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November 23rd, 2018, 03:06 PM
#1
Rules around harvesting moose
I've only been moose hunting once, and it was probably about 17 years ago, so please forgive me if this is a stupid question.
What are the rules around shooting a bull vs cow moose? Is it like deer where the presence of antlers dictates what kind of validation you need? For example, if you are hunting moose late in the season and a bull has dropped his antlers, can you shoot that bull under a cow tag, or only under a bull tag?
The reason that I ask is that on page 40 of the current issue of OOD Mag, there is a paragraph entitled "Moose ID" that I find confusing. It says that you have to be sure of the sex of the moose by looking for bases from the shed antlers or the vulva of a cow moose. It kind of implies that you could still shoot a bull under a bull tag even if it dropped its antlers, whereas, as far as I know, you could not shoot a buck under a buck tag if its antlers have dropped.
As I mentioned, I don't hunt moose, so I am just asking out of curiosity.
Last edited by rf2; November 23rd, 2018 at 03:35 PM.
Reason: spelling
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November 23rd, 2018 03:06 PM
# ADS
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November 23rd, 2018, 03:37 PM
#2
Good question !!! It boils down to the terminology in the legislation. Deer regulations specify “antlered”, deer vs “antlerless” deer. The moose regulations specify “bull” moose vs “cow” moose( or calf). Antlers or antler size doesn’t matter in Ontario. So, a bull moose that has dropped his headgear is still a bull with respect to the regulations, and requires a bull tag. With respect to deer, a buck that has dropped its headgear is an “antlerless” deer as per the regulations, and must be tagged with an “antlerless” tag. So, no you can’t use a cow tag on a bull that has dropped his horns !!
Last edited by rick_iles; November 23rd, 2018 at 03:48 PM.
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November 23rd, 2018, 07:33 PM
#3
Just a side note you can put a antlered tag on a doe if it has antlers that meet the length requirements.
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November 24th, 2018, 09:36 AM
#4
Good to know. Thanks!
Originally Posted by
rick_iles
Good question !!! It boils down to the terminology in the legislation. Deer regulations specify “antlered”, deer vs “antlerless” deer. The moose regulations specify “bull” moose vs “cow” moose( or calf). Antlers or antler size doesn’t matter in Ontario. So, a bull moose that has dropped his headgear is still a bull with respect to the regulations, and requires a bull tag. With respect to deer, a buck that has dropped its headgear is an “antlerless” deer as per the regulations, and must be tagged with an “antlerless” tag. So, no you can’t use a cow tag on a bull that has dropped his horns !!