{"title":"Moose Population by State","shortName":"Moose Population by State","slug":"moose-population-by-state","status":"Active","lastUpdated":"2026-02-28","type":"States","regionCount":null,"mapMinHeight":250,"mapImageUrl":null,"fancyMapUrl":null,"imageExtension":null,"mapSource":"custom","excerpt":"DraftKings legal states with online, retail, and live sports legality plus FanDuel status. Visualized by DataPandas.","indexable":false,"category":{"name":"Agriculture","slug":"agriculture"},"regions":[{"name":"Alaska","identifier":"alaska-us-state"},{"name":"Maine","identifier":"maine-us-state"},{"name":"Idaho","identifier":"idaho-us-state"},{"name":"Washington","identifier":"washington-us-state"},{"name":"Minnesota","identifier":"minnesota-us-state"},{"name":"Wyoming","identifier":"wyoming-us-state"},{"name":"New Hampshire","identifier":"new-hampshire-us-state"},{"name":"Colorado","identifier":"colorado-us-state"},{"name":"Vermont","identifier":"vermont-us-state"},{"name":"Utah","identifier":"utah-us-state"},{"name":"Montana","identifier":"montana-us-state"},{"name":"Massachusetts","identifier":"massachusetts-us-state"},{"name":"New York","identifier":"new-york-us-state"},{"name":"Michigan","identifier":"michigan-us-state"},{"name":"North Dakota","identifier":"north-dakota-us-state"},{"name":"Connecticut","identifier":"connecticut-us-state"},{"name":"Oregon","identifier":"oregon-us-state"},{"name":"Nevada","identifier":"nevada-us-state"},{"name":"Wisconsin","identifier":"wisconsin-us-state"},{"name":"Hawaii","identifier":"hawaii-us-state"},{"name":"Delaware","identifier":"delaware-us-state"},{"name":"Mississippi","identifier":"mississippi-us-state"},{"name":"Alabama","identifier":"alabama-us-state"},{"name":"Maryland","identifier":"maryland-us-state"},{"name":"Tennessee","identifier":"tennessee-us-state"},{"name":"Florida","identifier":"florida-us-state"},{"name":"South Carolina","identifier":"south-carolina-us-state"},{"name":"Louisiana","identifier":"louisiana-us-state"},{"name":"Kentucky","identifier":"kentucky-us-state"},{"name":"North Carolina","identifier":"north-carolina-us-state"},{"name":"Illinois","identifier":"illinois-us-state"},{"name":"Ohio","identifier":"ohio-us-state"},{"name":"Arkansas","identifier":"arkansas-us-state"},{"name":"West Virginia","identifier":"west-virginia-us-state"},{"name":"Georgia","identifier":"georgia-us-state"},{"name":"California","identifier":"california-us-state"},{"name":"Texas","identifier":"texas-us-state"},{"name":"Missouri","identifier":"missouri-us-state"},{"name":"New Jersey","identifier":"new-jersey-us-state"},{"name":"Oklahoma","identifier":"oklahoma-us-state"},{"name":"Virginia","identifier":"virginia-us-state"},{"name":"Nebraska","identifier":"nebraska-us-state"},{"name":"South Dakota","identifier":"south-dakota-us-state"},{"name":"Indiana","identifier":"indiana-us-state"},{"name":"Kansas","identifier":"kansas-us-state"},{"name":"Pennsylvania","identifier":"pennsylvania-us-state"},{"name":"Iowa","identifier":"iowa-us-state"},{"name":"Rhode Island","identifier":"rhode-island-us-state"},{"name":"Arizona","identifier":"arizona-us-state"},{"name":"New Mexico","identifier":"new-mexico-us-state"}],"content":[{"tocTitle":"Moose Populations","contentTitle":"Moose Populations Across the U.S.","content":"```\nMoose are the largest members of the deer family and one of North America’s most distinctive species. Yet their presence in the United States is confined to colder, forested regions where they can thrive. According to data from state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the national moose population exceeds **250,000**, with nearly **70%** of all moose living in **Alaska** alone.\n\nOutside Alaska, the species is concentrated in **Maine, Idaho, Washington, and Minnesota**, while smaller herds inhabit the **northern Rockies** and **New England**. In most southern states, moose are absent due to climate and habitat unsuitability. Population health varies widely—some regions have seen decades of recovery through reintroduction efforts, while others struggle with declines linked to parasites and warming temperatures.\n\nNorthern states like **Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire** benefited from **forest regeneration** after 20th-century logging, which created ideal moose habitat. **Colorado and Utah** successfully reintroduced moose in the 1970s and 1980s, leading to stable modern herds.\n\nBy contrast, **Minnesota’s moose population has fallen by over 60% since the early 2000s**, mainly due to **winter tick infestations** and **brainworm**, both exacerbated by warmer winters. The **Rocky Mountain** populations in **Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana** remain relatively stable, though wildlife agencies continue to monitor for habitat loss and predator impact.  \n As an indicator species for **northern ecosystem health**, moose reflect broader trends in **climate, forest succession**, and **biodiversity** across North America.\n```","order":1,"faqs":[]},{"tocTitle":"Key Findings","contentTitle":"Key Findings","content":"```\n* **Alaska dominates** with about **175,000 moose**, representing the vast majority of the national population.  \n* **Maine** follows distantly with **around 60,000**, the largest population in the contiguous U.S.  \n* **Idaho (10,000)**, **Washington (5,000)**, and **Minnesota (4,700)** round out the top five.  \n* **Southern and coastal states** such as **Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi** report **no moose presence**.  \n* **New England** remains a stronghold, with **New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts** sustaining stable herds and frequent sightings.  \n* **Sightings vary** from *“frequent”* in northern states to *“nonexistent”* across the South.  \n* Climate change, parasites, and forest management continue to shape moose distribution and density.\n```","order":2,"faqs":[]},{"tocTitle":"Largest Moose Populations","contentTitle":"States with the Largest Moose Populations","content":"```\n**Alaska ranks 1st with 175,000 moose**, accounting for most of the U.S. total. **Maine ranks 2nd with 60,000**, leading all Lower-48 states. **Idaho places 3rd with 10,000**, while **Washington (4th, 5,000)** and **Minnesota (5th, 4,700)** complete the top five. **New Hampshire (6th, 3,300)** and **Vermont (7th, 3,000)** host the densest populations in the Northeast. **Wyoming (8th, 3,500)**, **Colorado (9th, 3,000)**, and **Massachusetts (10th, 1,000)** maintain smaller but stable herds, supported by suitable forest and wetland habitats.\n\n### **Top 10 States by Moose Population**\n\n| Rank | State | Estimated Moose Count | Sighting Frequency |\n| ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- |\n| 1 | Alaska | 175,000 | Frequent |\n| 2 | Maine | 60,000 | Frequent |\n| 3 | Idaho | 10,000 | Common |\n| 4 | Washington | 5,000 | Common |\n| 5 | Minnesota | 4,700 | Common |\n| 6 | New Hampshire | 3,300 | Common |\n| 7 | Vermont | 3,000 | Common |\n| 8 | Wyoming | 3,500 | Common |\n| 9 | Colorado | 3,000 | Common |\n| 10 | Massachusetts | 1,000 | Occasional |\n```","order":3,"faqs":[]},{"tocTitle":"Where Moose Are Rare or Absent","contentTitle":"Where Moose Are Rare or Absent","content":"```\nMoose are **nonexistent** across most southern and coastal states — including **Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana** — due to unsuitable climates and lack of boreal forest habitat.  \n In states like **Nevada, Texas, and Pennsylvania**, moose appear only *rarely* or *very rarely*, typically as strays wandering from northern populations. Occasional reports from **Connecticut, New York, and Michigan** reflect transient individuals rather than permanent herds.  \n Wildlife biologists caution that isolated sightings in these regions do not indicate a sustainable presence but highlight the species’ wide dispersal potential.\n```","order":4,"faqs":[]}],"metrics":[{"name":"Estimated Moose Population Count","shortName":"Moose Population Count","context":"Estimated total number of moose in the state","type":"Choropleth","inverted":false,"mapColorScheme":"pink","mapInterpolation":"natural","colorOverwrite":"","summary":"total","measurement":null,"dataset":[{"id":"recgZIJlD6DBd2pLM","year":2024,"sources":[{"name":"Moose Population by State (Current Estimates)","link":"https://wildlifeinformer.com/moose-population-by-state/","lastUpdated":"March 13, 2024","organization":{"name":"Wildlife 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