Special Moose Management Initiatives

• Moose hunting: All licensed moose hunting seasons have been suspended. Moose seasons in the Duck Mountain ,Porcupine Mountain, GHA 26 and GHA 14 and 14A will be reinstated when populations have recovered.


• Wolf management: Wolf hunting and trapping seasons have been extended province-wide. The bag limit in the Duck Mountain and GHA 26 is now two wolves. This will result in the harvest of more wolves in areas where moose populations are depressed. Manitoba Conservation will increase aerial surveys of wolf populations and assessment of wolves’ diet.


• Disease and parasite management: Parasites (brain worm, liver fluke) carried by deer in the southeast part of the province have negatively affected moose. Deer muzzleloader and general rifle seasons in GHAs 26 and 36 have been extended to reduce deer numbers. As well, a second deer licence is available in GHAs 17A, 26 and 36. A third deer licence is available in GHA 26. 


• Access control: Selected roads and trails are being closed by removing culverts, digging trenches and berms and placing barricades at river crossings. This is being done in high, moose-population areas to restrict truck travel, reduce off road vehicle traffic and decrease harvesting of moose. See Figure 1.


• Moose population assessment: $190,000 will be used from the Wildlife Enhancement Initiative for aerial moose surveys. Populations of concern will be monitored annually to evaluate the effectiveness of management actions.


• Consultation with rights-based communities: First Nations and Métis communities are being consulted about initiatives to increase moose populations in areas where they are depressed.


• Moose management strategies: Manitoba Conservation will establish moose advisory committees consisting of local groups, Aboriginal organizations and government to help develop moose recovery strategies. These strategies will guide the management actions.


• Increased enforcement efforts: Two natural resource officers will be hired for the Duck Mountain area and one for GHA 26.


• Wildlife biologists: Two wildlife biologists, located in Swan River and Lac Du Bonnet, will be hired to implement moose recovery programs.

Manitoba Conservation is working with all users, stakeholders and rights-based harvesters to recover moose populations. Hunters can help by:

• harvesting wolves and submitting samples for analysis


• taking advantage of increased deer hunting opportunities in GHAs 17A, 26 and 36


• participating in public meetings about area-specific moose management strategies

Rights-based Moose Hunting

• As a conservation measure, rights-based (Treaty, Métis) moose hunting has been cancelled in the Porcupine (GHAs 13 &13A) and Duck Mountains (GHAs 18, 18A, 18B and 18C), as well as in GHAs 14 and 14A.  Moose hunting will be reinstated in these areas when populations have recovered.
• Consultation has been undertaken with First Nation and Métis communities regarding the closures in GHAs 13, 13A, 14, 14A, 18, 18A, 18B and 18C in the west, where areas have been closed to all moose hunting, including rights-based (Treaty, Métis) hunting. Consultation is continuing in the east in regard to a possible closure to rights-based moose hunting in GHA 26.  Consultation is also continuing in both areas regarding a moose recovery strategy.