Moose populations under-managed ... moose hunters over-regulated ... devoted Ontario moose hunters conclude!
MNR should re-focus on current '1980 POLICY GUIDELINES'... Manage non-hunting mortality, control predation, restore, maintain, protect winter habitat ... Current draw system much too complicated ... Consider many benefits of return to simpler revised X number of AVT'S (tags) per moose system ...
Open Letter to Minister-MNR:
Ms. Donna Cansfield MPP
Minister of Natural Resources
Room 6630, Whitney Block
99 Wellesley Street West
Toronto ON M7A 1W3
Dear Ms. Minister,
Enough is enough is the message conveyed by an ever-increasing number of bona fide moose hunters canvassed from across Ontario. After 25 years of micro-managing hunter harvest (testing) the 'Selective Harvest System' est. 1983, the status-quo has indeed miserably failed to meet projected population & hunting opportunity objectives, Therefore a transparent in-depth strengths & weaknesses test (review) of the current '1980 Moose Management Policy No. WM.8.02.01' is surely needed; involving more of the stakeholder 'groups' (NOSA, OFMF, FoF etc.) representing the greater majority of moose hunters.
Adding insult to misery when informed by the disturbing news that during Phase 1 (2008) 'MNR Moose Management Review' process, a small privileged group of 500 hunters (merely .5%) were invited to meet behind closed doors to review, revise and approve changes to the current 1980 'Moose Management Policy'. Leaving the remaining 99.5 % of the 100,000 devoted moose hunters, who loyally contribute the crucial 'MILLIONS' toward 'MOOSE MANAGEMENT' via annual licence fees, without equal opportunity for meaningful input; now forced to deal with the negative impacts of this MNR misconceived revised vital policy. The 2009 EBR posting is now their only option for input toward this important matter of policy. Many moose hunters absolutely agree MNR has failed to demonstrate due diligence here!
Phase 2, 2009.
Today we have the largest recorded population of moose (109,000), the lowest recorded harvest numbers (approx 7.5 %), combined with the lowest number of hunting opportunities (AVT's) current average is approx 14, 500. The Selective Harvest System has evolved from a few simple, easily understood paragraphs in a fold-out hunting regulations summary (1980); today a nightmare maze (20 pages very fine print) of extremely complex regulation.
Therefore it's hard to disagree that Ontario moose hunters feel over-regulated and that changes to reverse this unjustified situation are long overdue!
Enlightened Ontario moose hunters , quickly recognise that since 1983 MNR moose management is simply 'HUNTER MANAGEMENT' nothing more and that this new 2009 proposal is simply more of same old. Avid moose hunters feel they are downright over-regulated taking up 20 pages of 'bewildering jumble' focused solely on 'hunting harvest' (currently yielding scarcely 7.5% of moose population mortality) leaving the precise herd growth limiting factors within the 92.5% (non-hunting mortality). Meanwhile crucial '1980 Policy Guidelines' geared to address critical growth limiting factors such as predator control (wolves & bears) and winter habitat identification/restoration/protection remain completely disregarded. Simply put HUNTERS are not to BLAME for the dismal failures of the MNR 1980 Moose Management Policy.
AVT's should not be removed unless proven that 'hunter Harvest' is responsible for declining moose population. Prior to 1983 the much simpler two tags per moose system in place 1980, 1981, 1982 was tried, tested and proven sustainable, measuring 'hunter harvest as a percentage of the population' (below the allowable 12%). Effectively 50% of us moose hunters had an AVT (tag) allowing a ratio of 2 to 1 odds to share the opportunity to annually harvest an adult moose. Although a much smaller ratio actually harvest a moose, (a three year average of 71, 122 hunters harvested an ave. of 9,015 moose) yet at least the opportunity existed.
Clearly moose hunters mistakenly opted for the 'selective harvest draw system' in 1983, which removes AVT's based on irrelevant AVT fill rate percentage's (hunter success), in hindsight more time should have been devoted toward fine tuning any perceived minor weaknesses of the initial X number of tags per moose system.
Therefore Ms Minister, please consider the following.
Recommendations:
1) MNR should demonstrate due diligence based on the above circumstances, declare the 2008 EBR posting Registry # 010-5396 as inconclusive input, pending further discussions involving more stakeholder groups, representing the greater majority of moose hunters (NOSA, OFMF, FoF etc.)!
2) Further, put on hold the 2009 EBR posting Registry # 010-5965 and immediately establish the process toward formal discussions between yourself and the above groups geared toward revisiting the 1980 Policy guidelines in particular (6.0) - (8.0) relevant to predator control and winter habitat management, concurrent with establishing a long overdue fresh approach; implementing a slightly revised 'X # of tags per moose system' initially tested and proven sustainable in 1980, 1981, 1982.
I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Eldon Hawton,
Moose Hunter,
North Bay
For more more complete information please review and download the files at these links.
Letter Plus message to Moose Hunters c/w Media coverage Sudbury Star
http://www.friends-of-fur.org/mnrapril2009.pdf
Moose Management Policy 1980 plus MNR Table 1 'A summary of moose harvest and number of moose hunters...
http://www.friends-of-fur.org/moosemanagement.pdf
