By most accounts (there are always a few malcontents), the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) has done a commendable job of managing our most iconic big game animal, the Maine moose. However, no system is perfect and it’s a dynamic process. Some complaints are baseless or beyond the means of the agency to handle. Others have merit. The folks at IFW consider them all and do the best to address them.
To that end, they recently partnered with Responsive Management to create a two-phase research study that includes a survey of randomly-selected residents and an online forum. The goal is, “…to gain insight into interactions among hunters and other people participating in outdoor recreational activities during the fall.” Both solicit input on general moose management issues and moose hunting issues.
On the general management side, IFW sought input from Mainers on the status of Maine’s moose population, what they think are the primary issues facing moose in Maine and how much do they really know about the population. Responses ran the gamut from full support of current management to coarse criticism. Some felt that too many cows were being removed, but failed to recognize that is the primary means for controlling the population where numbers are too high. Many acknowledged the issue of winter ticks and a fair number felt the moose population was declining in many areas of the state.
The hunting side looked largely at potential conflict among moose hunters, other hunters, other outdoor recreationists, landowners/managers and forest operators, though responses went far beyond the questions posed. One of the biggest complaints was the inability to draw a moose permit. That’s the nature of the beast. Demand exceeds supply and IFW does its best to provide an equitable lottery system, including the accumulation of points for those who fail to draw. Still, some folks are critical of allotments to special-interest groups like outfitters and lodges, and see auctioned permits as a money grab. The latter may be partly true but moose management is expensive.
Somewhat surprisingly, there were not a lot of comments on conflicts, and most who did comment expressed that they did not experience conflicts. One common complaint involved trucks blocking roads, and IFW has already indicated that would be a higher priority for the Warden Service. The flip side is people who see a vehicle parked at the head of a dead-end road – obviously hunting – and drive down it anyway. There were a few folks who expressed negative sentiments about moose and upland game seasons overlapping, but most felt it was a non-issue.
There’s a saying among wildlife biologists that if you’re not “ticking” someone off, you’re not doing your job. When you consider all that goes into managing Maine’s moose, or deer or turkeys, it’s a thankless task. Managers are charged with balancing populations with what the land can support, what landowners and local residents will tolerate and what visitors, hunters, guides and lodge owners wish was out there. The folks at IFW deserve a good deal of credit for what they do, and for seeking public input. It’s up to us to provide it and like elections, if you don’t participate in the process, you shouldn’t complain.
Bob Humphrey is a freelance writer and Registered Maine Guide who lives in Pownal. He can be reached at: bob@bobhumphrey.com
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