Groups seek ESA protection for Midwest Moose

To recap, the ultimate cause of moose population decline is probably a warming climate. The other causes mentioned in the article may well be secondary, in that they are effectively reducing numbers because the moose were first suffering heat stress. Even at moderate temperatures, heat stress weakens the moose to the point where they become more susceptible to disease and parasites.

The prospect of Endangered Species protection halting human factors in a warming climate is not good. We have seen in the controversy over polar bears that there are significant political forces aligned against such use of ESA protections.

It's a shame that only in 2013 did Minnesota finally halt moose hunting. The protection of moose in the Lower 48 states is becoming another test of that sort of narrow-minded conservation that is willing to protect a species merely for the privilege of hunting it after some moderate recovery. There are some species that warrant protection simply for their value in a species-diverse ecosystem — even if they never recover adequately to be hunted.