers at different times in their existence. Variations are part of natural phenomena.

At this time, there is no certainty about what caused the observed decline in the moose population.

Most important now is to apply our research program to identify the medium-term trend and the multiple probable causes of variations in the moose population over time.

For an environment like Forillon National Park, the ideal population density for maintaining balance in the forest is estimated to be between 4 and 10 moose/10 km2.

With 17 moose/10 km2, and showing a downward trend, the population in Forillon National Park is currently at a fair level of abundance, reducing the impact on the long-term balance of the forest.

Under the management plan, Parks Canada is maintaining its efforts to acquire knowledge and continue to monitor the evolution of the moose population and its impact on the Forillon National Park Forest.

Moose are large herbivores that eat between 10 and 30 kg of vegetation per day. They are capable of changing the composition and abundance of the plant species they consume. In densely populated areas, moose can alter vegetation to the point of changing the dynamics of forest regeneration and transforming young forests into prairies. In this case, there is no prospect of regaining a woodland habitat in the short-term.

At this stage, the survival of some animal species may also be affected such

• as Bicknell’s thrush, an at-risk species;
• the American pine marten that depends on the presence of mature forests;
• the Canada lynx.

Due to its impact on forest regeneration and biodiversity, a hyperabundance of moose can threaten the integrity of an entire ecosystem.

Conservation hunt

Considering the decline in the moose population observed in February 2025, the implementation of a conservation hunt is ruled out until fall 2027, inclusively. An inventory is scheduled for 2027–2028 to assess the situation.

Hunting under Indigenous rights

When referring to traditional activities, harvesting or hunting under the Rights and Reconciliation Agreement with respect to Forillon National Park, the term “hunting under Indigenous rights” is used instead.

As set out in the Agreement, the practice of traditional and harvesting activities, including moose hunting, must be carried out in compliance with guidelines to be developed jointly and in good faith by the collaborative management committee. These guidelines will define the terms and conditions applicable to traditional and harvesting activities, including moose hunting, and must take requirements related to ecological integrity and visitor safety into consideration.

Before moose hunting under Indigenous rights can be implemented, Parks Canada and the Micmac Nation of Gespeg must create the shared governance committee and establish its priorities. This committee will be responsible for developing the guidelines.

The Micmac Nation of Gespeg and Parks Canada recognize that the success of the Agreement depends on collaboration, and want the collaborative management committee to evolve within a framework that takes into account Mi’gmaq values, culture and identity.

More information about the Rights and Reconciliation Agreement with respect to Forillon National Park

There are so many moose in the park essentially because of the absence of population-regulating factors.

• Wolves—their main predator—disappeared from the region over 100 years.
• Bears and coyotes are generally not predators that are likely to influence the moose population abundance in a significant way.
• Hunting is prohibited.
• Diseases and parasites have little impact.
• The last spruce budworm epidemic rejuvenated forest stands, creating more food for the moose population as a result.

In fact, the park’s moose live a peaceful life and have no issues finding food.

Once a population is considered “overabundant,” as is the case for moose in Forillon National Park, the Agency puts in place an approach to maintain the health of the ecosystems.

As part of the "Maintaining Forest Balance" project,  the Hyperabundant Moose Management Plan 2023 - 2027  is divided into 2 main components:

1. knowledge acquisition;
2. control measures.

Forillon National Park has undertaken a major research program to acquire new knowledge about moose.

With the variations in moose numbers, Parks Canada is increasing the frequency of data collection to monitor both moose and their impact on Forillon National Park's forest.

This 4 pronged program serves as a guide for making informed decisions.

1. Studying the dynamics of the moose population in Forillon National Park

With the Université du Québec à Rimouski, Park Canada is developing a mathematical tool to predict how the moose population varies over time, based on parameters that influence

• deaths,
• births,
• the entry and exit of moose from the park.

Fertility of females, birth rates and survival of calves

With Université Laval, Parks Canada is currently studying fertility, birth rates and summer survival of calves, and assessing the importance of black bear predation.  

Abondance monitoring

Surveys are a very effective method of tracking moose population trends. The most recent inventories were conducted in 2023.

Surveys enable us to estimate:

• the population;
• the number of moose/km2;
• the number of males, females and calves, etc.

At Forillon National Park, inventories are conducted in 2 ways:

• by helicopter;
• by camera.

Helicopter inventories are the more "traditional" method. Camera inventories are complementary and are conducted from the ground. They are used for both black bears and moose.

2. Studying the winter tick's effect on the health of the king of our forests

The winter tick is tiny. However, it can significantly affect a moose population by reducing the survival of the most affected individuals. For this reason, it requires its own research component.

Université Laval (Professor Jean-Pierre Tremblay), the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, and their various partners, including Parks Canada, have developed a cooperative research and development project on the role of the winter tick in the ecology of moose populations in Eastern Canada.

The radio collars fall to the ground automatically due to a programmable mechanism.

They are found through the tracker and are collected once they have fallen to the ground.

The data transmitted by the radio collars provide information on:

• moose movements;
• the areas they frequent;
• their survival;
• indirect causes of death.

3. Detecting the impacts of moose on ecosystems

The results of research conducted since the previous moose management plan (2013) show that moose affect forest regeneration. The impact varies by area. Mountain peaks appear to be more severely affected than the rest of the territory (2019).

Parks Canada combines satellite image data with data from radio collars. The results of this study could provide an overview of the impacts of moose in the park and help identify the areas most at risk of disturbance.

4. Understanding the impacts of the moose on the ecosystems

Unlike a paddock, the eight exclosures, each measuring 400 m² and located in the park, keep the moose outside the fenced area and prevent them from eating the vegetation.

An exercise to count the branches of trees and shrubs, grazed or not by a particular species, is called a browse inventory. It provides information on the quantity and quality of food available for moose.

This allows us to compare the vegetation in the exclosures with the one in control sites—same size marked out areas where vegetation is still accessible. This comparison allows us to assess the impacts of the moose on the vegetation.

Browse inventories are also carried out in yarding area, where cervid confine themselves in winter.

Browse inventories were conducted in the exclosures and yarding area in 2023.

There are other national parks in Eastern Canada facing the same issue, some of them have been dealing with a hyperabundance of moose for over 25 years. All of them have taken measures to control the moose population and to protect or restore forests.

The Forillon National Park research project is inspired by the best practices developed in similar projects carried out in Cape Breton Highlands, Gros Morne and Terra Nova national parks.

• Restoring forest health in the Highlands
• Forests at risk in Newfoundland and Labrador