Save A Moose

     The moose have been out and about again lately.  I saw two of last year’s calves and a bull moose while driving on Saturday.  What a treat!  It had been awhile since I had last saw one so to see three in one day was awesome.

     The Minnesota Moose Hunt is right around the corner.  Hunters are not allowed to shoot cows anymore so I’m hoping our local bulls will stay hidden and survive the season.  With the moose population decreasing I am not sure why a hunt is still allowed in Northeastern Minnesota.

     I am not against hunting by any means.  I think it is necessary for some species as long as there is careful management.  I do not however think hunting for moose should be allowed on the Gunflint Trail.  The Gunflint Trail moose are like our mascots.  Visitors to our area expect to see moose and it is one of the things that keeps people returning to our area time after time.  These people spend money in our area year after year.

     The moose hunt has a detrimental effect on the Gunflint Trail.  Hunting isn’t like natural selection where only the weak or old are taken.  Hunters tend to take healthy, hearty bull moose.  Some times these bull moose are shot right from the road in front of people taking pictures of the same moose.

     Some people say the Minnesota moose hunt brings money to our economy.  If this is true then it is very little on the Gunlint Trail.   Many of the hunters we see are "do it your selfers."  They bring their camper, park on the side of the road where they pay no fees, pack their own food and hardly spend a dime in our county.  The moose hunt is a once in a lifetime opportunity in Minnesota so these hunters will most likely never return. 

     A live and breathing Gunflint Trail moose is way more valuable then a rack hanging from a dead moose in the back of a pick up truck heading south.  So do me and the Gunflint Trail moose a favor… If you see a bull hanging out somewhere around the Gunflint Trail then wait until after the hunt to tell anyone where you saw it.