I’ve had the privilege of…

I’ve had the privilege of hunting moose in Northeastern Ontario for 30 years now. Across the years many positive changes have occurred for big game hunters; better technology, better moose knowledge, better forest roads, etc. As a result, our hunt group has improved each year. And each fall, our outlook is positive and enthusiastic.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of today’s MNR, a shadow of its former self. Gone are its glory days of the ‘50s and ‘60s. For all of my 30 years, Ontario has had a moose management strategy. It was a contentious issue then and it still is today. On paper, their plans seem good but in reality their outcomes, not so good. (E. g. The lottery has not increased the herd size as planned.)

In their 1999-2000 annual report to the legislature, the MNR states in regards to increased fees for angling and hunting licences: “These increased revenues will help to address many of the long-standing financial concerns regarding the fish and wildlife program.”1 Twenty years later, the MNR is still plagued with financial concerns and too many unhappy customers (E. g. moose hunters).

In their 2001-2002 Expenditure Estimates, the Ministry of Natural Resources had an estimated annual budget of $385,651,440.2 This translates to $528,188,212 in 2019 dollars.3 The planned budget for 2019-2020 is 602.4 million.4 In 18 years, the MNR’s budget increased 14%. Undoubtedly, higher administration costs are gulping much of that increase leaving little for expanding moose aerial surveys, for example.

Enough with consulting angry and cynical moose hunters each time a new government takes power. It’s time for Ontario to spend its own money researching population declines instead of waiting (& free-loading) on others such as Minnesota and Wisconsin to find answers. Also, good plans are hatched on solid data. Therefore, a greater commitment is needed to increase land coverage of moose aerial surveys ― hence greater helicopter rental costs. You can’t conduct research on the cheap and expect meaningful data.

The bottom line is, until the premier of Ontario makes Fish and Wildlife a higher priority and allocates more funds, MNR staff and advocate groups are fighting a losing battle on behalf of anglers and hunters. The private sector has a track record of planning and delivering goods and services their clients want (E. g. Apple, Sony, Google). Maybe now is the time to consider privatizing Moose Management?