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MNR reduces moose tags

The MNR is cutting the number of moose tags available for this year's hunting season.
moose

THUNDER BAY -- The Ministry of Natural Resources is cutting the number of moose tags available for this year's hunting season, but area sportsmen say the province is making decisions without evidence.

This year, the province has reduced the number of tags available for Thunder Bay's wildlife management unit by 30.

In unit 15-B just north of Thunder Bay, the number of bull moose tags was cut by 40, but 17 cow tags were added.

The province didn't conduct aerial surveys of the moose population this past winter because the warm weather in January made for unfavourable survey conditions.

Officials with the Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance say hunters agree the moose population should be managed, but they say the MNR should back up their decisions with data.

NOW Sportsmen’s Alliance executive director John Kaplanis said the ministry agreed to follow up on an annual basis and collect the population data through aerial inventory.

“They aren’t doing that,” Kaplanis said. “I think hunters have done their part and we expect the ministry to manage on a trend basis, every three to five years, rather than pick away at the moose tags on a continual basis annually.”


The province also tracks moose numbers through data submitted by hunters.

The MNR says the number of bulls harvested in recent years in all four of the Thunder Bay management units exceeded the preferred numbers and cow moose were overharvested last year in two of those areas.

The MNR added that tag numbers were reduced, in order to better align with the intended harvest levels.

(TBT News)





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