I've read your proposal to…

I've read your proposal to change the allocation process for moose hunting applications and I support the changes that you are proposing. I've been moose hunting since 1998 and I like the current system that you now have in place. It only needed a few changes to make it better and the changes that you've outlined do make it better.

As it stands I know of hunting camps in WMU 60 that have up to 30 applicants applying per year. They believe in only shooting bull moose so what they do every year is they apply their members in the second chance allocation first round for cow/calf tags (if they have the requisite points) and for calf tags (also if they have the requisite points) having no intention of ever claiming those tags. They only claim bull tags. They are well aware that they are making it so that those tags aren't available to other hunters. They told me that they believe that is their contribution to conservation by denying other moose hunters the opportunity to moose hunt. They believe by doing so it means there will be more bull moose for them to shoot. I made a statement about this on the Ontario OUT of Doors Forum and it seems that they aren't the only camps involved in this practice. The general consensus that I arrived at after complaining about this occurring was that most of the comments on the forum were in favor of the practice of not claiming 2nd allocation first round tags that it was up to the ministry to catch on and fix the problem... There are many camps and individuals engaged in this practice and they want it to continue. The changes that you are proposing will end this practice moving forward. Not to mention the ministry is losing out on tag revenues of the unclaimed tags + the hunting licenses of party hunters. There is also the unrealized economic benefits from the spinoffs associated with hunting. If the hunters aren't able to get moose tags then that revenue is lost as well.

There are only 2 other things I'd like to see change as well:
1. Bring back sticker style tags for tagging of big game. There are people making photocopies of tags and using them on more than 1 animal. Once the animal has been butchered and processed as long as the tag hasn't been invalidated then some people are using that tag again. That wasn't possible when we used to have the tamperproof game seals. Also printed paper tags are easily damaged.

2. Eliminate ghost hunters - I don't know really how you can stop it altogether but it still happens. Especially when the ghost hunters live locally to where their friends are hunting. The new system basically does minimize ghost hunters that would have to travels hours and hours to go hunting up north but it doesn't stop the practice altogether. I don't know how you prevent this entirely but it continues to this day.

At the end of the day I fully support the changes the Ministry is proposing. It should mean more tags available to hunters that will go hunting and it should also decrease the points required to acquire cow/calf tags and calf only tags. It will make things more fair for everyone.