B&C Fellow - Landon Magee

2024 Award Winner - Landon Magee

University of Montana – M.S. Student in Wildlife Biology - Projected to Graduate 2024
Project Title: Analyzing Moose Abundance and Calf Recruitment on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation

Landon Magee is a member of the Blackfeet Nation (Amskapi Piikani). Growing up, he forged a deep connection with the land through hunting and fishing adventures with his dad, embracing the remarkable beauty of the reservation and its surrounding areas. His passion for the outdoors led him to pursue a degree in wildlife biology. His future aspirations revolve around serving as a biologist within the Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife Department and beyond Tribal boundaries, encompassing opportunities with federal or state agencies and non-governmental organizations, focusing on population dynamics and the conservation of significant big game species and predators.

Analyzing Moose Abundance and Calf Recruitment on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation

Moose on the Blackfeet Reservation (Montana) provide a significant source of funding for the Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife Department (BFWD) through the auctioning of hunting permits. However, with no biological data available, the tribe does not know the status of the moose population. This is especially concerning given that states and provinces surrounding Montana are showing signs of a declining moose population, the tribe has detected CWD in their white-tailed deer herd, and residents have noted seeing fewer moose calves in recent years. My study aims to provide BFWD with baseline biological data to describe the moose population. Trail cameras will be deployed using a GRTS sampling method to estimate abundance and calf recruitment rates. I will look at calf-to-heel observations and a Space to Event Model to estimate abundance and calf recruitment. These models will also be compared to determine the best way to estimate moose parameters.