Big Game Survey Results - 2017 Surveys Conducted The following big game aerial surveys were flown in 2017: Moose o Game Hunting Areas 13 and 13A (Porcupine Mountain area Western Region) o Game Hunting Areas 18, 18A, 18B, and 18C (Duck Mountain area Western Region) o Game Hunting Area 21 (Central Region) o Game Hunting Area 21A (Central Region) Elk o Game Hunting Area 35A (Eastern Region) Barren Ground Caribou o Manitoba contributed to a Nunavut lead population survey of the Qamanirjuaq caribou herd population shared with Manitoba (Northeast Region) Due to insufficient snow cover, the moose survey planned for Game Hunting Area 17A and gray wolf surveys planned for Game Hunting Areas 13 and 13A; 18, 18A, 18B, and 18C; and 26 could not proceed. Survey Summaries Moose, Game Hunting Area 13, 13A (Porcupine Mountain area - Western Region) Aerial survey results in 2010 suggested the moose population in Game Hunting Areas 13 and 13A were declining and as a result a suite of conservation actions were implemented beginning in 2010. These actions included the suspension of licenced hunting and the establishment of a conservation closure which closed the entire Game Hunting Area to rightsbased hunting. An aerial survey was conducted in Game Hunting Areas 13 and 13A from February 2 to 10, 2017 to obtain information on the moose population, including whether conservation efforts had been effective in the recovery of the moose population. A stratified random block survey method was used and sample units (areas) were identified as low, medium, and high moose density units. The survey area consisted of 64% of the total Game Hunting Area based on previous surveys and historical distribution of moose. Intensive sampling was conducted on 29% of the survey area. The survey produced a point estimate of
1,057 (90% CI: 884 1,230) moose and an average density of 0.47 moose/km² within the area sampled. The calf/cow and bull/cow ratios were 49 (90% CI: 43 54) calves/100 cows and 64 (90% CI: 50 78) bulls/100 cows, respectively. Survey results suggest that there was no statistically significant change in the size of the moose population when compared to the 2012 (817; 90% CI: 696 938) or 2010 (1,122; 90% CI: 940 1,305) surveys. Moose, Game Hunting Areas 18, 18A, 18B, 18C (Duck Mountain area - Western Region) Aerial survey results in 2010 suggested the moose population in Game Hunting Areas 18, 18A-C was declining and as a result a suite of conservation actions were implemented beginning in 2010. These actions included elimination of licensed moose hunting and a conservation closure which closed the entire Game Hunting Area to rights-based moose hunting. An aerial survey was conducted in Game Hunting Areas 18, 18A-C from February 2 to 13, 2017 to obtain information on the moose population, including whether conservation efforts had been effective in the recovery of the moose population. A stratified random block survey method was used and sample units were identified as low, medium, and high moose density units. The survey area consisted of 78% of the total Game Hunting Area. The area to survey was determined based on the historical distribution of moose and the area of previous surveys. Intensive sampling was conducted on 27% of the survey area. The survey produced a point estimate of 1,958 (90% CI: 1,663 2,253) moose and an average density of 0.34 moose/km² within the area sampled. The calf/cow and bull/cow ratios were 35 (90% CI: 30 39) calves/100 cows and 69 (90% CI: 58 80) bulls/100 cows respectively. Survey results suggests there was a statistically significant increase of approximately 25% in the size of the moose population since the previous survey, conducted in 2012 (1,466; 90% CI: 1,284 1,648), and approximately 31% since the 2010 survey (1,349; 90% CI: 1,173 1,526). Moose, Game Hunting Area 21 (Central Region) An aerial moose survey was conducted in Game Hunting Area 21 from January 14 to 17, 2017 to obtain information on the moose population following concerns about possible population declines over the nine years since the previous survey. A stratified random block survey method was initially planned and stratification transects were flown throughout the entire Game Hunting Area over four consecutive days. Signs of moose (beds and craters) and number of animals were recorded. Results from the stratification survey were to be used to delineate strata by predicted moose density in Game Hunting Area 21. However, low densities of moose observed during stratification necessitated a modification of survey methodology and a strip transect method (500 m wide strips flown 1.75 km apart) was used to produce a population index. Using a strip transect method, the population index was estimated at 67 (90%
CI: 42-92) moose. In 2008, using a stratified random block methodology, the population estimate was 346 (90% CI: 283 408) moose. Although these two population estimates cannot be directly compared, survey results suggest the moose population in Game Hunting Area 21 has declined over the past nine years and has become critically low. Moose, Game Hunting Area 21A (Central Region) An aerial survey was conducted in Game Hunting Area 21A from January 27 to February 4, 2017 to obtain current information on the moose population following concerns about its potential decline. A stratified random block survey method was used and sample units were grouped into two sample unit categories (strata). Intensive sampling was conducted on 34.2% of the total survey area. The survey produced a point estimate of 132 (90% CI: 76 188) moose and an average density of 0.06 moose/km² within the area sampled. The calf/cow and bull/cow ratios were 38 (90% CI: 25 50) calves/100 cows and 18 (90% CI: 7 28) bulls/100 cows, respectively. Survey results suggest that the moose population in Game Hunting Area 21A has declined significantly since the previous survey conducted in 2011 (308 moose; 90% CI: 245 370). From February 8 to 10, 2017 a separate survey was flown to obtain a minimum count of moose on ten islands within Game Hunting Area 21A. This survey included: Hecla, Black, Deer, Punk, Matheson, Tamarack, Moose, Little Moose, Bakers and Long Islands. A total of 61 moose were counted on these islands. Elk, Game Hunting Area 35A (Eastern Region) An aerial survey was conducted in a portion of Game Hunting Area 35A in southeast Manitoba from February 18 to 24, 2017 to determine the status of the elk population in the Vita-Caribou elk range. The primary objective of this survey was to obtain a minimum population count of the Vita-Caribou elk population in Manitoba. Strip transects (500 m width) were flown every 1.75 km apart throughout the survey area over two days. Signs of elk such as tracks and the number of animals detected were recorded. Subsequently, an intensive sampling approach was used whereby an attempt was made to count every elk within 19.6 km 2 blocks where animals and signs of animals were seen during the first portion of the survey. The intensive sampling phase was conducted over a three and half day period on 32.9% of the total area within the elk survey area (total survey area = 1,626.8 km 2 ). The survey provided a minimum population count of 163 elk in area.
Barren Ground Caribou Survey (Northeast Region) The Qamanirjuaq barren ground caribou population migrates through four provincial/territorial jurisdictions and is co-managed predominantly by the governments of Nunavut and Manitoba with input from Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. A 2014 survey of the Qamanirjuaq herd suggested a ~47% decline since 1994. The Qamanirjuaq herd is one of the last barren-ground caribou populations that supports indigenous, resident and foreign resident hunting. An aerial survey was conducted by the Nunavut government in June to produce updated estimates of population size, birth and calf survival rates, and age and gender composition for the Qamanirjuaq herd. Manitoba contributed $100,000.00 to support this survey. The results from this survey are not available at this time.
PROVINCIAL BIG GAME AERIAL SURVEYS 2016-2017 1 2 9 3 2A 5 4 7A 7 9A 3A 6 6A 8 10 11 12 15A 13 13A Swan River 18A 18 14 14A 19A 15 20 16 21 Gypsumville 17 18C 18B 23A 19 19B 25 21A Hodgson 17A 27 22 23 28 29A 29 30 31A 24 32 31 25A 25B 33 38 34B 26 34 34C 34A 36 35A 35 Vita Legend 2017 Big Game Hunting Areas Surveyed Big Game Hunting Areas - Manitoba Towns