In 1904, Newfoundland released just 4 moose onto the island after an earlier introduction. 122 years later, their descendants number about 110,000 and have become powerful drivers of change across the island's forests

Moose impact on Newfoundland forests: In 1904, Newfoundland released just four moose onto the island, hoping to create a dependable source of meat. More than a century later, their descendants number about 110,000, and the animals have become a major force shaping the island's forests.

The first moose were introduced to Newfoundland in 1878. Four more were released in 1904, helping establish a population that eventually spread across much of the island.

The plan succeeded, perhaps too well. By the late 1950s, the herd may have reached about 200,000 animals. Today, provincial estimates put the population at roughly 110,000.


The introductions achieved their original goal by creating a new game animal and source of fresh meat, as per a report. But as the herd grew, so did the pressure on the island's forests. Young trees and shrubs could not always regenerate as quickly as the moose could consume them.

Four moose found an island with few natural checks

Moose are native to Labrador, not the island of Newfoundland. After their introduction, the animals faced no other large herbivore with the same dietary needs. Their main natural predator, the Newfoundland wolf, was already close to extinction and disappeared around 1930.

The island's forests also provided plenty of food. Natural disturbances and later commercial logging created young forest stands filled with leaves, shoots and saplings. That browse-rich habitat helped the growing moose population spread across much of the island by the middle of the 20th century.

110,000 moose put enormous pressure on vegetation

Provincial wildlife information says one moose can consume about 40 to 50 pounds of twigs and shrubs per day in winter and 50 to 60 pounds of vegetation in summer, as per an Eco News report.

Using those feeding rates and the province's estimate of roughly 110,000 moose, a simple calculation suggests the herd could consume about 720,000 to 1 million metric tons of plant material in a year.

That is only a rough estimate, not a measured islandwide total. But it shows the scale of the pressure created by such a large herd.

Moose eat many of the same young trees and shrubs that disturbed boreal forests need to regenerate. Repeated browsing can stunt surviving trees and leave areas dominated by grasses and ferns rather than developing woodland. The result is sustained pressure on young forest growth across Newfoundland.

The first crash came after the herd reached its peak

By the end of the 1950s, widespread overbrowsing had begun to affect the herd. The provincial management plan says habitat damage, combined with localized overhunting, may have pushed the island's moose population below 50,000 by the early 1970s, as per the Eco News report.

In 1973, Newfoundland introduced an area-based quota system. Hunting was reduced where moose were scarce and increased where dense herds were limiting habitat recovery. The population eventually began climbing again.

The herd rose above 150,000 again

For roughly 25 years, the moose population increased. Commercial forestry helped create young, browse-rich habitat that provided additional food.

By the 1990s, the herd had once again exceeded 150,000 animals. Officials raised hunting quotas to prevent another runaway increase.

From the mid-1990s to 2012, however, moose numbers fell by about 25%. The decline also occurred in areas without hunting. Based on that pattern, provincial biologists concluded that habitat limits, rather than harvest alone, were the main driver of the decline.

Gros Morne showed what too many moose could do

Gros Morne National Park provides a clear example of the impact of a large moose population. The park's herd peaked at more than 7,000 animals in 1998, or more than four moose per square kilometer of habitat.

Repeated browsing contributed to failed forest regeneration and the formation of open, grass-dominated areas known as “moose meadows.”

Parks Canada began a population reduction program in 2011 and now manages the herd toward a target of 2,000 animals. The agency reports lower browsing rates and stronger growth of young trees and shrubs, although some severely altered areas still require active planting and restoration, as per the Eco News report.

Hunting became part of managing the forests

In Newfoundland, hunting is not only about recreation or gathering meat. It is also part of managing the island's moose population and the pressure it places on forests.

With no apex predator capable of controlling the herd, provincial managers use aerial surveys, hunter reports, jawbone data and local habitat conditions to set quotas for individual management areas.

The province uses different density targets in different parts of the island. Lower targets are set in eastern regions and along heavily traveled corridors, where vehicle collisions are a concern, while higher targets are used in other productive forests.

The same animal can be culturally valuable and economically important while also creating ecological pressure when its numbers become too high in particular areas.

The population is still changing

The 2022 management plan estimated about 110,000 moose on the island and said an islandwide population between 96,000 and 118,000 would result if all management areas met their density targets.

The province's 2026-27 hunting guide now says the overall population has increased in recent years. It also raised the island quota by 1,090 licenses to 28,705, as per the Eco News report.

That does not necessarily mean Newfoundland is heading back toward the roughly 200,000 moose seen during the earlier population boom.