The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is proposing changes to the moose tag allocation process to reduce the number of moose tags — which is in the thousands — that go unclaimed each year.
The proposal is a result of pressure from moose hunters, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), and the Big Game Management Advisory Committee.
The proposal includes changes to the moose tag claim deadline and the creation of a “last chance” allocation stage, the details of which are not yet available, the OFAH stated. In addition, any hunter awarded a tag based on their first choice in the second chance allocation will forfeit their points, whether or not they claim the tag.
Full details are available here
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People that get a tag from an outfitter should also lose there points.
Moose non-sense “Why can’t they just get it right! ”
The Dixie hunt club has been around since the fifties consisting of a twelve person membership with a elected President, Secretary, and Treasurer in WMU 60. I remember the old guys telling us that the moose and deer season were in the same week so anyone reading this would know that wasn’t just yesterday. I’m sure over many decades our club members have gone through extraordinary changes brought forward from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). From license fees, to regulations to draw protocols, its all been a large revolving door of wonder surrounding all of these topics everytime newly elected ministers are put into the new role in the MNR with no or very little experience. Fast forward today and things really haven’t change that much! Us as outdoors people we still have to purchase and submit our information in order to have a slim chance for success when it comes to the stingy drawing of the Moose tags. On behalf of our club as the elected President we feel that the MNR has really let us down as a long standing hunters who have consistently purchased, applied and followed the rules to the letter for decades. Not only have we not been successfully drawn for a moose tag in past two seasons we as a club simply had to make a very difficult decision not once but twice to cancel our hunts outright due to the non-successful draw of a moose tag. In the same token we have always been very grateful to at least recieve one tag for as many as fifteen moose hunters to be able to just enjoy the great outdoors that we all love and look forward experiencing year after year. I will just leave in saying please “why cant they just get it right?” because obviously the people in charge don’t have a clue on how to fix something so broken.
Richard Flowers
Dixie Hunt Club
President
We need to save the Moose population for future generations.
Regulating the number of females, and off spring that are harvested on a yearly basis, or over a set amount of time will go a long ways to reestablish a future population of Moose.
The Government banned the spring bear hunt, and people complained.
Putting a 3 year moratorium on cow/calf harvesting would increase the Provincial Moose herd by thousands of animals.
It behooves any hunter/gatherer to complain about 36 month ban on a cow/calf harvest
Ask the population about such a stoppage and see what the response is.
I agree completely with Mr. Flowers. From 1984 to 2002, a group of between 10 to 15 hunted moose in WMU 48 until the MNR introduced applying for calf tags in WMU48. From 2003 to 2021 we hunted a bit in WMU61 and 63 with a much smaller group. Even when we did not get an adult tag we still hunted for calves (nearly impossible), just to get out there. Now with the new points system, 2021 was the last year we hunted moose. When the points system was introduced, I had 28 points, meaning I did not receive an adult moose tag since 1993, it was actually much longer, 1988 was the last year I received an adult moose tag. I was able to secure a tag in 2021, but if I have to wait another 28-30 years I will probably not hunt moose again. I believe there are lots of hunters in the same boat. I live in Northern Ontario, between Mattawa and North Bay right beside highway 17. Year after year I see less and less moose hunters going north and less moose coming back.
That leads to my original comment above. People going to outfitters should lose their points. Most hunters can not afford to go to an outfitter year after year. Those that can, that’s great, but they should lose their points. They go to the outfitter until they have enough points to apply else where, taking a chance away from someone that can’t afford and outfitter.
In WMU48 in the early days, moose season was only every second year. Maybe that should be brought back.
Peter Liedtke
I remember years ago hunting in Haliburton . For a while deer and moose could be hunted together. I also remember one year we harvested a bull , cow , and a calf , ultimately wiping out a family . Thankfully rules have changed . Also , I’m not as active a hunter as I used to be, but upon getting a tag , I would moose hunt again . However , that being said , I’ve always believed that , we need to only have a cow/calf tag , once every 3 years . Give the ladies a reprieve , to raise more calves , because most hunters , I would be included , don’t like to harvest a calf . They are the future adults . These are my feelings on the tag system
In reading these comments i take it that the population maybe falling and some areas it is or it’s steady! We have a camp that has been active since 1958. We plan a bull harvest and the occasional calf harvest and that goes for the camp beside us. In total we have control of maybe 800 plus acres. So do we like hunting yes sir we sure do! Our biggest problem is predators! We started to see a decline in sightings over the years. Remembering the bear season Mike Harris and his inept incompetent leadership and the woke society, cancellation and the OFAH study that 75 % of the spring bear harvest had consumed moose calf and fawn deer we decided to do something about it. In 2 years and not many hours required to do it we took in my estimation 8 plus bears, great sausage! Wolf and coyote sightings as well is way up! When will the MNR, oh is that what it is called now, LOL, start to combine the bear tag back on the deer moose tag. Remember that! In saying, there are some people in places of authority that don’t know shit about their policy placement and its repercussions! It doesn’t take a 5 years study to come up with a cause of decline herds, MNR or what ever your called know, just listen to the front line people!!!! HUNTERS! TRAPPERS! I heard from an MNR or what ever your called, employee that there is a large % of Animal activists, Green Peace members in this MNR, that sure makes sense! All i can suggest is buy a wolf tag, bear tag, if you can afford it, hence hence, and start the process of increasing the herd. Nothing like the smell of gun powder in the morning! Have a safe hunt, my hats off to you CO’s out there making it work!