Moose decline in eastern Ontario leads to fewer hunting tags
Ontario's natural resources ministry will hand out fewer moose tags to hunters in certain parts of Eastern Ontario because of declining populations, but hunters say reducing tags is a flawed solution.
Aerial surveys, conducted earlier this year to estimate the number of moose, show a double digit decline in some areas west of Ottawa, including the region south of Barry's Bay and north of Bancroft, Ont., where moose numbers have declined 21 per cent since 2012.
Holly Simpson, a wildlife specialist with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, said the decline in moose is not specific to the region.
"I'm not terribly worried, we're seeing similar declines in Manitoba, Quebec and Michigan. So there is something happening more broadly," said Simpson.
Simpson said without pinpointing a cause, restricting hunting tags is the best tool. The Bancroft region will see its tags reduced by 30 per cent.
"It's a way to proceed cautiously with moose management to ensure sustainability of the population," said Simpson.
Mark Rykman, a wildlife biologist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, disagrees.
He said the government introduced a draw to limit hunters years ago and despite that, the populations haven't responded. Last fall the government handed out only 65 tags in Bancroft to the 1,000 hunters who applied.
Rykman said the government should instead invest more money in research to determine if disease, climate change or wolves are depleting moose numbers.
"Some of them may not be a significant mortality factor at all, but right now we don't know because the information doesn't exist," he said.
