Officials claim there is no reason for panic and that predicting animal populations is not an exact science. Michael Eggerts, field biologist for the Michigan DNR, has been working the area for the last twenty years and was one of the principal architects of the original Michigan moose reintroduction. “Yes, the moose numbers are falling.” Eggerts said. “Yes we have serious concerns about this issue. But that doesn’t mean we need to panic.”

Michigan sits at the southern limits of moose habitat and may become inhospitable to the animals as temperatures warm. Moose are heat-sensitive, and temperature graphs the last twenty years show a warm spike . . .

On-air transcription from Ironville’s KBIL “The Moose” 660 AM

Location: Ironville, Michigan

KBIL “The Moose” 660 AM

8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Program title: Jim Gibbon’s Talkland

Details: Golden oldies and open lines

Jim Gibbons, Ironville DJ: Welcome back folks. Tonight we’re running open lines. If you have something to talk about, feel free to let your fingers do the punching and dial us in. Please turn down your radio so we don’t have the echo echo echo. Okay, first caller, you’re on Talkland with Jim Gibbons. Please state your location and name.

Caller: Hello, Jim.

Jim: Could you please turn down your radio, caller? I’m getting some feedback. Please state your name and location.

Caller: Oh . . . gosh I’m sorry . . . is that better? This is . . . this is Betsy from Ironville.

Jim: Yes, yes that’s much better Betsy. Thanks for calling Talkland tonight. What’s on your mind?

Betsy: Well, I was wondering if you were going to speak tomorrow night at the town hall meeting. It’s about the building permits. My husband and I want to build a third storage shed on our property, back at the forest line and the county says we need a hundred-dollar permit to do that. I don’t think that’s right and I want you to come down and speak for us.

Jim: Thanks Betsy, but I have no plans to speak at the meeting. But I do have to ask, why so many storage sheds?

Betsy: My husband and I never throw a thing out. He keeps all our old shutters and doors. When he does the roof on our place, we keep the old shingles stored away. We also need more room to store the grandkids’ snowmobiles and jet skis.

Jim: So what do you do with the old shingles?

Betsy: We store them.

Jim: Do you use them?

Betsy: No. We keep them around in case we need to use ‘em. You do the same I bet.

Jim: Ah, no I don’t. Betsy, I think you might want to throw your junk out and not build a third storage shed. Have you thought about that?

Betsy: Just who the hell are you to tell us what—

Jim: Alrighty, next caller, you’re on Talkland.

Caller: Hey Jim. This is Erickson from up on Huron Road.