Moose Quotas Cuts And Road Hunters

[kenneth Griffiths]

Due to hunters hunting on the side of the road and not getting there moose in the 2010-2011 season gave some area's low percent rates, with a high volume of moose. That gave the area's BIG cut's to Moose Quotas. Ex.. Area 31 Had 700 lic gave out and only 55% of the moose were taken. Lic in that area got cut by -300 out of the 630 cut's. Last year for all that season hunter's were driving up and down the highway like fly's looking for there moose. At the end of the season it got worse on the highway with hunter's in a mad rush STILL looking for there moose that they never got first or last.

Moose hunting is good day in the WOOD'S if you don't get out of your truck chances are you will not see a moose.

[justin croft]

a few road hunter almost killed me last year comming around a turn to a ass creeping along looking for a moose felt like gettting out and telling him off. But then i know that would be a bad idea when that person might have a short fuse and has a rifle

[kenneth Griffiths]

It's best not to confront anyone who is hunting on the side of the road. Some people maybe respectfull and some may not. But i do agree it is not safe for people who are driving at a very slow speed, half on the road and half off the road. While other's are doing the speed limit. I had offten seen the driver looking out the right side of the truck while driving and not paying attention to the road ahead or others coming from behind.

[Fred Woodman]

Question and I dont bother with moose hunting anymore.

But i dont think that road hunters are anymore plentiful now than they ever were..pain in the butts that they are.

and given that our moose season is the longest continually running big game season anywhere in north america

IF success rates are down, its got to mean the numbers are down.

No doubt, some people will be seeing animals, and some fellows will see 10 when they shoot theirs etc etc.There will always be pockets of animals.( when they are gone its all over)

But make no mistake moose numbers are down.

I dont moose hunt but I cover a LOT of ground, Im not seeing them to the extent i used too. 

Even in places like Terra Nova National Park, I drive back and forth to Gambo and I can eat what moose I see.

Thats not to say I wont see 5 some morning driving thru but it will be 4 months before I will see another.

I dont think I have seen 15 moose in the park since I bought my cabin in 2005.And I bet I have driven it 250 times since 2005.

There is no doubt in mind that 31 needed to be cut. Given the access that hunters now have to some of the more remote areas there is no way 700 plus animals is sustainable.Add wounded and lost, road kills etc.

[Fred Woodman]

Forgot to add that now instead of 700 licenses meaning 1400 guns ( party license) we have to add those 22-250 lugging coyote hunters ( nod and a wink) so we may have had over 2000 gun luggers.Doing it for 4 months and still 55% success.

oh yeah a cut is needed.

[kenneth Griffiths]

I guess what i was trying to say when i posted this was they must have closed there eyes and and picked a spot on the map and said ok 300 here. If you look in the guide we are not the only ones with low #'s.

 

I don't know if everyone is getting my point. Here it is. By cutting the quota in one area by 300 don't give the rest of the island much of a cut back. By doing this they are going to reduce the moose population by a large #. So in doing that they will keep the smiles on sopac's faces and piss the rest of us off.

[Fred Woodman]

Lets be clear on what the goals of Government are.

Right now groups like SOPAK have the ears of Government, and its based purely on sentiment.

Mooses numbers in many areas will now managed by a whole new set of criteria. The main principle being feedback due to accidents etc. There is no science other than historical success rates.And hunters over time will accept the new levels of success be that 40, 50 or 60%.

As population ages the overall number of people applying will decrease so getting licenses wont be the issue. You'll still get licenses as quick as you ever did.

Meanwhile hunters/fishers will continue to " shoot themselves in foot" by being perceived as gun /rod carrying people who feel that somehow they have a sole claim to those things that they hunt and fish 

and those areas where they do hunt and fish is for their enjoyment only.

I know more and more I am being told this by people who dont hunt or fish. Its the view of many politicians> Off the record they will tell you that. 

We as hunters are losing this battle and until such a time that we begin to think, and behave ourselves much differently things will get worst before getting better.

[kenneth Griffiths]

 Ah Fred you are not taking into acount that sr's are living way to long according to Gov. Didn't you just here that the old age will be 67 now?? We are living way to long. hahahahhaha But i do see what you are trying to say. "People in there own area's where they do hunt and fish is for their enjoyment only". I have come acroos to many hunter's thinking that they own the land they are standing on. That crap has gone on for way to long.

[Fred Woodman]

Its all that. And given the rate our population is aging it will force great changes, people will have to work longer and Gov Support will be less.

But as hunters we are a declining lot.We have not changed our thinking with the shift in public thinking and its now affecting us and our hobby.

As public attitude changes and we stay of the same minds things will even be worst for us.

I think as hunters and fishers if we dont rethink many of our views on things, it will be getting worst.

And moose are a prime example, they serve one purpose only, something big for hunters to hunt.BUT they are killing people, both fast drivers and slow, it dont matter what driver is doing. Anymore than having a good reason why your dog bite the neighbors kid.

So what happens the moose get killed down. And they are going to get killed down even more yet.

[kenneth Griffiths]

True, very true.

[Billy Guest]

Just a couple numbers that I found out....In St. John's area...the last winter survey conducted showed approximately 759 animals...and we currently have over 500 licenses.....how is that sustainable?? if every hunter got his moose this year...not counting the ones poached, died from natural causes or road killed...there would be hardly anything left...something wrong with our area 35 management....I live in Goulds...and when I found out about those numbers...I thought it to be very low...The numbers seem to be down a  little..but I figured we had alot more than that...And if anybody is interested....area 36 southern shore...recorded an estimated 3300 plus animals...with a quota of 1400 for 2012...

[kenneth Griffiths]

It seems that the population will not be in good health by the sounds of that.

[Fred Woodman]

You really dont have to look very hard to see what the long outlook is for moose in Newfoundland.

- declining success rates

- lengthening seasons, the Newfoundland moose season is the longest running big game season in North America. Currently set at over 100 days.!

- enormous pressure to reduce car moose accidents, 

- enormous pressure to satisfy a demand from hunters to obtain licenses without having to wait long periods of time.And outfitters that need licenses to stay in business.

- in 2012 there will be 32810 moose licenses issued in Nfld.

Doing the math is not very hard.