Twin calves presumed dead after collared moose fatally struck by vehicle

IRON COUNTY, MI – Two moose calves are presumed dead after their mother was killed in a car crash this summer, authorities said.

It’s one of six known fatal moose-vehicle collisions so far this year, and the first among 20 collared moose in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

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Born on May 10, the calves were the first to be born within the study that is seeking to understand why the western U.P. moose population is stagnant.

Around midnight on June 17, the collared cow was crossing U.S. 141 in northern Iron County when it was fatally struck by a vehicle. The calves were just 5 weeks old and had been confirmed alive just days before the collision.

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“Given the twin calves’ young age and dependence on their mother, it is presumed both have since died, although neither has been located,” the DNR said in a research update.

The calves were not collared.

Calves usually stay with their mother for about a year, depending on her for food, including nursing for the first several months, and protection.

“When a cow with a calf is hit, the calf rarely survives, even if it is not directly struck,” researchers said. “This tragic reality highlights the importance of ongoing monitoring and driver awareness to help reduce future collisions.”

The crash happened at one of four hotspots in the U.P. Like most moose-vehicle collisions, it occurred at night. June is the second-most active month for these incidents (after September). About 80% of moose-vehicle crashes occur on the western side of the U.P. on state or federal highways, including this one.

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Since 1984, at least 266 moose have been hit by vehicles, and at least 251 of those have been killed. The past four years (2022-2025) have been “particularly deadly,” officials said, with the deadliest year being 2022 when 20 moose were killed.

This is the only moose in the study to have died in a vehicle collision. Out of 20 moose collared earlier this year, 17 are still alive. Two yearling calves died in separate incidents. Of the 11 calves born to collared cows this spring, eight are still alive.

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Of the six fatal moose-vehicle crashes this year, at least one other involved the death of a cow with a calf. The cow was not part of the study. It was hit near Trout Lake in the eastern U.P. Calf tracks were found at the site.

As much as 5% of the state’s moose population are killed by vehicles in any given year, said Tyler Petroelje, the DNR’s northern Michigan wildlife research specialist.

That’s “fairly significant when we’re thinking about factors that could limit moose population growth,” he said.

RELATED: 60 Michigan moose died in vehicle collisions on U.P. highways in 4 years

In the mid-1980s, when the species was reintroduced to Michigan, the goal was to have a herd of 1,000 animals by 2000. The population has hovered between 300 and 500 animals for a decade, according to the DNR’s Wildlife Division.

Researchers are trying to find out why the population isn’t growing. Car crashes are among several possible contributing factors, including predation, disease, habitat, and moose accidents or trauma suffered beyond vehicle collisions.