About the Project
My name is Melany McEntee and I am an incoming USU Master’s student (Fall 2026) in the Department of Wildland Resources. Prior to beginning my coursework, I am conducting fieldwork this summer to start collecting data for my thesis research. Under the guidance of Dr. David Stoner and in collaboration with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, this project focuses on identifying areas of elevated risk for moose-human conflict on public recreation trails across Summit and Wasatch counties, Utah, with a particular emphasis on the greater Park City area. We are specifically interested in locations where high recreational use overlaps with high-quality moose habitat, as these conditions may increase the likelihood of human-moose encounters and conflict. By mapping and analyzing these patterns, we aim to support targeted outreach and management strategies that improve safety for humans and moose alike.
Why study moose-human interactions in northern Utah?
The greater Park City area provides an ideal setting for studying moose–human interactions because it contains both high-quality moose habitat and some of the highest levels of year-round recreation in Utah. As land development and outdoor recreation continue to skyrocket across Summit and Wasatch counties, encounters with moose are becoming increasingly common. While most interactions are harmless, conflicts do occur, particularly by way of vehicular collisions, encounters with domestic dogs, and situations where people unknowingly approach moose at close range.
This area also receives a high number of tourists who may be unfamiliar with moose behavior and how to safely share space with large wildlife. This makes northern Utah an important system for understanding how human activity patterns influence conflict risk and for developing effective outreach strategies.
Shiras bull moose, photo courtesy of USFWS