For over 20 years, Lee Kantar has served first as the state’s deer, then moose project leader for Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, responsible for the management and research of Maine’s moose population.  Previously Lee worked as a Wildlife Biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the US Forest Service managing Big Game species as well as non-game.  He received his Master’s Degree from New Mexico State University where he worked for the New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit on a significant migratory elk herd.  He earned his undergraduate degree in Wildlife Management from the University of New Hampshire.  Lee also worked as a Wildlife Area Manager for Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and two non-profit conservation organizations in New Hampshire.  Currently he leads research on moose and winter tick dynamics, calf moose survival, aerial surveys, disease surveillance and reproduction in Maine’s moose. 

Lee was recognized internationally for his work receiving the Distinguished Moose Biologist Award in 2019 from the North American Moose Conference.  Lee has published and co-authored many peer-reviewed papers on various aspects of moose research and management.   He has given talks to a wide variety of magazines, TV, news outlets, and organizations including Yankee Magazine, Downeast Magazine, 207, the Boston Globe, NY Times, and the Wall St. Journal.   In 2025, Lee was featured in the documentary “Guardian of the Giants” produced by John Altman (HuntingME) that follows Lee through the seasonal moose work conducted each year in support of Maine’s moose research and management.