Forest and fire drive moose (deníe) detections near their northern range limit

One way to understand species range shifts in response to anthropogenic climate change is to study populations living at the limit of climate and resource suitability. Moose Alces alces (deníe in Dënesųłıné) generally require forest–wetland landscape complexes but are increasingly seen across the forest–tundra transition at their northern range limit. To quantify the drivers of moose detections near this northern range limit we used camera trap data across Thaıdene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area, Canada. We used a generalised linear mixed modelling approach to examine how moose detections related to land cover classes, post‐fire age, fire severity, and detection rates of competitor and predator species. Only 1.6% of moose detections were on tundra, and all tundra detections were during the snow‐free period. In summer, moose were detected most frequently in areas >20 years post‐fire. In winter moose were detected most in mixed forest and rugged terrain. Moose rarely co‐occurred with predators, and neither predator nor competitor models provided the most parsimonious explanation of moose detections in either season. Consistent with range‐centric moose knowledge, forested areas provide important habitat for moose near their northern range limit, particularly in the winter. With continued climate‐induced changes across Canada's treeline, moose habitat will continue to change, likely affecting northern moose in complex ways.