This is the kind of news that makes hunters and conservationists sick to their stomach!
According to the MNR, there are more than 18 cases of abandoned moose currently under investigation across Ontario!!
The Ministry of Natural Resources is seeking the public’s help in solving cases of the unlawful shooting and abandonment of moose across Ontario.
A number of investigations are currently ongoing. The ministry has evidence that the hunter or hunters were aware the animal had been shot and killed, and that the moose carcass was abandoned intentionally.
Individual hunters are only permitted to lawfully hunt an adult male (bull), adult female (cow) or a calf depending on the moose tag they possess. Hunters who mistakenly shoot a moose to which they are not entitled are encouraged to contact a conservation officer immediately to have the circumstances of the situation investigated.
Moose hunting in Ontario is highly regulated, and the majority of hunters respect the laws established to ensure the future of this activity. Moose hunters bring a significant economic benefit to many small communities across the province and travel great distances to participate in the hunt.
If you have any information about these cases or any natural resources violation, please call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or contact your ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
It makes me sick as well. The MNR should be out more they say they are understaffed , our warden in our area we say at least 2-3 times a week , till his supervisior realized the mnr could make more money putting up fake moose and deer and get the guys shooting from cars and trucks( 1000s of dollars in fines ) the warden said he would only get a few thousands in fines from checking hunters . the deer and moose sting was more And the word he used was more Profitable . its time to give them more money. if they need a extra 20 bucks then i will be the first to throw it into a hat for them . just let them do there job .
Well where we hunted the mnr was busy dealing with 4 bull moose that were shot and the hind quarters cut off and the rest left to rot. Compliments of the natives. Apparently it’s there right to take what they want.
@ paul….. NOW YOU HAVE DONE IT 🙂 🙂
These things make me sick as well. Just like the drug problems though, there’s no easy answer. I’ve been in the woods hunting and trapping all my life and I’ve only been checked once. It’s pathetic that there are so few conservation officers in our Province, and the ones we have certainly have adopted the “strict is fair” / “it’s all about enforcement” attitude. I remember when (I can’t believe I used that phrase, my dad said I would one day) a game warden would stop into camp and do a few minutes of official business then sit and have coffee and just talk.
Another interesting fact I’m aware of is this. Just a few weeks ago a buddy harvested a bobcat in Orono area. He reported it to the MNR and they sent a biologist from Aurora to collect samples. When the biologist got there they admitted that they had never seen a bob cat before nor did they bring gloves, a sample bag or a knife. These are the keepers of our hunting/fishing and trapping heritage and they don’t know piss from paint.
Back to the moose issue, I still think the solution is to amend the adult draw process by allowing you to harvest either a cow or bull if your successful in the draw.
I’m not even gonna touch the native issue except to say that I have seen first hand what Paul suggests (and yes the MNR was notified)
What you guys don’t understand, is when the natives only harvest part of a game they leave the rest to their spiritual forest brothers (the predators) as a gesture of thanks. Well, thats the type of answer I certainly would be given if I asked them why they do it.
Now, let me talk to you about this bridge over the St-Laurent river I can sell you.
Discussing native hunting rights, as we have, is a slippery slope at the best of times, just imagine the difficulty a C.O. faces when it comes to Natural Resources Law Enforcement!
Outdoorsguy
Here is a suggestion for the native issue. I believe that the natives do have the right to harvest what they” need”. But if it is there anccestrial right then they should have to use the weapon that they had before the white man came along. And that would be a long bow. Then they could truely be in touch with the land . If it is a gun they wish to use then you abide by the white mans laws. It seems like they want all the benefits of the white man but not the laws. Every moose killed and partly left to rot is one less tag that is availible to everyone else. A poacher, is a poacher, is a criminal . Hire more CO’s and back them up with the police or military if need be before are wildlife is not sustainable any longer.
When a CO finds out it’s a native, he just walks away, I know this as I know a native that’s whiter than me and he’s been checked, flashes the card and off goes Ranger Bob looking for a white guy he can nail for exactly the same thing because he is less Canadian.
As for finding the moose and they have evidence that the people knew they had killed it. PROVE IT. I’ll bet most of these were moose shot and sadly not recovered, but it’s way more sensational for the antis in the MNR, and there are lots of them, to claim this.
I SAY PROVE IT OR SHUT TF UP
One of the problems with poaching the fines are not enough! All hunters who are caught poaching should lose all their possesions, including any vehicles involved that transport them there and hunting equipment incuding their guns.. They also should lose their hunting rights for ever,, this way we would not have to worry about these guys poaching again. The moose season should be reduced to two weeks hunting only, and calf should be only hunted with a calf tag draw so that the moose population can grow. Training hunters in Ontario should also include hunters attidute, The officer training these guy should deny them their licence if they see these guys not obeying the law of the land.
Hello Andy:
First off, tks for stopping by the Outdoors Guy Blog..I dont believe we’ve seen you around.
You bring up some very good points..many of these concerns are shared by other big-game hunters in Ontario (& QC) I can assure you!
If you have ever read my Outdoors Column in the Ottawa SUN, you’ll notice that I regularly feature those who have been charged under the fish & game Act and other offences.
Poaching is the furthest thing from hunting and not only does it give us a bad name…it provides fodder for Animal Rights people to use against us.
I invite you to write-in again with your observations of this year’s moose hunt.
Regards,
Outdoorsguy
i am a first nation member and i have to laugh whenever i see white hunters automaticly blame natives for for all the ills of the country most natives finainces are limited and if they have to spend money on gas etc. to harvest a moose they make sure they recover all the meat in most cases they meat is shared with all community member young and old until the moose is gone i know more than one white man that will shoot a moose every year throw it in the freezer eat very little of it during the winter then throw out whats left over in the following fall so they have room for fresh moose meat my guess is that most abandoned moose are shot by white hunters who made a mistake shot the wrong animal and dont want to risk getting caught with it some are shot by people who just want to kill something[ along with squirrels porcupines beaver twitty birds etc.]how many moose are shot with no tag then the hunter goes finds a friend sometime even a stranger to tag it i know their are bad apples in every group but i know and i think you do to where most of the bad apples lie thank for listening
The fact that rich can sit their and claim natives have little money, and don’t waste meat. BS on that. if the natives are less rich or poorer than whiteman it is no one’s fault but their own. Last I checked white man has 10 fingers and toes the same as a native. No reason a native can not do the same job as a whiteman. No instead in my home town in northeastern Ontario Their are groups of natives who are harvesting moose and selling it to their “elder’s” not to mention the average white guy if he Knows him. 250 bucks a quarter. Sounds like a business now. I understand it is not all natives but if they were only allowed to hunt freely on their reserves and nowhere else, problem solved. As for the MNR, who’s that, Everyone in my neck of the woods just simply shoot moose and bring home to the freezers, no one is worried about the proper tags because most have never seen a conservation officer before. Shameful on the MNR’s part.