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For those of us in the north country, spotting a moose along a logging road or near a boggy shoreline is one of those reminders of why we live here. The latest numbers from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offer a cautiously encouraging update: the state’s 2026 moose population survey estimates approximately 4,470 animals — a modest uptick from the roughly 3,700 that surveys have been tracking in recent years.
It’s a far cry from the high of 8,000 moose estimated in 2009, but researchers say the population appears to have leveled off after that steep decline. That’s meaningful news for northern Minnesota communities like International Falls and the broader Koochiching County region, where moose are part of the local identity and economy.
Despite the more stable numbers, the Falls and surrounding communities shouldn’t take the moose population for granted. DNR researchers are clear that Minnesota moose remain at risk. The threats are a familiar list for anyone paying attention to the northwoods:
Ongoing research is being conducted by a collaborative team including the DNR, the 1854 Treaty Authority, and the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa. That research, funded through the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, is focused on better understanding moose reproduction and survival rates.
On the habitat side, a major landscape-level effort is moving from the planning phase into implementation. Funded in part by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation America the Beautiful Challenge, the work targets three core areas of approximately 50,000 acres each in St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties — the neighboring counties just to the east and south of Koochiching County that represent some of the densest moose range in the state.
The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the 1854 Treaty Authority are full partners on the moose survey, contributing both funding and personnel to this year’s count.
The full survey results are available on the Minnesota DNR’s moose management webpage.
