If you count by percentages, Minnesota moose hunters were more successful this year than last year, but there were also fewer antlered moose permits granted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 2011.
In 2010, moose hunt permits were granted to 212 hunters and 109 bull moose were shot, for a success rate of 51 percent.
This year the DNR issued 105 antlered permits, but 11 parties opted out of the hunt because the Pagami Lake fire affected their hunting area. The DNR will allow those hunters slots in future hunts or will refund their license fees if requested.
“Out of 94 permits issued this year, 53 moose were taken for a 56 percent success rate,” said Dave Ingebrigtsen, Grand Marais assistant DNR area wildlife manager.
Last fall 41 moose were taken in Cook County and this fall 19 were registered at Buck’s Hardware Hank.
The DNR reduced the number of hunting permits because of the decline in moose. Since 2005 the moose population in northeastern Minnesota has fallen from 8,000 to less than 5,000.
In northwestern Minnesota the decline has been staggering. There are fewer than 20 moose left out of an estimated population of 4,000 found in the mid-1980s.
Because wildlife scientists don’t know what is killing moose, hunting these majestic creatures may at some point be halted in northeastern Minnesota until the numbers come back.
If that happens, it won’t be the first time. Due to low numbers, hunting moose (on non-reservation land) wasn’t allowed in the state from 1922 until 1972.
When asked how many hunting permits might be issued next year Ingebrigtsen said it would depend on the aerial surveys the DNR will conduct in January 2012.
“If there are fewer than 67 bulls per 100 cows for three straight years the moose hunting season may be discontinued until a balance is restored,” said Ingebrigtsen.
In a troubling sign of the times, last year only 64 bull moose were counted per 100 cows in the DNR’s aerial survey over northeastern Minnesota.
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