Predicting moose (Alces alces) activity at roadside mineral licks: Implications for moose-vehicle collisions

Moose-vehicle collisions (MVCs) are a substantial cause of mortality for moose throughout some portions of their range. We investigated a series of factors that explained the timing of moose visits to roadside mineral licks (RMLs) in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Roadside mineral licks are formed by the pooling of road de-icing agents and are attractive to moose, which use them to supplement mineral intake. Moose activity was monitored with camera traps deployed at four RMLs over a 12-year period. Generalized linear mixed models suggested that snowpack and spring green-up best accounted for annual variation in the timing of spring and summer peaks of lick use by moose. Our findings can help to guide road safety planners as they develop site- and season-specific measures for mitigating MVCs which helps to increase public safety and conserve moose.