Moose Hunt being Suspended

[NowthenJoe]

Looks like the DNR has suspended the MN Moose Hunt due to another drop in numbers.

http://www.startribune.com/local/190017351.html

I have always wanted to partake in a MN Moose Hunt, but from the looks of it, it may not be happening going forward.

[Musky Buck]

I remember the moose dwindling away in the NW, the thought was thankfully they're in good numbers in the NE, now it's I hope they can figure it out and if it's heat/moisture related I'm not sure how you change their climate. Moose need cool and moist correct ? Wasn't last July ave. temps really high maybe highest recorded ? But they seem to be dying at random times of the year, hope they can peg it.

[zepman]

Wolves get hungry at random times of the year too...

[NoWiser]

Very unfortunate news

[ducksnbucks]

Agreed NoWiser. That should be something every big game hunter should experience. Hopefully it gets fixed in the coming years and they can have it again.

[Scott M]

Man, I knew it was coming. It was always in the back of my mind when I applied. Didn't have lady luck on my side. It's a sad day and some day in the not too distant future, we won't have a legitimate MN population anymore.

[fivebucks]

Maine has an estimated 76,000 moose. I would think the climate is similar but Minnesota must have something Maine does not have. Oh yea - Maine does not have wolves. Probably a coincidence.

Time to go to Canada or Alaska for my once in a lifetime moose hunt.

[Scoot]

Bummer- that stinks!

[Musky Buck]

When I posted I didn't want to bring wolves into the mix but reading I hope I'm accurate my 1963 book on hunting/fishing they said then wolves can have an impact on the moose. Seems as deer numbers have declined so has predation on moose but who knows ? I would think this new study that brings the researcher to the site of the death would be spot on if wolves are more of the culprit than thought. I always figured if it was climate well can't they just stand in shaded waters ? They like to ? I guess why did they vanish in the NW part of the state ? What are the hazards for moose calves ? Must be problems getting them to adulthood. Think I'd like to hear from the Maine officials, they must have a theory. Heat and Moisture, maybe Maine hasn't seen an increase in seasonal temps yet ? IDK that's what makes this interesting yet sad.

[Sorgy]

Wow! News of the population decline of 35% from last year is not good.

I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones to have hunted the Majestic MN Moose.

Lets hope for a poputlation rebound so our children can have a MN Moose hunt in their future.

Steve

[monstermoose78]

I am bummed out about this!

[shooter_mcgavin]

Maine has an estimated 76,000 moose. I would think the climate is similar but Minnesota must have something Maine does not have. Oh yea - Maine does not have wolves. Probably a coincidence.

Time to go to Canada or Alaska for my once in a lifetime moose hunt.

Good thing there's no wolves in Canada or Alaska!

[brian6715]

Yeah Canada has a fair number of Moose and a large wolf population, especially in the remote areas. Blaming this all on the wolf population would be ignorant at best. I am glad they finally closed the season, though... it was long overdue.

[rkhinrichs]

man bummer!

[Musky Buck]

I hope the wolf alaska canada theory realizes we have a large wolf population zeroed in on a small area with declining deer population and not much else to chew on. I hope in Canada and Alaska there's more meat on the ground for wolves. I still think it's heat and moisture. Glad I don't have to wager money on it lol.

[NoWiser]

I have to agree. If I needed to put money on it, I'd place it on heat and moisture, and definitely not on the wolves. I think it really stresses the animals out when you combine the warm winters (which doesn't kill the winter ticks) with warm humid summers, and throw in a few diseases like lymes/brainworm/etc... It's just too much for the moose to take. Then again, I'm no expert so I'm really just making a guess. It certainly wasn't the hunting season, though. The population dropped by almost 1,500 animals over the past year. Hunters took 46 bull moose......that leaves over 1,400 moose deaths from other causes. To blame the hunting season is crazy. But, they need to call it off at some point, and this was probably a smart time to do it, after the population plummeted that much. Moreso for political than biological reasons, though....

[Powerstroke]

Moose populations are stable to growing in several other states, including western states not far from MN. I think it is nieve to think that MN has some sort of unique ecosystem that is causing the moose to suffer.

The reason wolves keep coming up is because it is the one cause that researchers in MN fail to mention. Add an apex predator that is thriving and it stands to reason that they can be having a huge impact, similar to the reintroduction of wolves to western states and now the elk population is plummeting. It is obviously not a singular cause for the drop in populations, but it is a factor that must be considered.

Hopefully a solution can be found so that I can many others can have an opportunity to hunt these majestic animals.

[Musky Buck]

Right on Mr. Wiser, I concur, some will say well I'm sure we had summers/heat etc. in the past and yes we have and yes likely moose parished but numbers were stronger and we didn't have so many back to back to back weather type of years so it wasn't nearly as noticeable, for me about the mid 90's is when I noticed our general rifle seasons changed, out in a tee-shirt, the ground is rarely frozen at all, etc. Geese migrating into LQP are nearly a month behind what used to be a normal schedule, lucky to have a white christmas heck we used to have a fairly white thanksgiving, you could bank on snow in-between zone 4A and zone 4B deer seasons, we used to call it that choice, snow or no. We've plowed snow 3x in the past 2 winters combined, cmon, last year November 19th and sometime in March, then this years 1st big snow and not since, maybe tonight though for round 2 this winter lol.

[monstermoose78]

one of the largest killers of moose calves is black bears and are state has a growing black bear population. Now add that there are more wolves as well and less deer for them to eat. Why is North Dakota's moose population growing, and all of the western states as well? I do think there is something other then the the bears and wolves, but we have lowest calve per cow ratio in the world. Something to chew on for the person who says wolves are not an issue! The deer in NorthEast Minnesota migrate the wolves and moose do not. So the wolves need something to eat and it sure as heck aint the deer standing on high 61 or in the wintering area around Ely. Not saying anything but just saying!

[nonteepical]

one to many years before they went into panic mode IMO, my hunt was in '09 and back then they were "we got time to figure it out". Global warming isn't specific to minnesota, so why are all other moose populations thriving, like north dakota of all places, i hope theirs enough time to figure it out.

[jlm]

There is a lot more going on than wolves. In NW MN during the years of high moose numbers, there were very few or no wolves in most areas. There are wolves now but they came to many areas after the moose were gone. In the good years I once saw 8 bulls in the same field. A couple at 50 inches. I have not seen a moose in my area now for 3 years and that is sad.

[kkahmann]

Seems to be a problem in Northeast MN but just to the North around Thunder Bay--doesn't seem to be a problem. I've been huntin here for more than 40 years, seems to me there has been some flucsuation in numbers but overall population seems fairly stable over all that time. I've had good years and poor years and kill one every year and some years require more effort than others but I think a lot of that is a matter of luck. I have never seen more moose than I have in the last few years--that might be because we had some massive forest fires in my AO about 15 years ago.

Over the last 40 years I have noticed a bigger flucsuation in wolf numbers than I have in moose numbers. A big ole healthy moose hasn't got much to fear from wolves--now sure they take a few but overall I don't wolves have as big an impact as they do on whitetail deer.

I understand that west of here around Kenora they have been having a decling moose population there too. Nobody seems to know why.

[Walleyehooker]

I wonder if the natives will quit hunting them to? Back in 81 we hunted the NW and got one and the DNR said they got some sort of parasites from drinking swamp and standing water but not sure that is what was killing them. I can still apply and have been as 81 was before they changed it to once in a lifetime but Im glad they are closeing it at this point. We used to see them all the time in the NW but its rare to see one any more around there.

[kkahmann]

I know in the NW years ago they found liver flukes and of course P.Tineus brain worm has always been a problem but it was inconclusive as to the population decline.

I know from practical experience that when whitails move in the moose seem to move out.

[lichen fox]

The Dnr said that the closure is an effort to control, one aspect of moose mortality that they can..."legal" hunting only accounts for about 2% of Moose Mortality in MN annually...Non-hunting causes, according to the DNR research from 89 radio collard moose 2002 - 2010 indicates...

Train collission.........2%

Poaching.................3%

Wolves...................10%

Vehicle collision........11%

Unknown..................36%

Unknown/health related...38%