Surplus Moose

[300Sniper]

Geesh Jeff! You just don't give up at all!

I had a meeting with my partner this morning and we decided I would bring an air horn just in case the walkie talkies have issues, we also called Bell to inquire if cell service in that area has improved. They told us last year that things were in the works to expand and improve service. We'll see. We won't know till we get there. My partner and I can hear each other calling when days are favorable - it is faint but I hear him and he really hears me because I can really blast it out there. Also he/me can jump on our ATV's and be in each others face in about 5 minutes. I know there is a 5% chance that even after all the stuff we're trying I might be (depending on the wind, barometric pressure, thunderstorm, etc) without communication for a span of 5 minutes or so.

We're trying our best here. I guess the only other thing I can do is give you my tags and I'll stay home.
How do you think that will work out.
Good luck on your groups quest for #11.
I too will be on my quest for my own #11 bull.

FOR THE RECORD! I can do whatever I want with my moose cow tag. I paid for it! IT'S MINE! ALL MINE! Shoot a cow or let her walk! starve a calf or save a calf. The decision is mine and not yours! I also have a choice to shoot a small buck, a big buck, a doe or a fawn. I also have 2 additional doe tags. So I guess I screwed every other hunter in Ontario because I got 2 additional doe tags for my WMU. Last season I got 2 does! That's all I needed. I had about 15 tags around me with guys begging for me to shoot one for them. I never did.

I try to limit my catch - not catch my limit!

Please find another horse to flog!

and of course as always - good luck this year!

Good Luck with your hunt SK33T3R, let us know how you make out, hopefully some nice pics to go with it :-)

[trimmer21]

I have read most of the posts here against Sk33ter and have to side with him and his decision. He is correct in how the draw has been run (right or wrong we can debate that all week). there were surplus tags both coming from the Northern draw and the fact that not all tags were allocated as there were not enough applicants. So he and his group decided that they would like some cow tags - that is fair - if they choose to use them or not once again their choice!

As for the party hunting rules - I thought in years past that you needed to possess the calf tag in order to be eligible to party hunt? Please correct me if I am wrong but I think that is where Sk33ter is coming from. He is bow hunting and did not get selected as the tag holder of the bull tags. Therefore, is he still technically allowed to be hunting? He will be in the bush during an open season without a valid tag, I can see where he would be nervous. The same thing will apply for anyone hunting the opener for rifle. I will be heading into the bush without a valid tag.

As for the communication thing, come on people we all know the rules on that. He did not say he was driving 20km from the bull tag holder just because he had a cow, if memory serves me correct he said he was within 3km. If you have spent enough time up north you know that the best walkie talkies are still crap in comparison to what they advertise and you could be sitting on your watch today talking to the tag holder and tomorrow the freakin clouds change and you can't hear him - its a fact.

Just my 2 cents....

Donnie

In order to enter the Moose draw,you MUST buy a license first which comes with an automatic calf tag. This allows you to party hunt Moose even if you don't possess an adult tag. As long as a member of the GROUP has a tag,any member of the party may take an adult Moose in the WMU for which the tag was issued. That is the reason for close communication. The fear of being charged with hunting without a license is unfounded because you already have a license. Jumping on an ATV and heading off through the bush looking for the tag holder won't cut it. You will be open to charges. Using cell phones in the far north is a non-starter,too. There simply aren't enough towers. Accurate and powerful Walkie-Talkies are not that expensive (usually under $75) and can be bought anywhere and most don't require a license. All you need is accuracy up to about a mile to another unit and relay the rest.

[Donnie7]

In order to enter the Moose draw,you MUST buy a license first which comes with an automatic calf tag. This allows you to party hunt Moose even if you don't possess an adult tag. As long as a member of the GROUP has a tag,any member of the party may take an adult Moose in the WMU for which the tag was issued. That is the reason for close communication. The fear of being charged with hunting without a license is unfounded because you already have a license. Jumping on an ATV and heading off through the bush looking for the tag holder won't cut it. You will be open to charges. Using cell phones in the far north is a non-starter,too. There simply aren't enough towers. Accurate and powerful Walkie-Talkies are not that expensive (usually under $75) and can be bought anywhere and most don't require a license. All you need is accuracy up to about a mile to another unit and relay the rest.

Hmmmm like I mentioned we are all familiar with the rules of being within the distance and in communication, but apparently you wanted to reiterate it again. I also know that you receive your license when you enter the draw and generally a calf tag ( except certain wmu's) thanks for the refresher! What I was indicating is that your calf tag is not good for archery, are the CO's going to harass people? In the example that was. Used by original poster he is only 3km away from holder, well within legal hunting ( radio should work) but what happens if he has to travel in a loop12km to get back to spot. Bow incised while travelling, but now not in contact and he doesn't have a tag for an open season?

maybe instead of jumping all over everyone we should all stop and think of what he may have been trying to explain.

ps not shooting a cow is his choice, me I will shoot the cow...

[trimmer21]

Hmmmm like I mentioned we are all familiar with the rules of being within the distance and in communication, but apparently you wanted to reiterate it again. I also know that you receive your license when you enter the draw and generally a calf tag ( except certain wmu's) thanks for the refresher! What I was indicating is that your calf tag is not good for archery, are the CO's going to harass people? In the example that was. Used by original poster he is only 3km away from holder, well within legal hunting ( radio should work) but what happens if he has to travel in a loop12km to get back to spot. Bow incised while travelling, but now not in contact and he doesn't have a tag for an open season?

maybe instead of jumping all over everyone we should all stop and think of what he may have been trying to explain.

ps not shooting a cow is his choice, me I will shoot the cow...

Sorry if I gave the impression I was "jumping all over you". It wasn't my intention. I didn't realize from the post that it meant Archery hunting only. My point was that even though a calf tag can't be used because of the restriction,your license still allows you to hunt with a party. I really don't know what would happen if a hunter needed to travel that far to get the tag hoider and return to the site of the kill to tag the animal. I think a CO may have an issue with it.

[rick_iles]

Sorry if I gave the impression I was "jumping all over you". It wasn't my intention. I didn't realize from the post that it meant Archery hunting only. My point was that even though a calf tag can't be used because of the restriction,your license still allows you to hunt with a party. I really don't know what would happen if a hunter needed to travel that far to get the tag hoider and return to the site of the kill to tag the animal. I think a CO may have an issue with it.

Being within the 5km and communications distance when hunting is one thing, but it's not uncommon to be a lot further away by road, when it comes to getting to the kill site. The way blocks are laid out, you could conceivably be within 1 km of the tag, but it could take you a half hour to get around to the kill site. Once you are travelling, you are not hunting, or at least that's what your answer should be. With the calf tag restrictions this year, it eliminates a lone Hunter without an adult tag, from hunting, other than within the party hunting rules. I can see where skeeter is coming from. I would hope that any CO worth his salt would take that into consideration.

[bushman]

Being within the 5km and communications distance when hunting is one thing, but it's not uncommon to be a lot further away by road, when it comes to getting to the kill site. The way blocks are laid out, you could conceivably be within 1 km of the tag, but it could take you a half hour to get around to the kill site. Once you are travelling, you are not hunting, or at least that's what your answer should be. With the calf tag restrictions this year, it eliminates a lone Hunter without an adult tag, from hunting, other than within the party hunting rules. I can see where skeeter is coming from. I would hope that any CO worth his salt would take that into consideration.

Very interesting thread and thoughts. More rules regs and convolution every year it seems.

I could be wrong but I can foresee numerous charges or at least the potential for them during this falls moose hunt.

Are the new seasons, rules and regs purposely designed to make it harder to hunt legally? One would hope not but it somewhat appears that way. Harder to adhere to , numerous checks by C. O,s, and numerous fines this fall will further discourage already disgruntled hunters.

I suppose if everyone bought a bear tag this give them more freedom to be in the woods, without constantly looking over their shoulder! You could look at as a small insurance policy against larger fines possibly! Just a thought. More revenue also for our cash strapped government. Fifty thousand or so bear licenses.

Half glad I can't make it out this fall. Be interesting to see how it all plays out this fall. Good luck to all of you who got tags and I wish you all success.

[trimmer21]

I'm thankful that our area is still unrestricted for calf likely because it's only a six day hunt (WMU50),but,virtually no adult tags were issued for this area this year. I just hope it doesn't look like WalMart on Saturday afternoon in Oshawa from thousands of calf tag only hunters migrating from the north to the south. I don't think that was taken into consideration when the calf restrictions were added for other areas. It'll be like hunting in a war zone,very dangerous.

[Donnie7]

I'm thankful that our area is still unrestricted for calf likely because it's only a six day hunt (WMU50),but,virtually no adult tags were issued for this area this year. I just hope it doesn't look like WalMart on Saturday afternoon in Oshawa from thousands of calf tag only hunters migrating from the north to the south. I don't think that was taken into consideration when the calf restrictions were added for other areas. It'll be like hunting in a war zone,very dangerous.

I seriously doubt the MNR thought about that idea and never considered people coming from the north. We don't have the calf restriction either, but the season is two weeks later than when we are going. We were fortunate enough to draw a Bull and Cow for 21a (this zone has been a war zone for the last number years). Not sure if it will be as busy this year or not - but either way there is certainly not an over abundance of moose. We just like the area we are in and have a decent setup.

[Ali88]

So, correct me if I'm wrong,but if you have a calf tag and hunt in a group for a Bull the first 2 weeks of the hunt, you would have to be in close proximetry to the bull tag because there is no open season for calves so you would be hunting illegal, and you would be charged unless you had another tag even though you didn't want to use it

[rick_iles]

So, correct me if I'm wrong,but if you have a calf tag and hunt in a group for a Bull the first 2 weeks of the hunt, you would have to be in close proximetry to the bull tag because there is no open season for calves so you would be hunting illegal, and you would be charged unless you had another tag even though you didn't want to use it

You are correct, unless you have a wolf tag, deer tag or bear tag. Of course, those seasons would have to be open in that area. Basically, with a closed calf season, and no adult validation, you cannot hunt moose unless it's within the party hunting rules. It begs the question if the MNRF have considered this eventuality ! Like someone previously posted, I can envision a lot of charges being laid this year, warranted or not !!