justnorth posted on April 29, 2008 05:34 :: 1466 Views
The application deadline for the 2008 bull-only moose hunt is Friday, May 2, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A total of 247 bull permits are available in 30 zones in northeastern Minnesota for this year’s hunt, which runs Oct. 4-19, and winners are selected by drawing.
Because the moose hunt became a once-in-a-lifetime hunt in 1991, hunters who received permits for moose hunts for the 1991 hunt and later are not eligible to apply for the 2008 drawing.
Moose hunters must apply in parties of from two to four and only Minnesota residents at least 16 years old are eligible for the hunt. Hunters must include a $3 application fee for each individual in a moose party.
Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator, said wildlife biologists conduct an annual aerial survey of moose populations and permits are allocated so that harvest will not exceed five percent of the total population.
“By restricting our harvest to five percent of the population, we are maintaining sufficient bulls for breeding while protecting the reproductive portion on the herd,” Cornicelli said. He added that the DNR is developing a long-term moose management strategy as part of its efforts to retain a viable moose population in northern Minnesota.
In 2007, the DNR issued 233 bull moose permits. State-licensed hunters harvested 115 moose for a party success rate of about 50 percent.
Hunters who have been unsuccessful in winning a permit at least 10 times since 1985 will be placed in a separate drawing for up to 20 percent of the available licenses.
Anyone who is still unsuccessful in this separate selection will be included in the regular drawing that follows.
Hunters chosen for moose permits must pay a license fee of $310 per party and attend a mandatory orientation session. The bag limit is one antlered moose per party.
Application may be made at any of the nearly 1,800 statewide electronic license vendors and from the DNR License Center at 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul.
For additional hunt information, including an interactive map that details boundaries, physical fitness requirements and general ATV regulations for each zone, click here.
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