Like in Minnesota, the Moose population of Southeastern Manitoba has been in a freefall over the past decade.......Hunting seasons have been curtailed and of course increased wolf hunting has been allowed,,,,all in the name of bringing back the Moose.............Biggest problem is the mushrooming of the deer population with the brainworm disease that it brings to Moose Country........... In combination with warming temperatures that encourages winter tick proliferation, Moose are being hammered!.....And in "good wisdom", Manitoba Officials is expanding the deer hunting season in an attempt to slowdown the brain disease that they bring to the Moose population.......The only bizarre action is the killing of wolves which of course love eating deer.........We can kill the deer but the wolves are not allowed to...........Assnine thinking and policymaking at play

Deer-hunting season extended to save moose

By Paul Turenne

What's a good way to help boost eastern Manitoba's dwindling moose population? Kill more deer.

Moose numbers have declined about 60% in the past 10 years in the Lac du Bonnet area and the rest of southeastern Manitoba's boreal fringe, and the province has taken a number of aggressive steps in the past couple of years to help address that drop.

The government cancelled the moose hunt in certain road-accessible areas, has consulted with First Nations about changes to rights-based moose hunting, and has tried to reduce predator numbers — by allowing hunters to kill more wolves, for example.

But one of the biggest problems experienced by moose in that area is interaction with white-tail deer. Deer carry a parasite that is harmless to them, but causes a fatal disease known as brainworm in moose, caribou and other large cervids.

In order to help keep deer away from moose, the province has decided this year to tack two extra weeks onto the deer hunting season for general rifle users, which is by far the most popular season. What would normally be a three-week hunting window from mid-November to early December will now last from Nov. 14 to Dec. 18. The change applies only in hunting zone 26, which is essentially everything north and east of the Winnipeg River up to the Bissett area. The province hopes the extended season will allow hunters more opportunity to harvest deer, thereby reducing the deer population in that critical moose habitat.

"Moose are more important than deer in some areas because they're not found in every area," said Kelly Leavesley, regional wildlife manager for Manitoba Conservation's Lac du Bonnet region, who noted deer tend to have more habitat options. "Moose are also an important animal to many First Nations people."

Due to a couple of cold winters, deer populations are generally down of late in most areas of Manitoba, but Leavesley said there's no concern the extended season will result in so many deer being taken that it's unhealthy for the deer population.

The government is trying out the extended season this year, and will analyze the results before making a decision about future years, Leavesley said.