Tough on the deer this year

[gth]

Heres what the local rag says about moose in NWO.


Moose population down
Tb News Source
http://www.tbsource.com/
Web Posted: 2/22/2006 4:28:36 PM
Some discouraging news for area hunters especially those who have been shut-out recently in the moose tag lottery. A recent survey shows the moose population is on the way down even though hunters are harvesting fewer animals

An aerial survey in the Kenora area shows the moose population at approximately 650 animals. The last survey, conducted in 2003 showed about 1,100 in the area.

MNR biologist Scott McAughey speculates the decline in the number of moose may be connected to an increase in northwestern Ontario's wolf population. He calls the decline disturbing and says the deer population is thriving and has prompted increases in both bear and wolf populations which may affect moose calf mortality rates.

I heard the Ontario MNR (due to lack of funding) has a pretty stupid way of comming up with thier herd estimates. Because of having no budget to fly an area and get an actual number what they will do is fly a small area and take the numbers and run it through computer models developed by Fish and Wildlife agencies in the states to get thier final numbers......(This is just what I heard, no proof, but it also wouldnt surprise me)

 

[Chilly Willy]

Maddog,

You had to post that eh! Its quarter to noon when I read that and now I just starvin' for a nice steak.....urg! Healthy looking dinner. Is that photo of the buck from last weekend? I hope not as he still is wearing his headgear.

 

[Pure Energy]

The last time we had this much snow in this month was 1959. I know because my Grandpa told me and showed me pictures of the water level @ our cottage on Lake Nipissing. The water was about 8 feet higher than normal, he had pics of his boat tied to a tree 8 feet up the shoreline now.

The other thing he mentioned was that it was VERY hard on the deer. We hunt in Restoule and keep a chart of the deer we get each year and who shot them. The season after that which was 1960, there was 0 deer shot, but there was about 50 skeletons lying around. It was brutal.

I am also a groomer operator for the South Shore Snowmobile Club, and I was out grooming lastnight. The trails were COVERED in deer tracks. Groomed for about 4 hours, and by the time I got back to where I started the trail had 2 fresh sets of tracks on it already.