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I guess hunters had no impact on deer numbers either.Quote:
Originally Posted by woody1948
I cannot see how going out and shooting calves only can help the population.
I know that some die in the winter but some still die in the winter after you shoot a bunch of the others.
Hunters do have an impact, so do a lot of things.
Bears do not kill moose calves in the winter.
"Bears do no kill moose calves in the winter"
ok, but hunters shouldnt be either!
i think people put too much stock into the calf hunt, they are nowhere like fawns, ive lived in northern ontario all my life, and although they do get shot, its a actually quite rare! If you can successfully harvest calf after year, your a very good and dedicated hunter! I cant say i know many if any hunters who have shot more than 6 calves in their life, and i know some excellent hunters! willing to bet 75percent of moose hunters havent legally harvested a calf !
Agree!!! Our group has hunted moose together for over 30 years. We are very successful, with no tag soup yet . We have taken 3 calves in all those years of hunting. I can also see that there has been a drastic increase in wolf and bear sign over the years. I really don't think that hunters are the cause of calf mortality.
BTW... I understand the moose allocation info should be out April 15, with the 2014 Regs.
Well if it wasn't wolves and bears then why are there so many dry cows in August ? Bears from what I see around here are, the hardest on moose calves . Coys and wolves seem to hit beaver/rats harder than anything come spring/ summer . So the scat tells me .
TD
Yup!!! We see lots of cows and no calves. I'm fully aware that cows keep their calves hidden, but cows I have seen shot have all been dry. That tells me predation is a major factor in young calf mortality.
So I shouldn't hunt calves?
What if I have a cow tag and she has a calf (which is apparently rare) should I pass on the cow? Take only the cow and leave the calf? or take both?
I'm starting to feel we should have alternating years...bulls only on even years, brown it's down on odd years.
Hunting a calf is not overly difficult but you do have to change your tactics a little bit. Since the tags dried up in my area I have been pretty successful targeting calves. I would MUCH rather take a nice bull though. I wouldn't need to take one every year (as nice as that would be) but it has been 10 years since I last pulled a tag! 15 years for my father, and I know some hunters who have NEVER pulled a tag! Not to mention the public perception of 'hunting a baby moose'. I work with many people who don't hunt and not one of them can understand WHY I am only allowed to hunt a calf. I hope any changes in the draw are positive ones for hunters.
Always take the calf first in that instance as you should a fawn over the doe . TAKE the momma out? , the odds are you have killed the young one too in if its going into its first winter alone . If you have cow tag and other members and oppurtunity to take both . WHACK them both but always smack calf first .Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishy Wishy
TD
calf first for sure, calf with no cow is a dead calf unless it hooks up with a cow who wilk keep it in tow, usually that would be a cow that recently lost her calf!