Minnesota residents who wish to participate in the 2010 moose hunt this fall in northeastern Minnesota must apply by Friday, May 7.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will make 213 permits available in 30 zones. Hunt participants will be selected in a random drawing. Season dates will be Saturday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 17. Hunters may apply at any DNR license agent or at the DNR License Center at 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul.
“The moose season will continue because the few bulls that are taken annually do not significantly contribute to overall moose mortality,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game coordinator. “We allocate moose licenses very conservatively and anticipate only about 100 will be harvested this fall by state hunters.”
Moose hunters must apply in parties of two to four individuals. An application fee of $3 per individual must be included with the application. Only Minnesota residents, at least 16 years of age, are eligible for the moose hunt. Only bull moose may be harvested. Hunters who received permits for moose hunts in 1991 and later are not eligible. The license fee is $310 per party. Attendance at an orientation is mandatory for all hunters.
The Moose Advisory Committee, which the DNR convened to make recommendations regarding research and management of Minnesota’s moose population, recommended that declines in long-term harvest success rates and the bull-cow ratio be considered before eliminating the bulls-only moose hunting season. Neither factor has declined to a level that falls outside the committee’s recommendations.
DNR wildlife researchers estimate that there are about 5,500 moose in northeastern Minnesota. Data collected during the 2010 aerial survey suggest that there is approximately one bull to every cow, creating a population ratio that results in a high percentage of cows being bred each fall. In 2009, there were 225 state bull-moose permits issued. Licensed hunters harvested 103 bull moose for a party success rate of 46 percent.
Leave a Reply