The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) is sending out a call to moose hunters. The second phase of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Moose Project is underway and the ministry is seeking comment from moose hunters about pressures affecting moose populations such as predators, disease, etc. The deadline for comment is August 14, 2015.
Phase II focuses on what factors other than licensed hunting are impacting moose populations.
In the first phase stakeholders were invited to comment on changes made to licensed moose hunting seasons in northern Ontario, changes the OFAH called “restrictive.”
The OFAH is encouraging those interested in adding their input to e-mail [email protected] and type ER 012-4587 in the subject line.
In response to declining moose populations, the MNRF made severe cuts to moose tag allowances in specific Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in 2014.
OOD previously reported on those changes in February 2015.
I love animals and I love the outdoors, and hunting moose is a part of my lifestyle, or at least it was until now. Even with an allegedly low moose count by the Ministry, everyone still sees the same amount of moose on or near roads, fresh tracks everywhere but they managed to hide on the MNRF, so no tags for us. Bring back the spring bear hunt to all WMU’s in Ontario that had it before. Bear are killing half of the calves, wolves do their part too. Hunters will tell you that calves are hard to find, but are usually with a cow if and when they find one. Bears and wolves, on the other hand have no trouble finding calves. There are so many bears all over WMU 28, and 29 that I am personally aware of, and i am sure that it’s the same all over the north. People here are so frustrated by the MNRF and their Bear Wise campaign. They are either unwilling or unable to do anything about nuisance bears in our communities, so they tell people to call the OPP, who then usually say “stay indoors”, or call the MNR. Few people call anymore. Farmers are seeing sloths of bears eating grain in their fields, counting groups of up to 25 bears at a time, in one field (as shown in this picture). People are seeing a dozen bears when they go to the dump. This is due to bear overpopulation and lack of natural food sources (i.e. moose calves, and blueberries, etc). The thousands of moose hunters who don’t get an adult moose tag, should all buy a bear tag and substitute their meat harvest to reduce the bear population, to help give moose calves a chance. Also buy wolf tags and fill them at every opportunity. Ask northern farmers if they need some pest control. I know that there are other factors, like ticks, but what else can we do to save the moose? I can’t hunt ticks.
+1 @concerned canuck
Let’s spray the cuts with poison and destroy all moose feed for years . Cancel spring bear hunt . Let natives hunt as much as they want with no restrictions and then ask hunters to provide input to help but stick it in the” I don’t care ” basket .Cut the tags .take out bridges to hunt areas .Poison more cuts so the money trees can grow and cut them and send most to Quebec. Too many bears and wolves kill moose . You listen to anti-hunters more than hunters ask them for help .Cancel all moose hunting for the next 100 years for all I care .
Have you ever seen cuts after they were sprayed with poison nothing grows for years .Moose only pass through these areas there’s no food for them .Vast areas of wasteland that no animals can live in . Stop the spraying now !