POPULATION AND HARVEST TRENDS OF MOOSE IN SASKATCHEWAN

Abstract

Moose are an integral species of the boreal forest and highly valued by Indigenous peoples and licensed hunters in Saskatchewan. Information from 27 aerial surveys (1998–2022) indicate moose populations are generally declining (range: λ = 0.96 to 1.02) across much of the southern boreal forest and may be stable in the non-forested areas of the province. Provincial resident licensed harvest of moose declined from 5,466 in 2015 to 3,449 in 2023 while hunter effort remained relatively stable. The composition of the licensed harvest was 65% ± 11(SD) bulls, 27% ± 8(SD) cows and 8% ± 3(SD) calves during this period. The southern boreal forest has been a long-standing traditional area for Saskatchewan licensed moose hunters where harvest has declined approximately 40% from 2015 to 2023 (range: 677–1195) with highly variable harvest rates (5% ± 4.3SD) among Wildlife Management Zones (WMZs). In 2022, in non-forest WMZs antlerless seasons were removed and quotas reduced in response to lower moose numbers. These regulatory adjustments lowered the percent of cows in the harvest from 39% ± 2(SD) in 2015-2021 to 16-17% in 2022–2023. While data were limited, maintaining ≤ 20% cows in the total harvest may allow moose populations in non-forested areas to remain at or near current levels. Other factors impacting moose populations in the province are habitat loss, increased road and trail access facilitating harvest by hunters and predators, parasites and disease.