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Moose – Preparing for the FutureAn Action Plan for the Moose
Wildlife Stewardship SERIES IV
TMIn cooperation with the Ministry of Environment
NOVEMBER 2009
2 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E
Workshop Recommendations1. Communicatingthehabitatneedsofmoosetootherresourceministriesandusers
throughland-useplanswillensureaholisticapproachtowildlifemanagement.
2. Adjustingmoosemanagementinresponsetoincreasedhunteraccessduetologgingisimportantforsustainabilityandbalancedage-classstructures.
3. AcommitmenttotheNorthAmericanWildlifeConservationModelwouldimprovemoose management in BC. The model outlines management principles andstipulatesthatlawandscienceshouldbethefoundationforwildlifemanagement.
4. Improved harvest data collection from First Nations and resident recreationalhunterswouldenhancethefoundationguidingwildlifemanagementdecisions.
5. Including spike-forkmoose in the annual allowableharvest (AAH)will improvemoosemanagementinBC.
6. Hunting regulations should reflect the increased percentage of yearling spike-forkmoose.
7. ThereareothersourcesoffundingforpopulationsurveysavailabletotheMinistryofEnvironment.Guideoutfitterscanplayanimportantroleasthe“ontheground”surveyorsofanimalpopulations.
8. Collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Environment, Ministry ofTransportationandInfrastructure,andInsuranceCorporationofBritishColumbia(ICBC)toimproveeducation,signage,andfencing(withoverpassesorunderpasses)athighcollisionlocationswouldreducevehicle/moosecollisions.
9. WorkingcollaborativelywiththeUniversityofNorthernBritishColumbia(UNBC),theMinistryofEnvironmentandMinistryofTransportationandInfrastructurecanencouragerailwaycompaniestotakepreventativemeasurestoreducetrain/moosecollisions.
10. Theimportanceofblackbearharvestinmooseareasshouldbereinforced.
11. Reviewing the harvest of grizzly bears in areaswill help provide healthymoosepopulationsthroughoutBC.
12. The development of a wolf management plan will ensure efforts are effectiveandtimely.
2 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 1
Introduction
The Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) was
establishedin1966andcurrentlyrepresentsmorethan80%ofthelicensed
guideoutfittersinBritishColumbia(BC),Yukon,NorthwestTerritoriesand
Nunavut. Currently,thereare233licensedguideoutfittersintheprovince
whodirectlyemployover2,000people.Theguideoutfitting industry isan
importantcontributortothehealthandwell-beingoftheeconomiesinrural
communities.Guide outfitters have a rich tradition of sustainable hunting
practicesandmaintainlong-termperspectivesonwildlifemanagement.
BC harbours one of the most diverse big game populations in the world,
including a significant portion of North America’s moose (Alces alces).
MooseareavaluedresourceforallBritishColumbiansandanimportantpart
ofthewildlifeheritageoftheCanadiannorthwest.InNovember2009,the
GOABChostedWildlife Stewardship Series IV: Moose ManagementatRoyal
RoadsUniversityinVictoria,BC.Thegoaloftheworkshopwastoincrease
localknowledgeonmooseandenhancemoosemanagementforthefuture.
Workshop participants included guide outfitters, wildlife managers and
biologists.
The following report summarizes the presentations and recommendations
developedbytheparticipantsduringtheworkshop.Itisasynthesisofexpert
opinions,but isnotnecessarily reflectiveof thewishesofGOABC. The12
recommendationsstemmingfromtheworkshoparebasedonthebestscience
available and serve to help local biologists andwildlifemanagers improve
moosemanagementinBC.
Moose Ecology
Mostexpertsagreethatungulateshaveexistedforapproximately65million
years. Common examples of ungulates living today are horses, zebras,
donkeys, cattle/bison, rhinoceroses, camels, hippopotamuses, goats, pigs,
sheep,giraffes,moose,elk,deer,antelope,andgazelle.1
1UltimateUngulate.“WhatisanUngulate?”Availableathttp://www.ultimateungulate.com/whatisanungulate.htmlaccessed9September2010.
2 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 3
Moosearethelargestspeciesofthedeerfamily,reachingaliveweightfrom
400kgto700kg.2Moosehaveadistinctiveshoulderhumpandadark,rich
brown-blackcoatthatfadestoalightergrayonthelowerlegs.Bullmoose
haveimpressivepalmatedantlersthattakeabout3–5monthstodevelopand
cangrowtoaspreadof1.8meters.
Mooseareherbivoresthatneedtoeatupto20kgofvegetationdaily,which
isequivalentto2–3%oftheirbodyweight.Theyeatavarietyofdeciduous
leaves and shrubs, but are famous for stripping bark off of willows and
poplars,andgrazingonsubmergedpondweeds.Poor foodavailabilitycan
leadtoincreasedadult/juvenilemortalityanddepressedreproductiverates.
The population of moose in North America is estimated to be between
800,000and1,200,000.3Itisestimatedthatabout170,000resideinBritish
Columbia.MoosedensitiesinBCdonotappeartobenearthecarryingcapacity
oftheirhabitat.Cowmoosenormallybreedforthefirsttimeas2–yearolds
and aremore active in choosing theirmate compared to other ungulates.
Youngerbullscandothebreeding,butbreedingbyprimebullsispreferable
andreflectiveofahealthyage-classstructure.
TherearefoursubspeciesofmoosefoundinCanada:Alaska-Yukonmoose
(A.a.gigas),north-westernmoose(A.a.andersoni),easternortaigamoose
(A.a.americana),andshirasmoose(A.a.shirasi).Locationandsizedefine
thesespeciesclassifications.Alaska-YukonmoosearefoundinnorthernBC
andisthelargestofthesubspecies. North-westernmoosecanbefoundin
centralBC,andshirasmooseare thesmallest subspeciesandare found in
south easternBC. Moose tend to be solitary animals and usuallymigrate
between familiar summer andwinter ranges. They do not defend a home
rangebutfightwithotherbullsduringtherutfortherighttobreed.
Logging is changing moose habitat in BC. Cutblocks provide new boughs
fromthefreshgrowthofwillowsandothershrubs,butremovingtoomuch
forest covercanbedetrimental tomoosepopulations.Moosearean “edge
species”thatrequirematureforestcoveradjacenttofoodsourcesforshelter
and protection from predators. Silviculture plans need to recognize the
2TheMooseCall,Volume22.May,20083MinistryofEnvironment,LandsandParks–MooseinBCEcology,ConservationandManagement
The populat ion of moose in North America is es t imated to be be tween 800,000 and 1 ,200,000.
2 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 3
importanceofsuitablemoosefoodandshelteronimportantranges.Forest
companies should also consider moose habitat when developing harvest
plans.Prescribedburnsandotherhabitatmanipulation tools areavailable
towildlifemanagers.Proposalsformoosehabitatenhancementcanalsobe
submittedtotheHabitatConservationTrustFoundation(HCTF).
ISSUEThe recent explosion of logging roads used to harvestmountain pine
beetle killed timber has increased the number of access roads in
moosehabitat.
RECOMMENDATIONS1. Communicatingthehabitatneedsofmoosetootherresource
ministriesandusersthroughland-useplanswillensureaholistic
approachtowildlifemanagement.
2. Adjustingmoosemanagementinresponsetoincreasedhunter
accessduetologgingisimportantforsustainabilityandbalanced
age-classstructures.
Value of Wildlife
Moose are a valued resource for all British Columbians and need to be
managedbasedon science for all stakeholders.FirstNationshavepriority
to harvest moose for social, ceremonial and food requirements. This is
followedbyresidentrecreationalhuntersandtheguideoutfittingindustry.
Approximately 38,000 resident recreational hunters buymoose tags each
year. More than half of the 5,000 non-resident hunters that come to BC
annually come tohuntmoose. Guidedclientsmakea sizablecontribution
toBC’seconomy,spendingmoreperdaypercapitathananyothervisitorto
ourprovince.
The workshop participants agreed that moose (and other species)
should be managed based on the North American Wildlife Conservation
Model, which outlines seven principles for wildlife management. In
17th centuryEurope,wildlifewas closelymanaged by private land owners
andhuntingwasanactivity for thewealthy.For theearlysettlers theNew
Moose are a valued r esource for all Bri t ish Columbians...
4 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 5
Worldseemedtopromiseunlimitedresourcesandtherewerefewconstraints
ontheuseofwildlife.Asaresult,bythelate1800ssomewildlifepopulations
werenoticeablyimpacted.
Huntersandanglersbegantoadvocateforanewwayoflookingattheuse
of natural resources that ensured sustainability for the future and the
preservation of tradition. The principles coming out of this movement
eventuallycoalescedintotheNorthAmericanWildlifeConservationModel.
Thismodelhasbeencriticaltothesuccessofwildlifemanagementthroughout
NorthAmerica.
TheprinciplesoftheNorthAmericanWildlifeConservationModelare:
•Wildlifeisapublicresource.
IntheUnitedStatesandCanada,wildlifeareheldinthepublictrust
andmanagedbygovernmentforthebenefitofallpeople.
•Eliminatethemarketforwildlife.
StronglawsandenforcementintheUnitedStatesandCanadamakeit
illegaltosellthemeatorpartsofanywildanimalinNorthAmerica.
•Managewildlifethroughlaw.
Huntersareallowedtoharvestsurpluswildlife.Lawsandregulations
existtoprotectwildlifepopulationsandensurefairopportunity.
•Huntingshouldbedemocratic.
InNorthAmerica,everycitizenhasanopportunitytohuntandfish
incompliancewiththelaw.Huntingisnotlimitedbyprivateland
ownershiporspecialprivilege.
•Wildlifeshouldonlybekilledonlyforlegitimatereasons.
Theremustabalancebetweenopportunityandregulation.Many
statesandprovinceshavelawsandregulationsprotectingagainstthe
frivolouswasteofwildlife.Thistypeofregulationprotectedagainstthe
kindofwantondestructionthatsawhundredsofthousandsofbirds
unsustainablyslaughteredforfeatherstofestoonwomen’shats.4
4ShaneMahoney.“TheSevenSisters:PillarsoftheNorthAmericanWildlifeConservationModel.”Availableatwww.outdoorheritagearizona.com/facts2.html#doc2accessed27December2010.
4 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 5
•Wildlifespeciesareaninternationalresource.
Wildlifemanagementinonecountrywillaffectwildlifeelsewhere.The
UnitedStatesandCanadaworktogethertomanagelandandwildlife
tomakesurethatnocountrytakesmorethanitsshareofthecommon
resource.
•Usesciencetoguidewildlifemanagementdecisions.
Populationestimatesandhabitatresearchshouldguidewildlife
managementdecisions.Thiswillensurestewardship,sustainability
andprudentdecision-making.
ISSUEMoosearevaluabletoallBritishColumbians,butaretoooftenmanaged
forsocialorpoliticalreasons.
RECOMMENDATION3. AcommitmenttotheNorthAmericanWildlifeConservationModel
wouldimprovemoosemanagementinBC.Themodeloutlines
managementprinciplesandstipulatesthatlawandscienceshould
bethefoundationforwildlifemanagement.
Harvest Management
Considering the value ofmoose in BC, themanagement ofmoose harvest
should be a priority forwildlifemanagers. Harvest rates should be set at
sustainablelevelsandbasedonthebestscienceavailable.
ISSUEThe guide outfitting industry is the only stakeholder that accurately
reports harvest. There are no reporting requirements for First
Nations and the resident recreational hunter sample card data can
bemanipulated.
RECOMMENDATION4. ImprovedharvestdatacollectionfromFirstNationsandresident
recreationalhunterswouldenhancethefoundationguidingwildlife
managementdecisions.
6 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 7
Biological objectives include the population density (e.g. number of
moose/1000km2)and thepopulationcomposition (e.g.30bulls/100cows
post rut, 50 bulls/100 cows for low density populations higher). The bull
componentneedstoahavebalancedageclasswithasignificantcomponent
of prime cows and bulls consistent with the RISC Standards.5 This will
resultinbetterherdhealth,optimumbreeding,acontractedrutandshorter
calvingcycles.
ISSUEIn BC shiras moose are managed in the same way as Alaska-Yukon
and north-western moose. Shiras moose generally live in Region 8
(Okanagan), Region 3 (Thompson) and Region 4 (Kootenay). This
subspecieshasalargerpercentageof1and2–yearoldspike-forkbulls,
whichareconsideredqualityquarryamongmoosehunters. Currently,
thedifferencebetweensubspeciesisnotrecognizedinitsmanagement.
RECOMMENDATIONS5. Includingspike-forkmooseintheannualallowableharvest(AAH)
willimprovemoosemanagementinBC.
6. Huntingregulationsshouldreflecttheincreasedpercentageof
yearlingspike-forkmoose.
Inventory
Inventoryfundingisverylimitedandtherewillbefewersurveyflightsinthe
futureunlessotherfundingissecured.Therearemanydifferentmodelsfor
monitoringmoosepopulations.Thekeyistouseobjectivesandmetricsthat
canbeeasilydefinedandmeasured,suchasmoosedensity,bull/cowratios,
andharvestrates.Themovetoestimatingmoosepopulationsspatiallywill
createconsistencythroughouttheprovince,butisnotnecessarilyaccurate.It
isimportanttousesurveystovalidatespatialdensities.
ISSUEWildlifemanagershavelimitedbudgetsandneedtofindcreativeways
providingaccuratepopulationestimates.
5RISC:Standards,IntegratedLandManagementBureau(ILMB).Availableatwww.ilmb.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/tebiodiv/index.htmaccessed9September2010.
6 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 7
RECOMMENDATION7. Thereareothersourcesoffundingforpopulationsurveys
availabletotheMinistryofEnvironment.Guideoutfitters
canplayanimportantroleasthe“ontheground”surveyorsof
animalpopulations.
Human-Caused Mortality
Therearemanyhumancausesofmoosemortality,but trainandvehicular
collisionarethemostsignificant.Thecombinationofstrongmoosepopulations
and expanding road and rail networkswill increase human-causedmoose
mortalityinthefuture.InCanada4–8largewildlife/vehiclecollisionsoccur
every hour—roadside carcasses only account for 20% of the total moose/
vehiclecollisions.
In BC approximately 800 moose are struck by vehicles each year. This
generally occurs in the late evening and early morning hours during the
winter.TheWildlifeCollisionPreventionProgramhasdonelittletoreduce
moose/vehiclecollisions.Askingmotoriststoslowdownhasnotworked.
ISSUE
The current level of public education is insufficient and lacks realistic
recommendationsforreducingmoose/vehiclecollisions.
RECOMMENDATION8. CollaborativeeffortsbetweentheMinistryofEnvironment,Ministry
ofTransportationandInfrastructure,andInsuranceCorporationof
BritishColumbia(ICBC)toimproveeducation,signage,andfencing
(withoverpassesorunderpasses)athighcollisionlocationswould
reducevehicle/moosecollisions.
Railmortalityappearstobehigherwithmoosethananyotherspecies.Most
moose/traincollisionsoccurinthewinterwhenthereissnowontheground.
Ploughedtraintracksprovideeasywalkingterrainwithsignificantlydeeper
snowoffthegradewhichdetersmoosefromleavingthetracks.Thiscreatesa
deadlytrap.Itisestimatedthatmorethan1,000moosearekilledeachyear
In Canada 4 to 8 large v ehicl e / wildlife coll is ions occur e v ery hour.
8 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 9
bytrainbetweenPrinceGeorgeandSmithers.Aforecasted increase inrail
trafficinBCintheyearstocomemayleadtoincreasedmoose/traincollisions.
Train-causedmoosemortality is awell-documentedproblem;muchof the
workonthisissueisbeingledbytheUniversityofNorthernBritishColumbia
(UNBC).Proposedsolutionshaveincluded“sweepercars”inthewinterand
afencingbridgingpilotinkeyareas.
ISSUEBritishColumbiadoesnothaveastrategyforreducingmoosetraincollisions,
whicharecurrentlyasignificantcauseofmoosemortality.
RECOMMENDATION9. WorkingcollaborativelywiththeUniversityofNorthernBritish
Columbia(UNBC),theMinistryofEnvironmentandMinistryof
TransportationandInfrastructurecanencouragerailwaycompanies
totakepreventativemeasurestoreducemoose/traincollisions.
Predation
Predatorsandpreyneedtobemanagedinamannerthatensuresbalanced
populations. Themain predators ofmoose arewolves (Canis lupis), black
bears (Ursus americanus), and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis).
Alaskanstudiesreportedthatforevery100moosecalvesborn,25areneeded
forreplacement,as42arekilledbybearsand24arekilledbywolves.
AccordingtotheMinistryofEnvironment,thereare16,000–17,000grizzly
bearsand120,000–160,000blackbearsinBC.Moosecalvesarethemost
susceptibletobearpredationwithinthefirstsixweeksafterbirth.Blackbears
canaccountforupto50%ofmoosecalfmortality.Agrizzlysowandcubwill
killonecalfeverytwodays.StudiesinAlaskaandSaskatchewanrevealedthat
bearreductionandtranslocationdoubledmoosecalfsurvivalstudies.
Whereasbearstendtospecificallytargetcalves,wolvesoftenkilloldermoose.
Wolf populations are rapidly increasing in BC, but no management plan
exists.Eachwolfwillkillmorethan20adultungulatesperyear.
The main predators of moose are wolves , black bears , and grizzly bears.
8 > MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E MOOSE – PR EPAR I NG FOR TH E FUTU R E > 9
ISSUEThereisnotenoughhuntereducationonpredator-preyrelationshipsand
thebenefitofharvestingbearsinmoosearea.
RECOMMENDATIONS10.Theimportanceofblackbearharvestinmooseareasshould
bereinforced.
11. Reviewingtheharvestofgrizzlybearsinmooseareaswillhelp
ensurehealthymoosepopulationsthroughoutBC.
ISSUEWolvesareadifficultspeciestohuntandrequireacombinedeffortand
astrategicplan.
RECOMMENDATION12. Thedevelopmentofawolfmanagementplanwillensureeffortsare
effectiveandtimely.
Conclusion
Thisreportisasummaryofthepresentationsandrecommendationsdeveloped
bytheparticipantsduringGOABC’sWildlife Stewardship Series IV: Moose
Management. Itisaconglomerationofexpertopinions,butisnotnecessarily
reflectiveofthewishesofGOABC.The12recommendationsstemmingfrom
theworkshoparebasedonthebestscienceavailableandservetohelplocal
biologistsandwildlifemanagersimprovemoosemanagementinBC.
GuideOutfittersAssociationofBritishColumbia(GOABC)
103–1914028thAve,Surrey,BCCanadaV3S6M3
Tel:604.541.6332•Fax:604.541.6339
Email:info@goabc.org•www.goabc.org
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