I am convinced due to the drastic budget cut backs to the MNR in Ontario over the years that the biologist's do not have any accurate idea or data as to the actual moose population in Ontario. So they just react to whatever data they can glean from hunters mainly through mail out survey's. Just did one they sent out the other day and mailed it in. We hunted in #38 years ago and always did well. They drastically dropped the tag numbers and the gang dispersed. I was back in 38 several years back, there was very few hunters as tags were scarcer than hens teeth. The moose were plentiful, we seen many but no calves as that's all anybody I met had a tag for.
The predicament is they want hunters to go hunting and spend money to help keep the economy of the hunting areas vibrant but since the MNR has no realistic clue as to the moose population they ere on the side of caution and cut tags, as they are afraid if they issued to many and the hunter kill rate was high and damaged the population they would get the blame, and that would not do.
Then there is the Metis, Native issue which comes into play here big time as they have to allow for these clowns to take what they want when they want. Getting to the point the average Ontario working stiff who enjoys getting away for a week with his buddies for a moose hunt is expected to shell out more and more money but get very little to no chance at a moose in return. Now if you have money that's a different story you can fly into some choice spots tags included in the price.
When I first started moose hunting you bought a moose licence and went moose hunting, shot whatever moose you wanted, bear where considered a nuisance animal and they gave you a bear tag with your moose or deer licence just in case you seen a bear. Then some fella at the MNR got the bright idea with a little pressure from the outfitters to make an industry out of the bear hunt, until they double crossed the outfitters by canceling the spring hunt. The same idiot fella at the MNR also decided they were going to double the Ontario moose herd in 10 yrs. by instituting the lottery system. It you older fellas remember it was only supposed to be temporary until they got the moose population up were they wanted it. Kind of like when the Feds introduced income tax to help pay for the war effort then it was to cancelled. Wars been over for 67 yrs. and we still got income tax. Personally I think the overall moose population in Ontario is up considerably from years ago. There is always going to be fluctuations in regions, always has been always will be as it is natures way.
We don't have a moose poulation issue in Ontario, we do have an idiot issue at the parliament buildings in Toronto however, and to that there is no simple solution.
. It is already very hard to get a tag for this WMU, but now will be harder still.
