WILTON — Sixty moose in western Maine now wear a GPS-satellite collar that alerts wildlife biologists to their whereabouts.

The tracking program sponsored by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife was discussed by local biologists Chuck Hulsey and Robert Cordes at the recent Foothills Land Conservancy annual meeting.

Everyday at 4 a.m. and 4 p.m., the collars emit a signal to biologists. The collars also send an email to them when the moose dies, Hulsey told the group. The collar contains a mortality sensor.

Wardens have about 48 hours to reach the animal, guided by the GPS reading from the collar, he said. 

Hulsey said the sensor alert enables them to reach the animal before scavengers take over.

After finding the animal, examine it for injury and ticks and collect tissue samples for testing to help determine the condition of the animal and cause of death, he said.

There are a number of things that affect the moose population. Three main ones are parasites, climate and habitat changes, he said. Lungworm and winter ticks affect moose.

The biologists are particularly interested in cow and calf mortality and the reproductive rates of the cows, he said. The collars cost about $500 each. The price goes up when other programs are added.

Following the example of New Hampshire, a state that leads in the study of moose populations, the Maine DIFW hired a crew from New Mexico to collar the animals, Cordes said. Likening them to “rodeo cowboys,” the crew caught the moose, attached the collar, took a tick count and other tests within 15 minutes, Cordes said.

Sixty moose were collared within three and a half days, he said. Sometimes the crew jumped from the helicopter as it descended toward the ground.

Since the collars were put on, two calves have died, including one in March. The search and work done on that moose was videotaped by Hulsey.

Hulsey videotapes the work of the biologists for posting on the DIFW website, he said. Two other biologists’ videos are also on the website. Once at the website, click on the wildlife tab, he said.

This was his seventh video. It was shown for the first time to the group.

“It’s the first time I’ve talked about this moose program,” he said.

When asked about the increase in numbers reported for Maine’s moose population, Hulsey talked about the difficulty of counting moose.

“The moose population didn’t change,” he said. “The number of moose didn’t go up. The counting is better.”

The impact of moose populations on the state’s economy is seen in not only hunting but viewing.

“More people come to Maine to see moose than to hunt moose,” Hulsey said, “and they want to see a bull moose.”

The moose program was a response to less sightings in the Strong, Rangeley and Stratton area, he said.

The Foothills Land Conservancy is devoted to conservation and preservation of resources, particularly in the foothills of Western Maine.

The group elected Allen Bailey as president. Conrad Heeschen will continue to serve as secretary and Ron McAllister as treasurer.

Volunteers Pam Prodan, Nancy Stowell and Sylvia Howes were acknowledged and thanked for the work they do.

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