Province reducing moose tags by 15 per cent

The province is reducing moose-hunt tags by 15 per cent across the province and cutting the hunting season for calves in Northern Ontario.

Changes to the moose hunt, announced on Tuesday, will also include a one-week delay to the start of moose season across much of Northern Ontario next year.

In a release, officials with the Ministry of Natural Resources say the steps, the first phase of the Moose Project, will help sustain and grow Ontario’s declining moose population.

The second stage of the plan will look at additional actions that could address the “broader range of factors affecting moose,” including the effects of climate change, habitat, predators and disease. It will also look at how moose counts are conducted in various wildlife management units and how the public can help moose populations grow.

“As we move toward the second phase of the Moose Project we will continue to work with stakeholders, hunters, the Aboriginal community and the public to find ways to ensure the sustainability of Ontario’s moose herd and move our conversation forward,” said Minister of Natural Resources Bill Mauro in the release.