"Better act fast they won’t last much longer." "Stop the poachers." "Stop night hunting." "Suspend the hunting of moose until the population rebounds. It needs to be done."
Some 487 people took the time to answer our questions about what needs to be done to save Manitoba’s moose and to share their thoughts on the reasons for dramatic drops in moose populations.
Most live in rural Manitoba. More than half are hunters.
A whopping 70 percent believe the moose population is in decline, while just 11 percent believed it was stable.
Hunting was clearly considered to be the smoking gun: 68 percent said overhunting was a “major factor” in moose population declines.
There was strong support for suspending all moose hunting in a region if evidence shows that harvest rates are unsustainable: 87 percent said a hunting ban was likely to be a “very effective” or “moderately effective” policy measure.
81 percent supported increased regulation and penalties for illegal hunting practices.
76 percent supported mandatory reporting and sharing of harvest data.
Nearly everyone shared additional thoughts on why Manitoba’s moose are in trouble, and what should be done to save them. A selection of their comments are available on the Manitobans Speak page.
The online survey was made available for comment from September 2016 through September 2017. Additional details are below.
Diverse Respondents
Most live in rural Manitoba. Many are hunters, others are resource managers, academics, government workers, Indigenous, and outfitters.
68 percent blame over hunting for the declining moose population.
87 percent supported hunting restrictions if moose populations reach unsustainable levels.81 percent supported increased regulation and penalties for illegal hunting practices.76 percent supported mandatory reporting and sharing of harvest data.
Take Action
Save Our Moose
Moose may soon disappear completely from some parts of Manitoba, where the population has dropped by as much as 57 percent. Tell Manitoba's Premier to Save Our Moose.
Ensuring Healthy Moose Populations
Challenges & Opportunities