Moose hunting Changes

[SK33T3R]

resident hunters may not be interested in the 200 buck incentive but I can tell you that a whole lot of Ontario trappers would be and we could be very effective at it , right now trapping wolves is not cost effective at all

BINGO! Matt figured out where I was coming from.
A bounty on wolves won't make it profitable for hunters going north but it will sure get local trappers out there catching them. And if it helps out the local economy then it's a bonus. It's a known fact the trappers can make a bigger dent in wolves in one season then a whole lot of seasons of hunters!

And if werner thinks my 2,000 wolves is too high all I can say was that it was only a guess and a starting figure to show how little a bounty will cost in perspective to what the results to the moose herd will be. The impact of a bounty will show immediate returns - not returns 10 or 15 yrs from now like that hair-brained SAVE THE CARIBOU SCHEME!

AND A FULL FLEDGED RETURN OF THE SPRING BEAR SEASON AND A 2 BEAR LIMIT

bear densities and numbers are sky high so let's get a handle on them NOW! We can always readjust when our ungulate problems are behind us.

We need action NOW and action FAST.

What we don't need are more studies and public meetings and blah blah blah!

[SK33T3R]

On another note, where we used to hunt there is a local guide who routinely takes 50+ bears before we even get there for moose season. In the winter he takes clients out for wolves with good success rates.... We have good moose numbers in that spot because he's putting a dent in the predator population...

Jeff I hunted years ago south of Chapleau. A bear guy in that area was killing 50+ in the spring and 50+ in the fall..

MNR came in and slapped his wrists. This was when bears were fully unprotected. He was the only bear guide in ONTARIO ever to have restrictions placed upon him .BUT BUT I'll tell you what - He had moose coming out the ying yang! We bow hunted there and would see 20 moose every year. We finally had to leave because there were huge problems in the southern part of the WMU and tags were cut back to just about nil. He was in the northern part of the WMU. DUH? nothing made sense to us. We seen and got tons of moose! Maybe his bear harvest was excessive - maybe. But if the bears were not there then how did he get them? hmmm?
And I seen first hand the results to the moose herd. We then moved out past thunder bay for 3 yrs.


Everyone needs to understand that predators eat every day 24/7. Wolves are the biggest threat to moose because they prey on them all year long. Bears are primarily only preying on calves early in the spring.

Also don't forget that a spring bear hunt has everyone feeding bears at bait stations. These bears are more likely to stay close to the baits and take our handouts as long as we keep feeding them. Fat, full, lazy bears are less likely to be on a constant search for food (which may include a few calves)

[fishy steve]

a $200 bounty on wolves wouldnt help, the mnr would just make the wolf tags $400 each lol

as ive said before and will continue to say, a calf tag draw similar to 48... still generates income from calf tags, still gives hunters a chance at a moose, but will limit the amount of calves taken... calves are the future...

i agrea that wolves and bears will play a role in predation, but around my place, hunting of wolves is banned, so we have a large wolf population... the BMA area around me is not currently being used, only a few of us hunting the bears, and we have alot of bears... so... lots of bears, lots of wolves, a native harvest... yet still alot of moose... makes you wonder if that calf tag allocation dosent work after all

[fishy steve]

. Bears are primarily only preying on calves early in the spring.

Also don't forget that a spring bear hunt has everyone feeding bears at bait stations. These bears are more likely to stay close to the baits and take our handouts as long as we keep feeding them. Fat, full, lazy bears are less likely to be on a constant search for food (which may include a few calves)

i can agrea with you on that though... bears wouldnt need to search for food, if they had a constant food source...

[SK33T3R]

a $200 bounty on wolves wouldnt help, the mnr would just make the wolf tags $400 each lol

as ive said before and will continue to say, a calf tag draw similar to 48... still generates income from calf tags, still gives hunters a chance at a moose, but will limit the amount of calves taken... calves are the future...

i agrea that wolves and bears will play a role in predation, but around my place, hunting of wolves is banned, so we have a large wolf population... the BMA area around me is not currently being used, only a few of us hunting the bears, and we have alot of bears... so... lots of bears, lots of wolves, a native harvest... yet still alot of moose... makes you wonder if that calf tag allocation dosent work after all

Steve you're lucky to have the moose in your unit and maybe some of the measures I'm calling for might not be necessary but there are LOTS of other WMU's out there were the balance between moose population and predators/hunters/natives is dangerously askew!

We can't control the natives so the MNR needs to figure out how to make it work controlling the other two participants. What puzzles me is the only one facing the chopping block is the hunter!

I wonder how the gov't will be collecting licence fees from the predators when there ain't any hunters left!

[chris lavoie]

In wmu's that have high wolf and bear populations, all the restrictions put against moose hunters, will be futile!! The proof is that lack of moose in western wmu's where there are high numbers of predators.

[chris lavoie]

North of here, trappers are enjoying the sport of trapping wolves and are doing a great job!! Many locals are inviting local trappers on their lands, to lower the wolf population. In trade, land owners give permission to trap the many other fur bearing animals. Also a good way to make trapping affordable.

Trapping is the best way of controlling predator numbers and disease in the N.W.

[fishermccann]

I will just tell you a personal tale. 11 guys were going up to our camp for moose in Zone 47. ( Commanda) ,in which this camp has been hunting for deer and moose for 80 years. Well 7 bailed when they found out no tags. Only 4 of 11 showed. We have had no worthy tags for 3 years. Those that went ,only saw 3 cows, Why would you spend a week and all that cash for a walk in the woods? First week of deer, 12 guys, ( 9 kills) Second week of deer 11 guys , (7 kills), why the turn out, because you have a chance! That's all people want is a chance. If you really have a chance you will give it a try.

[Dude Bro]

In the words of the OFAH, "start managing moose and not just moose hunters". Trappermatt - you're absolutely right that high trapper participation would be required in order to kill enough wolves to benefit the moose population. I'd be afraid of abuse of the bounty system like what happened in Manitoba or Saskatchewan (forget which). Trappers and hunters were bringing in feet from wolves harvested outside of that jurisdiction in order to collect the bounty. Scamming the government and not doing a g0ddamn thing to help the management program.

[trappermatt]

In the words of the OFAH, "start managing moose and not just moose hunters". Trappermatt - you're absolutely right that high trapper participation would be required in order to kill enough wolves to benefit the moose population. I'd be afraid of abuse of the bounty system like what happened in Manitoba or Saskatchewan (forget which). Trappers and hunters were bringing in feet from wolves harvested outside of that jurisdiction in order to collect the bounty. Scamming the government and not doing a g0ddamn thing to help the management program.

because we have a different system of management with trappers here I don't think you would have any problems with that and wolves and coyotes are different as well ,all you would have to do is tie the incentive money into the mandatory report trappers must do yearly