Moose Reduction Zones

[Peter Emberley]

Beginning in 2015, Government will implement a Moose Reduction
Zone (MRZ) Project to measure the effects of directed
moose hunting and adaptive moose management strategies that
could potentially address Moose Vehicle Collisions (MVCs) on our
highways. The purpose of the project is to utilize targeted moose
hunting to address the incidence of moose vehicle collisions. The
project will be evaluated to ascertain the effectiveness of this
method on the rate of moose vehicle collisions.
The project will be implemented in two locations: one on the
Avalon and the second in Central Newfoundland. Each MRZ is a
unique and separate moose management area (MMA) that is a
maximum 6 kilometres wide - running 3 km from the shoulder of
each side of the roadway (See map below). These areas were selected
based on the reported rates of MVCs as determined by the
Department of Transportation and Works. Atotal quota of 500 either
sex licences has been allocated for these MRZs that eligible resident
big game hunters may apply for as part the 2015 annual big
game licence draw; 300 licences are available for the Avalon MRZ
(MMA 100) and 200 licences for the Central MRZ (MMA 101).
Please see table on page 24.
An earlier rifle season opening is being implemented in the
MRZs for MRZ licence holders. The Avalon MRZ will open Sept.
19, 2015 and close Jan. 31, 2016. MRZ licence holders may hunt
during that season and within this MRZ with either rifle or bow. The
Central MRZ will open Aug. 29, 2015 and close Dec. 27, 2015. Licence
holders may hunt during that season and within this MMA
with either rifle or bow. There is no additional pre-season bow hunting
in either MRZ for MRZ licence holders.
Hunters who hold a licence for an adjacent MMAthat overlaps
a MRZ will still be permitted to hunt within that portion of the MRZ
that is within their management area boundary, and during the season
permitted on their traditional MMA licence. For example, persons
holding a licence for MMA 15 may hunt within that portion of
the Central MRZ (MMA 101) that overlaps with MMA 15 during the
dates prescribed on their MMA 15 licence. In this example, bow
hunting is permitted for MMA 15 licence holders within the overlap
area effective Aug. 29, and rifle hunting is permitted for MMA 15
licence holders within the overlap area effective Sept. 12.
In addition to the implementation of the MRZ Project, the
Provincial Government has also increased the total number of
moose licences by 875 throughout other Moose ManagementAreas
(MMAs) on the Avalon Peninsula. This is specifically designed to
reduce moose populations in MMA’s that are adjacent to the TransCanada
Highway. These increases recognize the potential forMVCs that can occur in heavily populated areas of the province and
where traffic volumes are the greatest.
The MRZ project will engage wildlife biologists, technical and
enforcement officials in a scientific assessment to determine the
effectiveness of roadside moose removal through hunting and the
relationship between the number of moose present and rates of
MVC’s that occur during the project. Activities will include;
• Conductingmonitoring of hunting activities for compliance and safety
• Conducting pre and post project moose population surveys within
the MRZ’s
• Monitoring MVC rates
• Recording hunter kill locations
• Monitoring traffic volume
Each year hundreds of MVCs occur on highways that cause
vehicle damage, personal injuries and fatalities. The results of this
MRZ Project will be used to analyze its effectiveness in utilizing
hunting as an effective mitigation in MVC issues. As a hunter, your
cooperation in this project is very important and we appreciate your
participation. While this project is intended to reduce moose populations
in the MRZs, it is especially important that hunters travelling
along any section of highway or roadway in search of moose recognize
that exiting traffic and hunter safety laws must be observed
at all times.
Hunters who are successful in receiving a licence through the
draw in a MRZ will be provided with a package of additional information.
This package will outline essential details concerning
moose hunting in the MRZs and how to report their activities as part
of their participation in the project.

[Kevin]

This really is the end of moose hunting as we have known it.  Why don't don't they see it??.... well they do see it... that is the whole point of increasing the number of licenses going out. The problem is that we hunters don't self regulate.  But neither do other sectors of business and development. 

[Peter Emberley]

Not enough people care Kevin. They will when it's too late.

[Sean Penney]

Traditionally, the Wildlife Division has always been the unwanted red-haired stepchild of the Natural Resources portfolio. Forestry was always king because pulp and paper was considered far more important economically to the province. With the near collapse of the newspaper industry I had hoped that the Government would realize that residential hunting and sport hunting tourism could easily replace forestry in terms of economic importance. But no...

Just like the Liberals before them, the Conservatives have proven pissed poor stewards of our natural resources and the concept of conservation appears totally alien to them.

My home area MMA 34 is like a desert today because of over-hunting and unchecked poaching. You can buy a quarter of moose easier than a quarter of beef these days. Caribou, reintroduced to the area in the mid 1980s, are heavily poached on the Bay de Verde Peninsula of the Avalon from both the Conception Bay and Trinity Bay sides. Nothing is done. Zero enforcement. 

The government is also arbitrarily constraining availability of the Hunter Education and CFSC by strictly limiting the number of instructors they will certify. They've had my name on file for more than a decade, while older instructors retire and aren't replaced.

Then you have the absurd age limitations and arbitrary prohibitions on what type of tool or caliber you may legally use to harvest game in Newfoundland. Minimum hunting age restrictions should immediately be reduced to 10 from 16, crossbows should be immediately approved for all hunting activities, the maximum caliber restrictions of .225" should be abandoned and any centerfire caliber approved for coyote hunting. 

Poachers, by definition are criminals and have no respect for the law, whereas responsible hunters do. Regardless of what caliber firearm in their hands, they aren't going to poach game. Arbitrary caliber restrictions only serve to restrict new hunter recruitment or serves as a barrier to those hunters of more modest means.

Unfortunately, Newfoundland hunters are their own worst enemies because of their apathy. The squeaky wheel gets the grease as we have seen with these idiots belonging to the "Save Our People" campaign. Want to "save" our people? How about taking responsibility for your own actions and reducing your highway speed to drive the actual conditions of the road! Maximum speed limits are set under ideal road and climate conditions, not for a moonless, foggy night on a black ice covered TCH, while you travel 25km/her over the posted limit while simultaneously attempting to send a text, light a cigarette and finish off that French Vanilla, Half-Fat Soy Latte you're quaffing!

[Peter Emberley]

I may share this with others. Excellent response.

[Dave Rawson]

So out of the 6 or 700 people, including myself that have signed the petition, how many of us will apply for and receive a moose license but not use it? We could falsify the returns to say moose were harvested when in fact none were taken. The government would think there is less moose than there really is. I just don't see it happening. 

[Kevin]

hmmmmm..... good idea.    Just as an aside.  I do know one hunter who always applied for a tag and intentionally never used it. 

[Phlip Crocker]

I am very intrigued and want to see the detailed package sent out to anyone who draws a tag for one of these "zones". What is the current "law"( I use that term loosely as it clearly isn't checked and enforced enough) about shooting near a highway? Isn't it one Km from the road? Now they're telling people to hunt along the highways so as to avoid a MVA. I really really hope it doesn't happen but I can picture the headline in the telegram now, "car shot on highway by hunter". Seems very foolish to me. Now that being said, I applied for MRZ on the Avalon, but I wil be hunting with a Bow and Arrow and should I draw a tag there I will be going as far back from the road as I can.

[Peter Emberley]

The act states, "You cannot shoot from a road or across a road public or private". Step off the shoulder into the ditch and shoot away.

[Darrell Bailey]

Phil your absolutely right zero enforcement all you need to do is drive down the road and see the road side hunters to prove that. I hope you are lucky enough to get your moose license and take the moose with a bow I for one am banking on area 36 again but with the increase I may not be luck to get one in the draw. 

[Peter Emberley]

Build a fence

Published on March 06, 2015 Paul Smith, TELEGRAM

I recently received my information package for the 2015–2016 moose licence draw in the mail. This morning, with rain beating on the window and steaming coffee in hand, I read over the details of the changes to Newfoundland and Labrador’s moose management strategy. I have to say that I’m a bit steamed up over it.

For those of you who don’t already know, I’ll briefly outline the changes. The focus seems to be the Avalon Peninsula. There are no significant quota increases anywhere else on the island. In the moose management areas of Placentia, Salmonier, Bay de Verde, St. John’s, and the Southern Shore, there’s an extra 850 licences available.

In addition to this, there’s a new hunting area established. It’s named the Avalon MRZ, an acronym for Moose Reduction Zone. It runs from St. John’s to Clarenville, along the TCH, and down the Veterans Highway to Carbonear. It extends for three kilometres on both sides of the road.

The quota for this zone is 300 either-sex licences. There’s also a Central MRZ stretching in a similar fashion from Gander to Grand Falls-Windsor, with a quota of 200. Besides this one measure, the entire focus is a drastic moose reduction on the Avalon Peninsula.

What do I see wrong with this? Remember, these are my first impressions. I am open to discussion, and I may change my mind on some aspects. But I want to get hunters and the public talking about this. I’ll address the MRZ issue first.

The Avalon MRZ has been established and has an early opening date of Sept. 19. The normal opening date for the remainder of the Avalon areas is Oct 3. So, for two weeks there will be hunting along the highway, before regular hunting season. That’s in peak berry-picking season. I’m not sure how the non-hunting berry-pickers will react to this. There have been issues with this in the past.

But here’s the biggest problem. The most efficient way to hunt a long elongated zone like this is to drive the road. That’s how to maximize your chances. Leaving the truck and hunting on foot is how we should hunt, but this MRZ idea is an open invitation to hunt from your vehicle. You know the deal, cars full of orange hats driving half the speed limit. It gets on my nerves and I’m an advocate of hunting, but not this sort of hunting.

What about all summer long, before the MRZ hunt starts? They might tell you that the population will be reduced from the previous season’s hunt. Nonsense, the moose from deeper in the woods will just move into the highway zone. I think this is a totally ill-conceived idea.

Rather than dedicated hardcore hunters, MRZs will attract road-hunting folks, and they will likely be shooting from the roadway at moose that are often out of range. After all, who will give up having a full hunting area traditional licence, to hunt for the whole season along the highway? Not me, and you can’t do both. Here’s what I’m thinking right now: we hunters should boycott this MRZ idea.

There’s something else that they are not being very clear on. All the additional licences are either-sex, MRZ, as well as the quota increase to other areas. In years past, the split has always been roughly down the middle between either-sex and bull only. Obviously either-sex licences are easier to fill. So the success rate should increase substantially, also considering the effect of a longer season implemented last year. A lot more moose will be killed this season.

Are there too many moose on the Avalon? I don’t think so, not on environmental grounds. All the hunters I talk to concur with this. In fact, we think there are far fewer moose than in the past. Many hunters feel the population has been declining for the past decade.

Are there too many moose along the highway? Well, that’s a totally different question. Clearly there are. Let us be frank, these measures are taken to reduce moose/vehicle accidents, not for conservation concerns. I totally agree that something needs to be done. One of my daughter’s best friends was killed when she hit a moose on the TCH.

With these measures there will still be moose on the TCH and Veterans Highway. Maybe fewer, but in that case drivers will become more complacent, less moose attuned. There will still be fatalities, and we hunters will have far fewer moose to hunt.

The only solution is to fence the highway along the MRZ. We should have started the process when oil was over $100 a barrel. I know it will cost a significant amount of money, but consider this. What tiny fraction of Nalcor’s budget would build a moose fence? It is possible to have moose and a safe highway. Just build a bloody fence. It works. It is the only solution.

Paul Smith, a native of Spaniard’s Bay, fishes and wanders the outdoors at every opportunity. He can be contacted at [e-mail] or follow him on twitter at @flyfishtherock

[Darrell Bailey]

Peter that was certainly an interesting read.Here's a thought for our provincial government why don't they take our hunting dollars and put it into building a fence instead of wasting it.

[Peter Emberley]

All the money raised by hunting licenses should go back into sound management practices and the good of our wildlife.