What is every ones reaction to the reduction in moose tags this year? Our moose hunting group were starting to decide how we would apply this year and since the printed regulations aren't out yet I looked them up on the net.

Found that overall the number of moose tags (bull and cow combined) have been reduced by 29.6% this years as compared to 2013. Depending upon the WMU involved the tags have been reduced in varying numbers.

I don't know what affect this will have on the non-resident tags that outfitters depend on. The ministry never tells us much about these anyway. I suspect that a lot of outfitters will have a reduction in the number of non-residents (primarily from the US) they host this year with the resulting drop in income.

No one seems to know what the cause is of the drop in moose numbers. I wonder if the fact that MNR hasn't done aerial surveys for some time and that the ones they did recently just identified a problem that may have been coming on for quite awhile.

Anyone who hasn't looked into this should do so right away so you have time to decide what alternatives you have, if any!

Comments?

Jim

My home WMU where I have hunted for years has 24 adult tags for rifle. And the one just north of me has 126 total. The chance of a moose tag for me in my home unit after all the Italians from Scarborough put in is likely just less than the chances of seeing a snowball survive hell fire. Even for the one north of me. It is a HUGE unit.

The spring bear hunt being canceled is one of the reasons for the lack of moose numbers.

Might have to make the treck to Newfieland to get a moose.

Can you guys give a brief explanation of how the draw system works? Can you put in for more than one WMU? Any pref points involved? There must be some resident preference?

I feel pretty lucky to still get a $20 OTC moose tag, for ANY moose, for a 5 month season. But all that just goes to show how few moose the land supports here, and the difficulty of access.

It's easier for you to look it up on line than it is to explain the lottery system that we have. Try googling Ontario Moose tag lottery.

Keith is right, it is a complicated system.

There are no preference points as such. However, if you are unsuccessful this year, next year you go into a Group l pool (i.e. a pool that is drawn before last years successful hunters are drawn). If you are successful this year, next year you go into the Group 2 pool (therefore have a lesser chance of being drawn).

Ontario also has a system of calculating the number of applicants which in turn determines that within each WMU some predetermined number of hunters who apply as a group can be guaranteed of getting either a bull or cow tag. It might be a low of 2 persons or a high of 15 persons. For any numbers greater than this there is no number of hunters who will be guaranteed of getting a tag, they can only attempt to be drawn as individuals.

Not sure how clear any of this is. This is why Keith suggested pulling up the full set of regulations. The section on moose hunting runs to several pages alone.

Jim

A further bit of explanation might help. In Ontario party hunting is legal and accepted. Any one within a group hunting together can legally fill a tag held by another member of the party.

For example if your hunting group consisted of 10 hunters and your WMU required 7 group 1 hunters to qualify for a guaranteed bull tag. If 7 of your group fell into the group 1 category they could apply together as a party and be guaranteed of getting their tag. If the other 3 members of the party were in group 2 they would have no bearing on the drawing in group 1. During the hunt, however, any one of the 10 hunters could kill the bull and legally have the party tag affixed to the animal.

In some parts of the country hunters might not want to be any part of party hunting. If this is the case then our system would not be of interest to you.

Jim

Clear as mud, Jim. Then there is the Northern Ontario Resident Surplus tag draw as well, and over the years, I have got 3 of those. But ya gotta wait for three years to qualify, and be unsuccessful in the normal draws.

What is the supposed reason for the shortage of moose?

MNR mis-management.

The system for allocating tags for the tourist industry is 10 times more complicated than the regular draw--and as Kieth says thats as clear as mud. That said, the outfitters allocations are a year behind the regular draw--so they won't be affected until next fall when they will learn how many tags they can sell for the following year.

The tourist industry is supposed to get 10% of the allocated tags in any one WMU--in reality it doesn't really work that way.

Lets be clear here--the MNR doesn't manage moose--it manages moose hunters.

MNR mis-manages whatever they try to manage.

I always kid here in Michigan that the DNR stands for the "Department of No Results"...perhaps you can do the same for the Ministry....

Methinks they manage to be paid well.

why you guys are complaining no moose no work in the field ...

more seriously it s coming everywhere the antis- don't like any kind of hunting they are pushing first predators then of course the deer family ( moose, caribou, deer ) it s coming here in Yukon too on bear hunting.

I have done a fair bit of Cervid research on Lake Nipigon. I was the dog handler not a biologist. There was a couple of CO's from the MNR involved and Lakehead University provided the Biologists and Buchanen Forest Products footed the bill.

I believe the MNR has a WAG on how many moose are in the Province. (Wild Assed Guess) With the reductions in funding over the last few years I doubt they can go beyond that.

There is the perception that the moose population is declining overall and I really don't know about the whole Province. I don't see it in the Nipigon District. I can't speak to WMU 14 or 13 as I haven't hunted them in years--the good hunters I know who do hunt those areas tell me the population is way down.

Area 21A seems about the same to me as it has always been.

Area 15B is pretty much the same if not better than it was years ago. WMU 19 is certainly better than it was 20 years ago.

Bear in mind I own a moose processing shop--I know who the good hunters are and mostly where they hunt--I know most of the Native hunters and I know most of the poachers too.

Every little town around here has a cadre of very good very vocal moose hunters. Also every little town around here has a guy or two who keep their mouths shut, don't brag about anything, hide up in the bushes and kill more moose in an afternoon than the rest of the guys do in a lifetime.

They still have the ridiculous 2 year
requirements for a resident hunting license? Just curious.

tangozulu-

They passed a new wildlife act last year that reduced the time to 1 year. They are still implementing it, so not sure where that stands.

I had to wait 4 years since I came from the US. Don't get me started on that one.