Annual Harvests For Moose

[Brent]

I found out last night that in Sweeden it's 176,000 moose harvested annually! Average moose was 1.5 years old is all, but up here it was 6000 annually.

I wonder what the biggest thing is that is done over there to manage their food source? From pix, it looks like a checker board with new growth all over the place.

Anyone know their cow to bull, cow to calf, bull to calf ratios they try to keep? And the birthing percentage rate?

 

[Thunder Hunter]

Brent their is something possibly wrong with those #'s. I'm quite sure that the available total amount of moose to hunt is 176,000. You and I live in high density moose areas, only your moose are slightly larger in size. In Northern Ontario we are pushing the same #'s, and the total tag allotment was 17,000. The percentage taken is very low of that # to basically pertect the growth of the herd.

 

[Brent]

That's "exactly" what I thought too. I specifically asked Gary Olson if he was sure of those numbers when he was speaking at the F&G Advisory Board meeting last night, he said it was NOT 7,000 or even 70,000.... it was indeed 176,000 harvested annually.

Gary is the Founder and President of the Alaska Moose Federation and can be reached at 907-33-MOOSE if you'd like to ask him about it. He has some ambitious plans for moose management in the state in the future.

He recommended a book to me he had with him, the Moose Bible he called it. "Ecology Management of North American Moose" by Albert W. Franzmann and Charles C. Schwartz
ISBN # 1-56098-775-8
$40-50 another guy said.

 

[Perkules]

Those numbers are correct,folks.

Sweden is 1.3 times the size of Finland. We Finns harvest about 90 000 moose annually these days, it´s approx. half of our moose population,half of the harvested ones being calves. The population stays the same this way. Lots of food everywhere in the woods,partly because of the way our timber industry works. Young growth all over the place.

Our problem is to keep the moose population low and tolerable for everyone,including farmers,forest industry,traffic... just like in Sweden. Here we have the average of 2.5 moose per square kilometer, in Sweden the number is 4.

In addition to those numbers,we have about 4500 car accidents every year where moose or deer are involved. Quite a lot for less than five million people.

That reminded me: time to reload some more 300 grain Davekings...

I mean Matchkings, they arrived yesterday. Thanks again,Dave. My revenge is on the way.

 

[Thunder Hunter]

Thanx Brent for bringing this up, and Petander for your info. Imagine the total size of this herd in order to maintain those #'s. I know the Moose Biologist for the Gov. in my area very well, and I'm going to bring up some questions to him? The pretty things (Deer) are multiplying in our area at a terrible fast rate and have inflected the brain disease on the moose in some locations. The other problem is the very large black bear population that affect the overall #'s of moose calfs. The boars (Male Bear) love eating moose calfs at birth. Sweden and Finland do not have a large bear population, but Alaska and Northern Ontario have including wolves. Later to-day after talking with the Biologist I'll get back on here with more info.

 

[Brent]

Gary said, the population in good conditions would grow by 40% annually. That's pretty quick!

That should give a pretty good indication of the total population over there, if it's being sustained.

One of the main concerns up here is road kill reduction, using either electric or chain link fencing and overpasses to reroute highly used crossing areas.

 

[Thunder Hunter]

Brent: I spent sometime talking to our Regional Moose Bioligist ( has a degree on the subject) and the figures from Sweden and as Petander stated are correct. He is well aware of the report on moose management from Sweden, BUT. They are very carefully managed by the Gov. and in most cases their are game keepers that work with hunting CLUBS. In a lot of cases the game keepers know the moose by names eg. this one is 2yrs and this one is 5yrs and his name is such and such. They make a decision to cull this many by age and sex in tightly controlled small zones. Also, as stated to me there are NO North American Indians in Sweden as you and I have that take a great deal for sustenance purposes, which is their right rather we agree or not, but remember they where here first. Northern Ontario's Native population FAR EXCEEDS the white man's figures!. Now back to Sweden. They do not also have the large wolve and bear population that you and I have. The Norway Pine also contributes to the healthy growth of which we do not have. We do a lot of aerial spraying because of the large Plup @ Paper market here which would contribute to a lower grade of food for the moose. Now Northern Ontario Moose figures!. We have presently 130,000 moose with a target of 160,000. They issue 17,000 plus tags of which about 10,000-11,000 get filled every yr. Me personally love calf better and wait tell Nov. to shoot because they gain apprx. 60lbs. per month at that age. Hope this helps you guys up their in this matter.

 

[Brent]

TH,
Thanks a bunch.

The lack of bear and wolves over there was mentioned as a major factor.
I'm not sure what the native harvest numbers are, but I'm sure they all aren't reported. I won't go into what I think about the subsitance priority too much but, Gary's father, Warren Olson has it in court right now. I think no equal access is BS. Racism for one, brotha.

 

[Perkules]

Yes,the hunt is very well organized and controlled over here. I am the vice president of our small club, the area for moose hunt is 35 000 hectares for us - 35 km2. We had 6 adults (half of which cows) and six calves tags now and the amount of tags is based on the actual population. They are counted carefully each winter, using sweat (walk,walk and walk) and choppers.

Our club hunt happens during the weekend and we use dogs. Whatever we harvest,we share it all equally, no matter who shoots or doesn´t shoot. Teamwork. Took three weekends to fill those tags,13 men in our moose club now, about 150 members in the whole club.

There is still more pressure from the central organization to take a calf or two in our area (based on the roadkill statistics) but right now the situation looks like we won´t do it. Still,it may be all different after a couple of weeks, more and more moose spend the winter in our area and we stay in touch with them all the year round, especially we who work as dog guides.

Haven´t started naming the moose yet. I guess some people (at least my wife

) wouldn´t like the idea of "Jack" and "Eugene" in their freezers.

In case you´re interested, here is a link. Click on the British flag to see it in english.

Hunting In Finland

EDIT: Only 90 Brown Bear tags this season in this whole country. That´s one bear per 1000 moose!

[ 11-24-2003: Message edited by: Petander ]

 

[Thunder Hunter]

I agree with EQUAL ACCESS, and the laws should pertain to all, including the stupid Firearms Law in Canada.

 

[Thunder Hunter]

Petander thanx for posting the site for Hunting in Finland. Boy, I can see Browning would go broke in your country selling BAR'S. I see where semi's are a no go. Half of our hunting population would be finished to.

 

[Coyote Slayer]

I just finnaly got in and get a few days to see what is going on and what do I see but another winner from Anchor town crying how bad we that live in bush make your life. Answer this Brent how many peopole from your part of Alaska shoot a under 50 inch moose and walk off and let it rot!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in the bush or have no clue how to handle the food once it is down so that goes bad too.

I would have to agree that not having BEARS and WOLVES would make a real difference in the size of the moose heard how many wolves have you taken this year ?????? how many Bears did you get this fall or last spring???? if you want more moose you need to work on the problem before you ask I have taken 9 wolves and 49 coyotes so far and I still have till the end of april.

As to this new moose guy who I have heard about and he will change the way ADF&G does things I don't think so remember when the whole state could hunt the unit 13 Bou heard it worked very well till the area Bio. thought the heard was going to starve to death and put tear one in to play every one remembers that you had to kill a cow or a young bull some how he forgot all about the wolves and bears and now the heard is crashing or maybe he thought Bulls have calfs so why do we need cows for.

To all other members of this board I am sorry for this post but no matter where you go the race card is pulled and sorry Brent to reck your way of thinking I am WHITE not native so that does put a large hole in your Idea of who get's what in the state you could get all this free hunting just MOVE!!!!! give up a good job and live where I do. and before you turn that around and tell me to move I love what I do and where I live but I am not the one bitching eather >>><<< Coyote Slayer

[ 12-07-2003: Message edited by: Coyote Slayer ]

 

[dgr416]

Brent its Mike from Delta Junction.I saw 145 moose in two weeks this season of two weeks.There was only one legal moose a fork that was hauling butt.I saw way more illegal kills most were 36-45 inches.The Russians,cars and trucks and wolves and bears get the rest.The biologist flew over the Grantis Mts and so no legal moose.I think all of Anchorage and Fairbanks comes here to hunt.Its hard as heck to kill a legal moose up here the the 4 brow tine and 50".I saw about 30 3 brow time bulls.I called on to my truck I asked him if he need a ride.He was 20 ft from the truck.There were about 10 grizzleys wounded from little guns like 243 and some 30-06 that no one found.If you dont have a four wheeler you wont get a moose.Most of the legal moose were shot above 6,000 ft.I am going to have to find somewhere else to hunt too many people.Has the nonresident guide rule passed.The guides made the 50 inch rule here I guess next year it will be 60"5 brow time till it goes up to 100 inches.The Kenai is ruined for hunting the sheep die there of bacteria there are so many.Forgien Princess tours makes sure of no hunting down there.Alaska is last Frontier not best tourist stop for greedy Japs.They want to pave the Denali Hwy and the Dalton Hwy I bet they get it.

 

[Thunder Hunter]

Brent; why is someone pulling the race card here. I in fact hunt with NATIVES and I showed them this POST. They are shocked that someone BEFORE READING AND UNDERSTANDING, starts pulling the PIN. Stop some of the $5000 trips plus, and take a good look before condemning others that have a sincere interest in THE MOOSE POPULATION.