Moose, bear numbers reported for '09 season

[Lee Borgersen]

Moose, bear numbers reported for '09 season



The 2009 bulls-only moose-hunting season in northeastern Minnesota ended Oct. 18.

Hunters registered 104 bull moose at registration stations scattered across Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties over the 16-day season.

This compares with 111 bulls last year, 114 in 2007, 159 moose (bulls and cows) harvested in northeastern Minnesota in 2006, 163 in 2005, and 149 in 2004.

The success ratio was 46.2 percent this year, down from 47 percent in 2008. There were 225 permits sold this year.

In Ely, 20 moose were registered, up two from last year. Grand Marais, the largest area station, had 28 moose registered, down from 33 last year.

"It was basically same season as last year and considering the kind of weather moose hunters had to endure it was a pretty good year," said DNR wildlife manager Tom Rusch. "They had cold, snow and drizzle, rain and wind but that's the way it's been this year from pheasants to moose they've all been this way."

DNR wildlife managers collected biological samples at moose registration stations to try and assess moose health and physical condition.

The bear hunt was surprisingly effective. A total of 249 bears were taken in the Tower area, including Ely. There were 190 taken in 2008.

"Last year was a dog but this year went better than I thought because of the amount of food in the woods locally I didn't expect to see an increase," said Rusch.

The DNR also reduced the number of permits available for bear hunters.

"It's just one of those where I was pleasantly surprised. It was a good harvest for where the bear population is at now," said Rusch.

Next up, the 2009 firearms deer season that starts on Saturday, Nov. 7.

[jkcmj]

This is the same area I have hunted since 2002.  I did not apply this year, but last year my 14 year old boy shot his 1st bear near Tower, and I have taken 6 bears in that area as well.  I had noticed in the last couple of years hunting up there that our bait hits have been very limited, but we also had a couple of guides that began baiting the same forest areas that we had been hunting, which opened up the bait choices the bears had to choose from.
This is a photo of my 2007 bear.

And this is my son's 2008 bear from the same stand.

[Randy Kaar]

Nice bears and pics! What did they weigh?

randy

[jkcmj]

My bear weighed in at 172 lbs field dressed(young sow) and my son's little boar weighed in around 195 lbs.

[StevenHuston]

how much does a moose permit cost?