Canada Lynx research in northeastern Minnesota continues, plans to expand

Research on the elusive Canada Lynx continues in northeastern Minnesota.

Currently, wildlife biologists with the U.S. Forest Service are monitoring Canada Lynx by collecting scat samples in the Superior National Forest to analyze for genetic testing.

In the coming years, Ron Moen, a senior wildlife biologist at the University of Minnesota – Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute, hopes to expand research on Canada Lynx by studying its primary prey: snowshoe hare. He said he has recently submitted a proposal to expand on Canada Lynx research.

Moen plans to use the Lynx GPS locations from the U.S. Forest Service to study the prevalence of snowshoe hare pellets and the surrounding habitat using light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology.

Researchers can then model forest structure and snowshoe hare pellets to predict an ideal Lynx habitat.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Moen about the current status and population of Canada Lynx in northern Minnesota. Moen shared insights into the ongoing U.S. Forest Service Canada Lynx research in northeastern Minnesota and future research he intends to explore.

Kalli Hawkins February 18, 2024