I commend the province and…

I commend the province and Mr. Yakabusky on trying to find solution to improve Moose hunting opportunities and increase Moose populations in Ontario.

Unfortunately the new system proposed is overly complicated and will do little to improve Moose hunting opportunities for Ontario Residents.

In my opinion it's the tag allocation system that is the wrong approach. I've hunted Moose in Ontario for 40 years but had to hunt out of province in the last 4 years in order to be able to enjoy a true hunting experience. Hunting calves for myself and many others is not fun or an option and although stats say that a large majority of calves will not survive the first winter, I don't believe hunters that harvest a calf are helping the Moose population grow, so your efforts to limit calf hunting are commendable but they still fall short of the target.

The proposed changes will only increase the administration of the system and won't help the situation. Other provinces like Quebec have a very simple system and their Moose population even on the Qc/On border is quite healthy. I would hope that someone has looked at their system before trying to re-invent the wheel yet again. A simple amount of licences per animal harvested based on population for each WMU where cows hunting is closed every two years and bull are always open and a calf can only be harvested if the cow is harvested would provide equal opportunity for all hunters. Two, four, six licenses or more per animal depending on WMU with mandatory reporting and fees for registration of animal would provide the necessary information to manage the population while providing extra income to the ministry. Cow hunting in WMU where Moose populations are not high enough could be closed for extended periods of time to allow the ecosystem to fix itself. This has proven to be a very simple system that has worked in Quebec to maintain and increase the Moose population in most parts of the province. This would help to limit the mass exodus of Moose hunters leaving the province to experience better Moose hunting opportunities and possibly bring some back.
Respectfully,