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Moose Harvest Planning System
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
In collaboration with Arbour Vitae Environmental
Services Ltd., ESSA developed a computerized harvest planning system
based on the current Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR)
guidelines for setting moose harvest quotas. The system allows users
to quickly and easily calculate the projected harvest based on current
moose population and historical harvest statistics. The system takes
into account the ratio of bulls to cows, the calf harvest, and potential
tag fill rates to calculate recommended harvest figures. It allows
the harvest to be apportioned to three hunter groups (Outfitters,
Gun and Archery), and provides for the integration of harvest estimates
from tag recommendations made by planners in individual Wildlife
Management Units (WMU). The system includes a comprehensive on-line
help utility that provides clear, concise descriptions of the function
and structure (including underlying formulae) of the system to enable
users to better understand and interpret their results. The Moose
Harvest Planning System has received positive reviews and is currently
being used by OMNR district biologists throughout the province.
Recently, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
identified a need to provide district biologists with the capacity
to integrate moose WMU-level population modelling into the tag allocation
process. ESSA has been engaged to develop this model and to integrate
it directly into the existing Moose Harvest Planning System so it
will seamlessly display future population predictions alongside
the current graphical display of historical data. Such a population
model will enable district biologists to better understand the implications
of setting quotas on future population levels.
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