THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO   October 12, 2017  (LSN)      On September 12th 2017, Thunder Bay's Northwester Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance (NOSA) will officially launch a highway bill board project aimed at educating and encouraging hunters to do the right thing while targeting moose in the coming weeks of the open rifle season in Ontario's Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 13. The project concept is a collaborative effort with the Thunder Bay District OMNRF office and it's enforcement division. 

The messaging basically asks hunters to "know the difference" between a cow and calf moose when faced with a decision to pull the trigger once the moose is within the crosshairs of a rifle scope. The reason; yearling cows and calves look very similar and in various field conditions such as low light or inclement weather, a case of mistaken identity could result in a hunter shooting an animal that he isn't licensed for. This is because the calf season is a shortened two week season that occurs later on after opening week, therefore it's important for hunters to understand that until then, calves are off limits to hunters.
  
 The two bill boards are titled "Hunters: Know the Difference". The image on the bill board clearly shows the difference between a cow and a calf moose. The bill boards are located on Hwy 527 near the Magone Road and also along Hwy 11/17 just past the Sistonen's Corner enroute to Shabaqua.   

   NOSA acknowledges that most hunters are careful to ensure they properly identify the moose they are licensed to harvest, however there are some key suggestions for hunters to follow to help them in the field:
- Calves are less than one year old. A calf stands approx. 4ft high at the shoulder and will weigh approx. 350-400lbs
- Calf's head is short and stout with almost no bell, shorter ears and a shorter neck.
- Calf's legs appear long in proportion to body
- Calf's shoulder hump is short and appears to be sharper pointed than a cow
- Adult Cow/female moose: stands approx. 6ft at the shoulder and may weigh upwards of 700-1200lbs 
- Cow moose has a longer, more rectangular shaped body frame
- Cow moose has a longer face with a long over hanging bulbous nose, longer/prominent ears and longer bell
   NOSA encourages hunters to report all natural resources violations by calling MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll free all hours or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
      

By John Kaplanis, 
Executive Director
Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance