Moose Monday

There were a few thousand people doing happy dances throughout the province Monday, and it had nothing to do with winning a lottery - even though some may have felt that way.

The provincial government announced changes to its moose management plan, which means somewhere along the line it actually had one, and now more than 2,000 additional hunters will get to look at their buddies this fall and say those famous words spoken by the God of the gravel pits BuddyWaisisname, - "Got to get me moose b'y."

In its wisdom to help manage what has been pegged as an out-of-control moose population by many highway motorists, the provincial government has lengthened the moose hunting season, confirmed a date for Sunday hunting, and increased the number of resident and non-profit hunting licenses.

All helpful adjustments, but anyone who may think Newfoundland and Labrador moose will be added to the endangered species list in the few years will be mistaken.

Everyone knows this government is about numbers, so let's use a few.

Even with the license increase there's still a lot more moose than there are licenses - somewhere around 120,000 compared to just over 30,000. That's a four-to-one ratio, or 25 per cent. Just a quick look at some very lenient numbers - let's say 35 per cent of the 120,000 total are child-bearing (whoops, moose-bearing) animals. That's 42,000 cows able to calf each year. Let's say 75 per cent of these cows have calves - that's 31,500 newborns a year.

Given that not everyone is going to get their moose - let's say 1,000 unsuccessful hunters in the province - there's still probably going to be more than a two per cent increase in the moose population annually even with the changes.

Using the same numbers without the changes, and there's just over a four per cent growth.

A two per cent decrease may not seem like a lot, but it's a lot like the two ladies in the credit card commercial walking out of a grocery store, and one asks the other about her credit card. The second lady tells the first which card she has and that she receives a certain amount back with each purchase. The first lady asks how much did she get back for her latest purchase, to which the second lady answers, "Two dollars, and how much did you get back." Of course, the answer is nothing.

So, even though the government moose management changes won't completely stop the growth of the province's moose population, it's better to have something than nothing.

Besides the government also announced it would looking at a five-year moose management plan.

Moose Monday was a good day for happy dances.

info@ganderbeacon.ca