THUNDER BAY - The Ontario government is looking for feedback from hunters and the public on proposed changes to how the moose population is managed in the province.
The new proposals, which were developed last spring with recommendations by the Big Game Management Advisory Committee, are now open to public feedback on the Environmental Registry of Ontario.
Some of the new proposals for 2020 include interim calf quotas in wildlife management units in Northeastern and Southern Ontario, as well as creating early bow-specific seasons and quotas with an open moose hunting season where they don’t currently exist.
This will include creating separate tag quotas for bow and gun tags in Northeastern wildlife management units.
Proposals for 2021 include modernizing the province’s selective harvest approach to improve quota by moving to selective harvest by bull tags/cow/calf tags, and calf tags.
The moose hunting license will also no longer come with a tag in order to allow applicants who were unsuccessful or did not apply for a tag to party hunt on another individual’s tag.
The moose tag draw would also be replaced with a new point system, where hunters will apply for the moose tag allocation process with a fee. The group application component would also be eliminated and each hunter would apply for a tag allocation by themselves.
Hunters will be allocated tags based on the number of preference point a hunter has accumulated. Points can be received each year a hunter has applied and been unsuccessful, a hunter’s draw history would be used to determine how many points they have, the northern resident draw would be eliminated.
Hunters with the most points will receive the available tags for the wildlife management units and once a hunter receives a tag, all points will be forfeited. Hunters do have the choice to not claim a tag if they have been allocated and keep their points.
This will be a two-stage process, including a primary allocation and a second change allocation.
"We are listening to moose hunters across the province, and our proposal is designed to work for the hunting community," said Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski in a release. "I encourage Ontario's hunters to review the proposal and consider its implications on moose populations and future hunting opportunities. I would like to thank BGMAC and the committee's Chair, John Kaplanis, for their dedication and insight on strengthening moose management in Ontario."
Feedback on the proposals is being accepted until Sept. 26, 2019.
