Chasse à l'orignal blanc en Ontario....

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August 23, 2005

PROTECTING WHITE-COLOURED MOOSE



The Ministry of Natural Resources is proposing to protect white-coloured moose in the Foleyet area of northeastern Ontario to recognize the cultural and spiritual significance of the white moose to First Nation communities and to promote local eco-tourism.

In general, moose have brown coats of hair. In some rare cases, the colour of moose coats can range from predominantly white to a mixture of white and brown. White-coloured moose are not a separate species, but are examples of a rare colour phase that can occur naturally in wild moose populations.

Seeing a white-coloured moose is a rare event, but it is not limited to Foleyet. Reports have also been recorded near Cochrane, Wawa, Sioux Lookout, Ranger Lake and Kenora. However, there have been more reports of sightings near Foleyet.

The proposed protection of white-coloured moose in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 30 and 31 would not affect the existing number and allocation of moose tags to residents and to outfitters catering primarily to non-residents.

The 2005 moose population estimate for WMU 30 is 2,300. In WMU 31, a 2003 moose population estimate is about 1,900. The exact number of white-coloured moose in the Foleyet area is unknown, but is estimated to be four to six.

White-coloured moose have been reported in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Alaska and Idaho. Restrictions on the hunting of white-coloured moose were put in place for the Port au Port Peninsula in 2002 by Newfoundland and Labrador. No other province has hunting regulations prohibiting the harvest of white-coloured moose.
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/csb/news/2005/aug23bg_05.html