February 17, 2023

The Ministry of Environment works to balance public concerns with an understanding that game species are a public resource belonging to all Saskatchewan residents. Our game species management also includes consideration of Indigenous harvesting rights, landowner attitudes, hunter interests and non-consumptive values. 

Our primary population management strategy for moose in non–forest areas is regulated hunting opportunities. We use a science-based approach to adjust harvest quotas using the best available population information from aerial surveys, hunter harvest surveys, SGI collision reports and other data sources. High snow depths in recent winters have made conditions challenging for some moose. Increased snowpack limits accessibility to reliable food sources and prompts moose to search elsewhere. There were also a number of field reports in the spring of 2022 of calf moose that appeared to have died from starvation. 

Hunting seasons and quotas are reviewed annually and adjusted to align with our goal of maintaining a sustainable moose population for future generations. 

In response to changes in the moose population, an either-sex draw season for moose was implemented in wildlife management zone (WMZ) 15 for the 2022 hunting season. The quota is for 20 either-sex moose, which is similar to quotas in neighbouring WMZs. 

There continue to be concerns for low moose populations near the Manitoba border. Mandatory harvest reporting and field reports will help our assessment of moose populations in these zones. 

The Honourable Dana Skoropad – Minister of Environment, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment