Belleville-area naturalists hear about decline of moose population in Ontario

By Evan McClelland ^[2]

BELLEVILLE – They’re one of the nation’s most recognizable animals, but their population is in decline in this province.

The dwindling of the number of moose in Ontario was the topic of a meeting of the Quinte Field Naturalists ^[3] Monday night at Bridge Street United Church. Dave Pearce of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society ^[4] was the speaker.

Pearce gave several possible reasons for the decline, such as the increased road network for mining and other resource extraction. As well, hunters are killing more moose through the use of all-terrain vehicles, drones and other technologies, he said.

“One of the easiest things to do, and one of the possible drivers, is the fact that it is easy to legally shoot a moose calf, the future of the population, in Ontario,” Pearce said.

A calf is the term used for a moose that is less than a year old. Ontario’s hunting lottery system allows hunters who don’t receive a tag for hunting fully grown moose to instead hunt the calves, Pearce explained.

A warming climate is also a possible factor, he said. However, when the Wildlands League ^[1] conducted a poll to see what people thought was causing the decline, climate often ranked on the low side.

It’s an issue people have trouble accepting as the cause of obvious things, like rising sea levels and the bleaching of the coral reefs, so “it’s kind of hard to make the connection to an animal like the moose,” Pearce said.

Moose are equipped for cold weather and suffer from hyperthermia – overheating – even if exposed to the relatively modest heat of room temperature, he said.

The presentation wasn’t all doom and gloom, however. Possible solutions, at least to counter the overhunting issue, were put forward by Pearce. One was to end the calf hunt. He also suggested designating areas as moose sanctuaries to protect them, and increasing enforcement to cut down on poaching.

All of those suggestions were viewed favourably by the people the league surveyed, even if they were hunters, Pearce said. People care about the moose, he added.

“They’re kind of unique. They’re majestic, and they’re funny at the same time – and they taste good. Everyone has a moose story. You know, it’s like, ‘Oh, you went to Algonquin Park! Did you see any moose? And how many moose did you see?’ And they’re just part of the Canadian identity.”