Printable View
Wasn't too long ago I filled out a survey concerning the moose tag allocation system - the MNR was looking to change things up. Have any changes been made to the system yet or does anyone know if anything is happening this year? Since the draw was implemented we have pulled only 2 bull tags (in WMU 42) the entire time. Kind of depressing considering we see lots of animals every year!
It will be interesting ? wmu 42 I can understand why you haven't pulled many tag's as they don't even have a guaranteed group size. Last year's regs were published april 12 so let's see in 2-3 week's? I'm curious if they changed the hole that I found in them last year? And the group number's for moose?
Yeah....its been a long time since there were guaranteed group sizes in 42. I thought that this was the year they were going to make changes to the system. With my luck they will just put calf moose in the draw as well. It is really frustrating - I have thrown rocks at nice bull moose every year because I have no tag! It just ain't right!
I hunted 42 for years when it was 2 to a tag, fabulous area,Quote:
Originally Posted by Bizzarro
A conservation officer that the father in law spoke with last fall in WMU 28 had said big changes were coming this year. Not quite sure on the details. Guess we'll have to wait and see
Big is not the right word, at least not for WMU 28, sounds ridiculous but talk is anywhere from 30 to 60 total tags, a drop of at least 300 from last year! Moose hunters from most units will not be happy in the coming weeks, 28 is not the only WMU getting smacked! I think many groups will be doing a location shuffle or turning to bows!
They should make it bulls only and a limited hunt for a while.
Lots of places have draws to get tags, why not Ontario. If the moose population is as bad as they say then why are we hunting all of the young of the year and hunting about equal numbers of cows and calves? Lets do what they did with the deer in this province and go to males only and at that maybe a draw system or a minimum points like that in the west. Doing this we may have a few generations of mosoes stick around after a month of hunting.
More Wolves and more Bears equate to less Moose Calves, not Hunters.
Area 42 is a fairly large area and the moose are confined to a small area around the White Oaks. Much of 42 is not moose habitat like the Killarney mtn range and the farmlands to the east.
100% Bang on.Quote:
Originally Posted by woody1948
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!