Moose minds of world visit Manitoba, where Bullwinkle is 'in deep trouble'

"Old Bullwinkle"isn't doing so well in Manitoba these days, and one of the main reasons ismoosecontinue to beoverhunted, according to some hunters and biologists in the province.

"Hasn't changed since he walked across the Bering Land Bridge:he's still got antlers, four feet and fur," Vince Crichton, a former Manitoba Conservation biologist of 40 years, told CBC News.

"But look at us! Cars and trucks and snow machines; ARGOs, ATVs, fancy communication equipment, high-power rifles, lights and those things called roads, with increased access. What chance does he have?"

• Moose population in Manitoba on sharp decline, province called to act
• The Nature of Things: A Year in the Life of a Twig Eater

Moose-minded researchers from 12 countries are in Brandon this week for the50thAnnual Moose Conference and Workshop, which is also the 8th Annual International Moose Symposium, to discuss how to help threatened moose populations thrive again.

Holding the conference in Brandon is fitting, according to Manitoba Wildlife Federation managing director RobOlson, because moose in southwestern Manitoba are "in deep trouble."

"[The southwest] is likely to be the next domino to fall in the decline of the moose in the province,"Olsonsaid.

The theme this year, "21st Century Moose Management and Human Dimensions," promises to bring experts, hunters and some First Nations together to share ideas about moose conservation efforts that have helped rescue the species in other parts of the world.

A spokesperson with the province saidmoose populations are "increasing or stable" in some areas, such as Game Hunting Area (GHA) 26,betweenBissettand Lac du Bonnet.

Crichton believes that is largelythanks toconservation closures that have temporarily prohibitedhuntingin parts of Duck Mountain,Porcupine Mountain, Swan-Pelican forest in the westand GHA26 in the east.

• Manitoba poachers busted for illegal kills, province says

But moose are still struggling to make gains in other areas.Olson said there could be as many as 10 other GHAsthat should be closed due to suffering populations, but the province doesn't seem to be willing to fund enough population surveys.

Disease and overhunting

One factor that has hurtpopulationsis disease. Winter tick and a form of brain worm common among deer aretwo big culprits.

Winter tick decimated moose numbers in western Manitoba in 2002. About 40 per cent of the entire population was lost to the tick species that winter, Crichton said, adding warmersprings and falls in recent years hasmeant more ticks on moose.

The brain worm, present in the majority of Manitoba deer, is a major moose killer right now, too.

But diseases aside,Crichtonand Olson both believeoverhuntingof mooseis making it hard for them to rebound.

"It's the unregulated harvest by a [small number] of our First Nation peoples, and now in part of Manitoba, the Mtis peoples," Crichton said."I can tell you right now that the vast majority of our rights-based people are as concerned as I am and others."

• Manitoba Mtis win hunting rights case
• Federal Court grants rights to Mtis, non-status Indians

"It's not about taking away those rights, it's about protecting them. If there's nothing left, rights are meaningless," he added.

But Sheila North Wilson, Grand ChiefofManitobaKeewatinowi Okimakanak, said to single out First Nations without the numbers to back it up misses the mark.

"If that's theirstarting point, they need to figure out what they're trying to say, because Indigenous people, especially ourhuntersand gatherers, know their role," North Wilson said."Indigenous peoples' role isto be stewards of the land."

• Overhunting of caribou an 'atrocity,' says Manitoba Dene chief
• Manitoba's Sayisi Dene speak out about surviving forced move

"We're talking about Indigenous, Aboriginal treaty rights to hunting and fishing and gathering....This is how they survived, and this is how they want to survive, and for anyone or any organization to say they'reoverhuntingoroverfishingis simply asinine."

Worktogether

AlistairBath, a researcherfromMemorial University of Newfoundland,studies how the belief systems,attitudes and behaviour of different interestgroups impact their ability to solve things like conservation issues.

As afacilitator by trade, and presenter atthe conference, he hopes to get everyone in the same roomworking toward common ground.

"It's not about blame, it's about what do you collectively want?" Bath said."We need to get in agreement first of what the common vision is, what are we striving for, and then start tossing out what are the obstacles to achieving this?"

Olson and Crichtonwantthe conference to help strengthen relationships between all stakeholders.

"Let's get Mtis, First Nation and licensed hunters together and let's get serious and roll up our sleeves and let's come up with asolution now, not next year, not the year after," Olson said.

"We need government to move. They've made some huge commitments here to us, which is great, but we need them to move on that now. We need action."

This year theprovince has surveyed GHA 26,populations south and east of The Pas, and plans to conductthree additional surveys in Porcupine Mountain (GHA 13), Duck Mountain (GHA 18s) and GHA 21 in the north Interlake, a spokesperson with the province said.