175 45TH NORTH AMERICAN MOOSE CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP RAINY RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE / VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK, INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MINNESOTA 23-26 JUNE 2010 conference attendees, more than 40 members of the public attended the free event. Invited speakers included Lee Frelich, Art Rodgers, Mark Lenarz, Erika Butler, Steve Windels, and Rolf Peterson. All speakers touched on the potential effects of climate change on moose, sparking some heated exchanges at times with members of the audience. The event was co-sponsored by the Voyageurs National Park Association and the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. Contributed paper sessions continued on Friday morning with seven presentations about moose health and disease issues. After lunch, delegates had the option to attend a Moose Necropsy Workshop or a boat tour of Voyageurs National Park; both events were well attended. The workshop consisted of participants rotating through four stations covering a range of topics related to necropsies of moose and other mammals. The stations were hosted by Kevin Keel, Murray Lankester, Rolf Peterson, and Erika Butler/Mike Schrage. Many of those who attended said it was the highlight of the conference. The boat tour was nearly canceled because of severe thun- derstorms but the weather cleared to a beauti- ful sunny June afternoon at the last-minute. Complimentary beverages were flowing and the leisurely guided cruise along the shores of Rainy Lake provided some wildlife viewing highlights, including a swimming deer (right on schedule), nesting bald eagles, and many other waterbirds. The banquet was held Friday night at the Thunderbird Resort on Rainy Lake. The eve- ning was kicked off with a stirring slideshow tribute by Vince Crichton to the founders of the North American Moose Conference, Pat Karns and Al Elsey. Pat and Al organized the first conference in St. Paul, MN in 1963, With the theme “Moose in a Warming World”, The 45th North American Moose Conference and Workshop was held at Rainy River Community College in International Falls, Minnesota from June 23-26, 2010. The conference was hosted by Voyageurs National Park, with substantial support from the University of Minnesota-Duluth/Natural Resources Research Institute, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, 1854 Treaty Authority, Central Lakes College, and Lakehead University. There were 114 paid delegates from throughout North America (15 states and 8 provinces), Sweden, and Norway. This near- record total included a great turnout by the Minnesota delegation (47) and 17 students, which bodes well for future conferences. Many delegates arrived on Wednesday and attended the Welcome Reception that evening to recon- nect with old friends and colleagues. Dennis Simon, Wildlife Section Chief with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, gave welcoming remarks on be- half of the Minnesota delegation to open the conference Thursday. A half-day of conven- tional papers followed including sessions on thermal ecology of moose and moose man- agement (moose love broccoli, apparently). The morning session ended with Ken Childs’ Capstone Presentation as the 2009 recipient of the Distinguished Moose Biologist Award. Eight contributed posters and vendors from four telemetry companies were present for the entire conference. The conference reconvened after lunch at the historic Backus Auditorium in downtown International Falls for the Plenary Session, continuing on the theme of “Moose in a Warming World.” In addition to the regular 176 and both men passed away in late 2009, only 25 days apart. Catherine Haas and David Wattles received the Newcomer awards and Rolf Peterson received the Senior’s Award. The members of the Organizing Committee re- ceived the Order of Alces, and volunteers from Voyageurs National Park were recognized for their efforts on behalf of the conference. Minnesota’s own Mike Schrage received the 2010 Distinguished Moose Biologist Award for his contributions to moose management and research in the state. The annual banquet auction followed, with Martha Minchak taking the lead in showing items to attendees. Rolf Peterson was so determined that the auction make a profit that while he didn’t figuratively give the shirt off his back, he literally donated the moose tie off his front! A full day of contributed papers followed on Saturday with sessions addressing advance- ments in techniques for moose research and management, moose-habitat relationships, effects of moose on forest health, and human- moose interactions. A traditional walleye lunch, including fry bread and hand-harvested wild rice, was provided and prepared by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. The ALCES business meeting followed lunch, including a presentation of the new online submission process for the journal. Ten delegates attended a pre-conference field trip to Isle Royale hosted by Rolf Peter- son and staff from Isle Royale National Park. Highlights included tours of Banksund Cabin and Passage Island and a reenactment of the climactic scene from Nevada Barr’s crime novel Winter Study. A number of conference delegates also joined in a post-conference field trip along the North Shore of Lake Superior organized by Gord Eason. The conference was an overwhelming success with 36 contributed papers, 6 plenary presentations, the Capstone Lecture, 8 posters, 4 vendors, a necropsy workshop, and a boat tour. Many thanks are owed to the organizing committee, volunteers, and invited speakers who made the event so successful. We espe- cially thank our sponsors, including (in alpha- betical order) 1854 Treaty Authority, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Central Lakes College, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Isle Royale National Park, Lakehead University Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, Minnesota Depart- ment of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Research Institute, Red Lake Band of Chip- pewa Indians, Vectronic Aerospace, Voyageurs National Park, Voyageurs National Park As- sociation, and the Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Additional thanks to those who donated items to the auction. CHAIRS: Ron Moen and Steve Windels HOST: Voyageurs National Park LOCATION: International Falls, Minnesota DATE: 23-26 June, 2010 NUMBER OF DELEGATES / PARTICIPANTS: 114